he was a man of integrity integrity, humility and kindness and put others in edit himself and someone you could always count on. john glenn always represented the best of our ideals his personal popularity bias eagerness because he was sent genuine. people felt that he could set for a chat and be right at home or he would be agreed neighbor. john glenn was deeply compassionate and valued every button -- everyone better racer gender in negative this time in many ways and then was he who personally requested that the black woman from west virginia and from white

sulphur springs in west virginia working as a human computer at the langley research center requested they do the verify and the calculations as a backup to the idea electric computer. he made us look up not to this guy but to that of higher purpose that we as a country are striving to achieve. representing the innovation and bravery and made us all feel better about ourselves. he first flew to space aboard french ship seven as a friend of humanity a pilot who risked his life in world war ii in korea and worked

tirelessly to advance the field of aviation long before he dared to the utmost on behalf of us all. it is fitting that this day also marks the 113th anniversary of the right brothers' first powered flight. just as john advanced the frontiers of aviation, so too we will follow his legacy to us, to travel farther in space. john glenn received many accolades but the true measure was taken with the respect that he still commands on both ends of the political spectrum. the large shadow he cast on our entire endeavor and by their bright flame of his inspiration which continues

to eliminate our way. godspeed john glenn and the ku. we will never forget you. . . >> sometime i had no idea that i would be able to do that myself. i had thought about that since i was a kid. i was proud of my combat service in world war ii and korea. part of the the test work i had done. if i wasn't to continue in that area i would do the best into the best for the country. that's when i decided to run for public interest. your interest in the senate are part of the depth of everything

that is in this country. >> when john glenn was ten years old his father, his hero, veteran of world war i taught him how to play taps on the bugle. they played together memorial day a new, curt, small flakes small flakes and flowers next to gravesites, gravestone of the fallen. john will recall that time and feeling when he said, for love of country was a given, defense of its ideals with an obligation and the opportunity to join in the conquest and exploration was a challenge not only to fulfill a sacred duty, but to join a

joyous adventure. with john, all the years i knew him and worked with him was a joyous adventure. annie, what a a joyous adventure you and john had together. on display for your children and the whole world to see. you will know it, you can you can tell when a couple really, genuinely loves and enjoys one another. it was infectious. on behalf of president obama and the first lady, on behalf of the american people, jill and i here because we love you annie, and we love john. together you taught us all how to love. that is not something usually you talk about when you talk about heroes, especially heroes like john glenn who lived a life that was rigorous attends was just a little bit of magic.

we talk about his enduring spirit, poise under pressure, mental and mental and physical toughness, but for all of his heroism, that history will remember in war, and space in public life, you he felt something deeper with john. annie, on the way to the air force to i got it call from john kerry who is somewhere over the atlantic on the way on another mission in the middle east to try to deal with the yemen. he told me about his time he got to spend with you a couple of days ago in the family. he pointed out, he said john is only the ninth person in history in the state of ohio to ever lie in state as a governor. i did not know that. only the ninth in history. he said, that he talked about how much it meant to him to be

with you. and he gave spontaneously what i think is maybe the best description of john glenn i have ever heard. i knew john for 40 years. he said, john came out of the heart of the country like you kids do. and he stole america's heart. he came out of the heart of the country and he stole america's heart. and he did. he stole america's heart. i remember as a kid, a freshman freshman in college, john sister flight, and annie you and john, jill, and i have been friends for a 40 years. what a wonderful 40 years it has been. we served in the senate together side-by-side for 25 years and five years and we traveled around the world together.

