John Glenn Quotations

There is still no cure for the common birthday.

The most important thing we can do is inspire young minds and to advance the kind of science, math and technology education that will help youngsters take us to the next phase of space travel.

This is a day we have managed to avoid for a quarter of a century.

I don't know what you could say about a day in which you have seen four beautiful sunsets.

Whether it was considered legal or illegal or whatever, there was foreign money that came back into the system, ... And I'm sure we're going to be getting more in subsequent weeks about foreign money that made it back in on the Democratic side.

What this does is create such cynicism and doubt about our whole political system that's it's a dangerous thing for the future, ... That's the reason why I wanted to take the broadest possible look at this thing.

Yes! A one-word answer. I guess I should just stop there,

Would I have him do this? N-o-o-o-o, ... Am I being supportive? You bet.

Let me castigate the press a moment here. Too often you get into the human aspects of this and you don't get into the scientific stuff that gets into everybody's house all over this country.

She's rather firm in her attitude on that at the moment, ... I would imagine this would probably be my last flight. She's been through an awful lot. I owe her some consideration at this point in life I think.

If we're just to continue with trying to see how much blood we can let out of Democrats and how much we can wound Democrats and not make it bipartisan, I'm for ending it as quick as we can end this thing, ... I think we had the opportunity to make this bipartisan.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of interest in this flight,

I don't have any quarrel with sending written questions or submitting whatever kind of testimony they want over there are the White House. That's up to the president,

I don't blame him wanting to go up,

I am against it, ... I absolutely would not want you to do that.

I envy Neil for that wonderful, wonderful experience.

What impresses me every time I come in and see this thing, ... is how fast aviation advanced beyond the Wright brothers. If you think it was only about 15 years until they were dog fighting over France in WWI...

Good for her, ... I think too many people live by the calendar and become couch potatoes. I think people should do what they want to do and what they can do.

I think we have the opportunity here of doing some great things for this country, ... I think through the years, over the past dozen years or so, the pernicious influence of money in political campaigns has become just intolerable. I think we have to correct it and these hearings are going to be the most definitive set of hearings to lay the informational base to really do a good campaign finance reform.

just going down to the corner to get chewing gum.

some good advice, maybe even out of this committee, come up with a good campaign reform law.

I wish I had the same kind of outrage on the Republican side of this failure of the Republican National Committee and the Dole campaign to produce materials vital to this investigation.

I wish that every flight received this same kind of attention. Each flight deserves it,

I think if Annie's in the back of the room, you better clear it with her,

That was great, couldn't do any better than that wake-up this morning,

My brother and I both had a very similar response, ... We were 100 per cent against it. It's kind of like 'been there, don't want to do that again.'

We were sort of feeling our way and finding out what would happen to the human body in space.

To look out at this kind of creation out here and not believe in God is to me impossible, ... It just strengthens my faith. I wish there were words to describe what it's like.

You know, back when I did the Mercury flight,

This story, as far as I know right now, is the only one so far where the head of a national political party knowingly and successfully solicited foreign money, infused it into the election process, and intentionally tried to cover it up,

You don't need a walker up here and you don't need to worry about osteoporosis or a cane or anything like that, because you just float across the room,

We need to have a push at the point of attack on a more consistent basis. On both sides of the ball, we couldn't stop them.

We've had a hard time moving the ball all season,

There is not anything like a broken hip or anything like that, and if you have trouble sleeping at night, why it's no problem because there's another one coming up in 45 minutes.

We've got a good view of Perth and there's a nice glow, ... A long time ago, I looked at the same thing, but this time it's from a different altitude.

What comprises relaxation here is really standing on your head and looking at things from a different direction or putting balls of water out to just float right in front of you,

Both of us had the same response when we heard about this, ... It was kind of like, 'Been there, don't want to do that again.' Our whole lives, we both have lived with the potential of our father's death.

Even though they are released from the prison they couldn't get a job easily, so we try to train them, such as computer training, and English courses so they could get a job easily.

Discovery and this crew took us around and around, and that view is still tremendous, ... To those whose prayers followed us around the world, our heartfelt thanks and appreciation.

I've been lucky enough to have a lot of opportunities in my own life, so I'm not usually given over to much envy of other people. But for Neil, I make a big exception.

