May 24, 1962. I was in 5th grade.
I remember when his spacecraft splashed down in the ocean he'd missed his landing target by 250 miles, and everyone thought we'd lost an astronaut.
It was well over an hour later that a Navy helicopter found him in his life raft near his capsule.
Only John Glenn remains from the group of original Mercury 7 Astronauts. Every man and woman who put on a space suit and reached out to touch the hand of God were and are heroes of mine.
Sail on and fly high, Scott.