john was one of the happiest people i ever knew. think about it. one of the happiest people i ever knew. he had that infectious smile. even when things look like everything was crashing down, john would walk into my office or in the caucus with a big smile on his face. i wondered, where in where in the hell has he been. did he not just hear what i just heard? you think i'm kidding, i am not kidding. but the world knew and respected john from columbus to cambodia, from washington to beijing. he loved being a senator, he loved his constituents and his colleagues. he loved his loved his staff, many of whom are here today and boy, did they love him back. you can feel his love for his country and for the state, and for the marine corps. he was kind of partial to

nassau. but most especially, he felt his love for you, annie hand for david, luann and and his grandchildren. all of you, all you had to do was see john and annie walked together just the way they looked at each other and you knew, that's what it is supposed to be like. i said that to annie today before we came in and she said that's like you and jill and i said no, that's different, everybody knows different, everybody knows i love jill more than she loves me. [laughter] i think you loved him just as much. last time we are together when jill and i had annie and john over to the vice presidents residence, is looking at the picture this morning of you walking down the steps and up to the gate and jill and i behind

you, and the words of the poet christopher marlowe literately came to mind and i had to rewrite this on the way on the plane. christopher marlowe said, come with me and be my love and all the pleasures we shall prove. together annie, you and john proved all of the pleasures. you not only had a magical love affair, the affair, the other thing about you is you are partners. you are -- together you bore the weight of fame and responsibility with enormous humility. in the sense of duty that defines you as the greatest of america's greatest generation.

i think john defined what it meant to be an american. what we're about. just by how he acted. it was always about promise. we were country possibilities, opportunity, always a belief in tomorrow. when john was at the house couple of years ago that's all he kept talking about was what are we going to noon do now joe, tomorrow, we have all of these opportunities. together, you and john taught us that a good life's belts [inaudible] a historic, single historic on a historic, single historic act from multiple acts of great heroism. but 1000 little things. 1000. a thousand little things that build character. treating everyone with dignity and respect. john was one of the few my colleagues when we were going to the restroom where there is a

shoeshine guy john would always pat him on the shoulder. he would give him a hug. understanding that despite fame in position, everybody was john sql. everybody was john sql in his mind. it all comes down to being personal. i'm could try to even improve on tip o'neill's admonition about all politics is local. i don't think john would agree with that either. i think he thought all politics is personal. it is all personal. it all comes down to being personal. for being there for family and being there for friends in good times and in bad times. like you and john were there for me and jill when i was in the

hospital you are there for us when our son bo was deployed and you were there when we buried him. it is all about being personal. annie, you and john as mentioned earlier by the first speaker i happen to be with ethel kennedy at an award ceremony in new york, the ripple of hope ceremony, and i was ironically the fellow who runs my office was ohio guy and said john was not doing well, you ought to call john. and i had a brief discussion of ethel, i sat with her in this story is well known about him talking to the kids and being sent back to hickory hill. but what struck me as i was told that that when you and john got

to hickory hill, john walked into senator kennedy's private study and saw that robert kennedy who is the only political i had in my life, had out a book of ralph waldo emerson's poetry and it was opened up in the margins were comments made by robert kennedy. he passed it to john and i'm told remembered where emerson said, this time, like all times is a very good one. if we but no what to do with it. the thing i like most about john was he knew from his upbringing that ordinary americans could do extraordinary things.

ordinary americans could do extraordinary things. he believed, i believe, he was confident that every successful in successive generation would know what to do with it. that is the the charge that i think john left asante. to join our nations conquest an explanation as a challenge. not only to fulfill a sacred duty, but, but to join in this choice adventure. so when the marine plays taps at the bugle in arlington for a friend, we can leak look deep into the heavens and no was servitude that john believed in was right, that future generations of americans will also look deep within the heavens and understand how to

explore, how to serve, how to love it will come to understand that if her looking for a message to send about our time here on earth for what it means to be an american is the life of john glenn. and that is not hyperbole. god bless you john. god bless you annie. and may god protect our troops. [inaudible] ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ o beautiful for spacious skies ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪ her. [inaudible] america, america, god shed his light on the ♪ ♪ and crown they good and brotherhood from sea to shining

sea ♪ ♪ o beautiful for pilgrim fee, ♪ ♪ ♪ till all success the nobleness ♪ and every game divine ♪

[inaudible] >> this is a gospel from the gospel of mark. one of this guy came near and heard them disputing with one another and cnet jesus answered them well, he has them which commitment is the first of all. jesus answered, the first is hero israel. the lord our god, the lord is one, you shall love the lord your god with all of your hearts. with all of your soul, with all of your mind and with all of your strength. the second is this, you you shall love your neighbor as yourself. there is no other commandment greater than these.