I've snuck up there and sat down a couple of times just to see what it feels like, I must admit, ... Would I like to have a chance to be in command of a flight sometime? Yes. But I think I am a little old for that.

I've read every intelligence document. I've been in every intelligence briefing. And there's nothing yet that makes me change my mind that the 1996 presidential race was not affected by the Chinese plan.

Annie was not wildly enthusiastic -- I'll put it that way, ... She's come around. She's enthusiastic about it now.

As far as I'm concerned, there are going to be no more other flights,

a very unique and inexpensive opportunity to inform ourselves and the American people about an issue that has been of serious concern to all of us.

At various times I've referred to him as 'Igor' or

This is basic, fundamental research. We have some 35 million Americans over the age of 65, ... The basic purpose of why I'm going is not just to go sightseeing.

For all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday.

It's been a great ride so far, ... To be able to float around in Zero-G, I just wish everybody could experience this. The view is so hard to describe. It's moving, it's emotional, when you see the curvature of the earth.

taking part in some research in a hospital someplace.

It's an advantage up here for older folks because in Zero-G you can move around much more easily, ... I've been bumping my head a lot on things as I float around here, but that's all right.

It will be good to have him home.

There was a sense of community and community service then as well, ... I think we lost that.

I just wish that every flight got the kind of attention we used to get in the Mercury days,

I know there's a lot of interest in this, ... But I'm here to be a working crew member, training as a working crew member, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I'm now doubled on my space time, and building up every second.

Go with me and tell a Gold Star mother her son didn't hold a job. Go to Arlington National Cemetery, watch those flags, stand there and tell me those people didn't have a job.

You know, ... old folks can have dreams, too, as well as young folks, and then work toward them. And to have a dream like this come true for me is just a terrific experience.

All I can tell you is I feel 100 percent better than I did one week ago at this time, ... I was scared. I was really excited for John, but now I can say day after tomorrow I'm going to be able to touch him. That's very, very special to me.

You weren't half as glad as I was,

The moment of twilight is simply beautiful.

Americans just want us to... not be concerned if they can be constitutionally justified... Why, if we had to do that we could not pass most of the laws we enact around here.

When others kid me about being bald, I simply tell them that the way I figure it, the good Lord only gave men so many hormones, and if others want to waste theirs on growing hair, that's up to them.

By its very definition, civic responsibility means taking a healthy role in the life of one's community. That means that classroom lessons should be complemented by work outside the classroom. Service-learning does just that, tying community service to academic learning.

We (the DOE) are poisoning our people in the name of national security.

This is a day we have managed to avoid for a quarter of a century. We've talked about it before and speculated about it, and it finally has occurred. We hoped we could push this day back forever.

I am a stranger. I come in peace. Take me to your leader and there will be a massive reward for you in eternity.

Zero G and I feel fine.

I think a mentor gets a lot of satisfaction in a couple of ways. They're doing something constructive, so they feel good about that. And when they see the results of this, with the young people they're working with, it's very, very rewarding.

A lot of people ask...why a man is willing to risk... Well, we've got to do it. We're going into an age of exploration that will be bigger than anything the world has ever seen... If a man faces up to the (unknown) and takes the dare of the future, he can have some control over his destiny.

There are times when you devote yourself to a higher cause than personal safety.

I was sold on flying as soon as I had a taste for it.

Just because I'm 77 doesn't mean I don't have a dream.

We used to joke about canned men, putting people in a can and seeing how far you can send them and bring them back. That's not the purpose of this program... Space is a laboratory, and we go into it to work and learn the new.

I suppose the one quality in an astronaut more powerful than any other is curiosity. They have to get some place nobody's ever been.

That was a real fireball.

To get your name well enough known that you can run for a public office, some people do it by being great lawyers or philanthropists or business people or work their way up the political ladder. I happened to become known from a different route.

You know, old folks can have dreams, too, as well as young folks, and then work toward them. And to have a dream like this come true for me is just a terrific experience.

Too many people, when they get old, think that they have to live by the calendar.

We have an infinite amount to learn both from nature and from each other.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest and most fulfilled people I’ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self interest.

To sit back and let fate play its hand out and never influence it is not the way man was meant to operate.

As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.