>> a reading from the letter of paul to the philippines. finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise think about these things. keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard, and seen in me. and the god of peace will be with you. here ends the reading.

[inaudible] ♪ ♪ >> going back to new concorde and maybe what i experience myself there is somewhat of what i'm trying to pass on now to others with our school here. how do you you inspire citizenship? how do you make the young felix feeling of pride of community, state, country to where they're willing to go out and engage in political activity. those are the kinds of things i hope things i hope we can instill in people.

♪ ♪ [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] >> this is quite a crowd. twelve you came here today, thank you so very, very much. it much. it means a lot to our family. we really were not ready to say goodbye to him yet. his mind was sharp as attack, but his body was feeling him and this had to be.

i'm going to speak about my father from the perspective of being his son but i've had a huge amount of difficulty deciding what to say about him. in the end i just decided to go with the things that i will tell you about today because they are really stuck in my head and my heart. i'll start off talking about his memories and that i will share some of my memories of him. i cannot really say for sure what made him the way he was. but he was born in a happy home with two parents who loved him deeply. he grew up in a classic america small-town, new concord, ohio where he could adventure and explore to his heart's content. there was a terrific community spirit there. it focused around church, school, and tone activities. he activities.

he told us lots of stories about his friends and my mother annie. in particular, he never forgot the effect of the great depression on new concord. when he was a a kid, late one night he overheard his parents talking about how they were going to lose their home if they cannot make any more payments on their mortgage. but then one of fdr's new public works programs to improve rule plumbing helps my grandfather struggling business get off the ground and that saved our home. dad worked in that business as a teenager measuring and cutting pipes and he was really proud of being a good pipe cutter. he just just tell me about that earlier this year. the potential for government to do good was something that he never forgot. this is not an abstract concept to him, this was real life. here more memories from this purely time of his life that he shared with us many times.

as a little kid he would load some rhubarb from the rhubarb patch into the wagon and go door-to-door to make some extra money. he did the same thing with horse radish and he like to eat them both. he had a paper route and he worked in summers as a dishwashers at a summer camp. he played trumpet in the town band. my grandmother loved poetry and she had him learn poems that he could recite by heart through the end of his life and he also wrote some of his own poems. all of the stories he told us about his growing up years now feel it gifts that he left us. so now here are some things i remember about my life with my father. he loved science. when i was a kid i remember him drawing with me.

try me diagrams to explain how shape of an airplane's wing could create lift as they are went over it and this had something to do called bernoulli's principle. the space program was a huge passion. when i was a teenager he spent a lot of time before's mercury flight going through his manuals with me and explaining the backup systems that were hopefully going to keep him alive if something went wrong. he had also learn how to identify stars and he taught those to us when we were kids. we would land the yard at night with a blanket while he pointed them out. here's another story. i was in my middle 20s back in 1971, an interesting time. i went to visit my parents, had not seen them for a while, here was down to my shoulders, leather head thong around my head, shoulders,

leather head thong around my head, little different than now. bellbottoms, the whole bit. i hadn't seen him for a while, i walked into the house and what i remember is that i think he may have blinked twice where his face twitched or something of that sort. but that was it. and he was only five or six years retired from being a colonel in the marine corps. he must have made some wisecracks at the time but it was clear that he accepted me as i was. he was. he really gave me freedom to find my way in life, to learn to learn my lessons and make my mistakes. he love being outdoors especially in the colorado rockies. he love taking his jeep up coming back roads bouncing around for hours and the rest of us found that a little less enjoyable. i would get carsick.

once i was with him on a backpack trip in wyoming sitting by a wilderness lake and along came to wild trumpeters swans final across the lake so load their wingtips made little ripples on the water is there flying along. this was a golden memory that i have of my growing up with him. he was a lifelong jogger and when that was too hard on his knees he would go for daily walks. he did that up until the last two months, often just walking back and forth in their condos when he become too weak. he love to ski. the last time he skied he was about to 85. if you can imagine that. i was there. he was with my wife and i and he

made the best turns that i had ever seen him make. and i have have never been able to figure that out. but he aggravated some arthritis and one of his knees and had to give it up after that. one of our most beloved family traditions over the last 40 years was to gather together in the mountains every year at christmas time. we would bundle up, dolts, grandkids and dogs, get a permit from the for service and taken acts drive out into the national forest and get a christmas tree. after we had the tree we build a fire following the careful instructions about creating little chimneys, i heard him say that thousand times. for the flames to flow home pretty soon we did have a roaring fire to cook hotdogs and baked beans and roast marshmallow. sometimes it wasn't much above zero. he love those times around the campfire. other things he really likes,

having a barbecue pit. because cooking steaks over charcoal was one of his real specialties, medium rare is how he liked it. corn on the cob dripping with butter, catchup, his, his labor of choice on virtually everything. singing with his great tenor voice always ready to harmonize. barbershop quartets, teaching my sons to drive his writing more, reading absolutely everything. he had piles of magazines in every subject. roundtables. he loved to brown tables because he thought it brought everyone into the conversation. watching westerns with his grandkids and a special weakness for chipmunks and hummingbirds. he loved hummingbirds. he and my mom love to travel. in the summer of 2013 when he

was 92 and mom was 93 they decided to go on a huge road trip. how how we knew as they were heading west. a few days after they started the trip they called to say hello and said they are sitting in their car which had been loaded onto a flat bed aaa truck because they had flat tire in their spare tire was defective. so they were being transported to a town 25 miles away. it turns out there somewhere in the texas panhandle and it was 105 and 106 degrees, this is a punchline of the story from them, roasting hot, they're sitting in their car hot, they're sitting in their car on the top of this truck with the engine running so they can have

the engine running the whole time so they didn't have to roast themselves. they got the tire fixed and continued on. this is 2013, not that long ago. later on in the same trip they call up again and had just finished a 2-mile hike in a national park using their walking sticks and this was right at the end of the summer. then the end they called again from some town in colorado where they're sitting in a restaurant and there is a freak thunderstorm going on that caused a flash flood and water was coming under the front door of the restaurant. no end of adventure, and my right mom? they love that trip. i could go on indefinitely with my memories of him but what struck me as most important is how much he cared about not just the people in his life, his family family and friends, but about people in general. he was enormously considerate. he loved and cared for other

people and they sent that love and care back to him. he treated everyone, drivers to presidents presidents with the same respect and interest. of all the experiences of his life, nothing was more important to him that of having been in a band of brothers. being in a group of of people like the marine corps were more afraid of feeling their comrades that of losing their own lives. beginning with his first mission in world war ii as jack tilly told us earlier tonight and then again over the years he lost a group of friends, some in combat, some in accidents and he never entirely got over the losses. it losses. it choked him up to talk about it. i will finish with a very recent memory. my wife and i were visiting our parents this past october. we

just finish eating dinner and we are sitting at the dinner table in their condo in columbus. their rounded dinner table. we were all talking and somehow got on the subject of neil armstrong, the astronaut and dad was remember it being at neil's 80th birthday party and he described neil sitting at that party at the end of it and plain september song on the piano and singing that song and then sitting there at the table with us back in october 18 at their roundtable father began to quietly sing anything that whole song to us, my mother, my wife and i because we happen to be sitting there with him it felt like he was really singing this to everybody in his life that he cared about. and this is what he sang to us. it's a long while from may to december but the days grow short when you reach september.

when the autumn weather turned sleeves to flame, one hasn't got time for the waiting game. but the the days dwindled down to a precious few, september, november, and these few precious days i will spend with you. these you. these precious days i will spend with you. [inaudible] [inaudible] >> like my brother said, you're so grateful all of you are here. when dave and i were planning this time for our father one

thing we wanted was for there to be friends not the people who did not know dad, but but the people who really knew him. and i think, i hope you're able to hear that president drake, charlie, jack, that these people are our friends and had known dad and all the different parts of his life and mr. bolton of course, jack and charlie. someone has been mentioned a couple of times and i would be remiss if i do not see this, but our lives were intertwined with the wonderful family, the kennedy family. when ethel ethel and robbie wanted to come today it was a tremendous meaning for

us. thank you, thank you, thank you ethel and bobby. those memories are beyond heartache and joy. thank you so much for being here for dad and mother. i'd also be remiss if i do not think, i'm surly not going to list them, but dad died about nine days ago. in that time from his death until today there have been a group of people who have come together with unbelievable love, strength, support, and energy to celebrate him. they knew him him well and they absolutely made this day possible, this time possible. when we are going to the funeral

home to see dad's body i knew i wanted to write something to put in the casket. i started writing my letter to him. as i wrote it i realized that i was actually writing what i wanted to say to all of you. so this is a letter, this is the letter i started and so you'll hear me refer to him as my father. many people have mentioned, of course february 20, 1962. from that day until this, people have come up to me and have said, gosh what is it light, john glenn is your father, he is a hero. what is it like to have a hero as your father? and from the very first time i think i

was asked that, i thought about it and i said, he's just my dad. you have been my teacher, my nemesis, yes. youth tenor, melody, and my source, i'll just asked dad. you taught me to parallel park a car, tie knots, tying a tie, necktie, then slide a car on ice. he recommended i memorize my social security number. and i learned from you westerns are a high form of entertainment when you and mother mary you told her, i cannot promise you

much but i can promise life will not be boring. [laughter] often repeated in her family, what have have you done for your country today? you're teaching me, our country is more important than any individual in our country is stronger when we each do our part. although i admit that as an 8-year-old i wanted a bit more that a girl and a little less, god bless america. [laughter] in your heart dad you remained a small town boy and you were celebrity lightly and taught us the same.

so you met presidents, ceos, kings and queens, you had a common touch with people at a gas station or at a bob evans where you and mother would stop for fried mush and scrambled eggs. the son of a small town plumber, you kept one of grandpa syringes on your desk as a reminder of where you came from. and you gifted a wrench to my brother into me. naturally shy you often were a ball caps so you would not be recognized. but your civility in small-town manners would take over when you entered the building. off came the cap, people would recognize you and autograph shaking hands and selfie's would commence and you did it with grace and willingness and joy. only once did i see you refuse

to sign an autograph. you are running to make a vote on the senate floor, a person asked you for an autograph, u.s. the person to wait, they did and you signed an autograph on the way back to the office. another simple gesture you made was to pick up buckeyes on the way to the capital ground. you put the buckeyes in a bowl in the waiting room of your office so visitors could take a little piece of ohio on the way home with them. you you never allowed your name or picture to be use to make money because you said you are a government employee and it would not be right to make money from government service. in 1962 after friendship seven however, general mills offered you 1,000,000 dollars so we're told it might even be you told it might come up to 5,000,000 dollars $5 million to be on a wheaties box. this was an unimaginable amount of money for our family living

on a marine pilot pay even with flight pay. you turn the offer down. you remained true to your small-town nature, dad and your heart also remained true to the values of the marine corps. this is two-year burial dad. dad, you chose a marine issue to casket like the ones most marines ask for. you asked that enlisted marines carry you to your grave and your marine green to go to your grave. i love that after echo taps is played at your burial, you want revelry to be played because you said i'll be getting up in a whole new dimension and he said

it with a grin. earlier in this remembrance i said you were a teacher. you you taught me more than just trying to tie a knot or memorize my social security number. during the life you shared with mother you are tender within supportive of her especially with her stuttering. when mother gave her very first speech you didn't go with her you listened on the phone and cried you knew she had to stand alone and not in your shadow. you are an elder in our presbyterian church. but i think i learned more about religion and practice watching how you live your life. he treated other people as you wanted to be treated.

you are true to your word with a handshake. you gave to the salvation army and lived with humility and gratitude. once i asked for your insight and guidance when i thought i had a good idea for an investment. after we talk for a while you thought any said, well yes, well yes, but how much is enough? in today's world, your words almost seem quaint. but they should be a standard, how much is enough? you are more self educated by your natural curiosity than any degree might have bestowed. in google and safari gave room for your imagination and curious nature to explore the universe.

i learned from you that age is not just a number, aging can be full and meaningful. the glen institute became the glenn school and is now the glenn college. i'm so grateful you live to know your legacy of public service and meaningful policy will endure. he challenged another assumption about agent. you flew you pressured speech pattern referred to as any air until you are 90. to confirm your skills as a pilot you took a flight physical every year completed a long weekend of training and testing provided by beach aircraft. but but mackler degeneration caught up with you in one of the saddest consequences of the

disease, compromised your ability to see sunset. it was heartbreaking for you and a heart ache for me. now, here we are you funeral. folks from around the world and all walks of life remember and honor you, dad. you live many lives in one life with honesty, grace, belief in our country, and the honor of public service. i am proud and so grateful to say that you are just my dad. thank you dad, i love you. godspeed dad.

[applause] ♪ ♪ >> we have been together since we were in high school. our parents use to get us that we are flight plans together from then on it was the two of us together. ♪ ♪ >> there things that i thought were important and were part for the country and she thought were important for the country too. so we have been this as a team, together. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [inaudible] [inaudible] >> by any measure of accomplishment, service, courage, john glenn was a great man. when i think of john glenn i think of a good man. my first taste of john glenn, the good man was on march fourth, 1968 at the madison theater and mansfield, ohio. fifty teenage boys had gathered

for our eagle scout dinner, colonel glenn was the speaker. john glenn, national hero shook hands with each one of us. john glenn, perhaps. john glenn, perhaps the most famous man of his generation took a picture with us one at a time. he always made time for you no matter your station in life. that lesson has stuck with me. 39 years later, former senator john glenn walk me down the center aisle of the united states senate to be sworn in. of course, like the eagle scouts of four decades decades earlier, all of the new senators wanted to meet their american hero and he was kind to senators too. [laughter] of the honor to see john glenn up close at work and at play with family and with strangers. every presidential year, ohio's most prominent democrat would board a bus with our presidential or vice presidential nominee to campaign around ohio. i wash the retired senator, a

mentor to so many reconnect with senator kerry in 2004, was senator biden in 2008, i saw him for the first time, i was sitting on the bus with him meet the young senator from illinois. in the media connection that the american icon in the future president made. at one stop, this is a decade after his retirement from the senate, john glenn got off the bus, jumped over a ditch, and shook the outstretched hand of an appreciative farmer. john was there in nonpresidential years for ohio democrats too. in 2006 we boarded an older, winnebago with the ohio democratic ticket to campaign through small town rural ohio. as we traveled up and down and over the hills, of of john and annie's a beloved southeast ohio, the rest of us began to

get carsick. but of course, not the 85-year-old 85-year-old astronaut who simply smiled at us. i saw the elder statesman as he would get off the bus and speak to one adoring crowd after another, transferring some of his magic to us. john was an fdr democrat. roosevelt saved america after all john said. and fdr democrat who cared about justice, can about opportunity for people with less privilege than most of us in this room have. he never forgot as dave talked about, he never forgot the terror that struck his ten or 11-year-old heart when he overheard his parents say their home was about to be foreclosed upon. it was annealed to government-backed fha loan that allow john's father to renegotiate with the bank and keep his family in their home.

jen was he later wrote in his memoir that government can change people's lives for the better. some say that john's brand of patriotic optimism is a throwback to a bygone era. but we we need it now more than ever. john believed in an activist government had an active citizenship. he warned that cynicism and apathy were a threat to democracy itself. john's friend, robert kennedy who helped convince him to run for the senate said that politics was a calling almost like the ministry. presbyterian john like those words. the happiest and and most fulfilled people i know he told us or those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than their own self-interest.

that drove john to activism in his public service. it drove him to create the glenn institute becoming the glenn school and then the glenn college to inspire the next generation of active, engaged citizens. a friend who work for who worked for john 30 years ago in his senate office tell me this week that john glenn took such joy in helping others and was so proud of his staff that even when you left you are still family. john glenn was the only ohio and ever to be elected four times to the united states senate. he was a workhorse, never show horse, show horse, he labored over the details of nonproliferation in environmental cleanup of nuclear disposal sites, grunt work some but john was content to spend his time [inaudible] collecting instant headlines but achieving lasting results openly the world better than he had found it. he helped create the independent watchdogs we know as inspector general's to keep the government he believed in accountable to the people it serves. he had the foresight to found the great lakes task force which continues to play an important role to protect the help of our

great lake. the night before the 50th anniversary of colonel glenn's space launch connie and i had dinner in a german village with annie and john and len, and david. as the evening wonton we headed to the door together, the valet pulled up up in front of the restaurant with john's cadillac. the 91-year-old astronaut hopped in the driver seat, and in the front seat and the kids now all on the other side of 60 piled in the back. some things just never change. and all how they were in love. i spoke with and in a brawl and called them on their 75th wedding anniversary. she said they had waited to get married until after john finished his flight training. we wanted to get married in high school and he said but our parents would let us because

they said it would never last. and how they love david and lynn as we saw today. john had a way of making everyone around him feel important from the teenage eagle scouts to the farmers in the fields. he lived his life by matthew 25 where jesus had admonished his followers. whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how important they seem, you did it for me. john glenn, great man, john glenn, such a good man. >> four years ago john and annie

entered the hotel suite we had for election night and were immediately struck by admirers. this is how it was with those to come always. i've never known them to be anything but gracious with strangers. in the wake of my essay about jon i have been on the receiving end of a steady stream of stories about random encounters were john and annie. every one of those stories has a happy ending. on that night 2012 our four-year-old grandson, clayton was with us. he had spent much of the day rehearsing a question he wanted to ask john. i introduced him and i told john that clayton had something on his mind. immediately tall, lanky john clinton so he could talk face-to-face with our little boy. what is your question john said. clayton did not hesitate. how do astronauts astronauts go to the bathroom in space?

[laughter] john smiled, well now that it's an interesting question is in it. clayton nodded and those of us within earshot gathered around for astronaut john glenn's ten minute tutorial on the urination and space. after he's finished clayton thanked him and shook his hand and started making the rounds to share his new expertise. i hugged john and i thanked him for treating clayton with such respect. well why would anti-, he said. children have sincere sincere questions and they deserve sincere answers. clayton is eight years old and we visited him last weekend and one of the first things he said to me was, i'm sorry you lost your friend grandma, he was my friend too. last week we learned from lynn

that our beloved friend was dying. when, we will never forget the kindness you showed us by set asking us to send text messages that you could reach to your father. i was in austin, had just landed in texas. in my message i reminded john of the conversation he had with our grandson and i told him that i have lost count of the number of times i've shared that story as an illustration of what we gain when we engage with civility. if an american icon, john glenn could take the time to treat a child with such respect, surely we can find ways to listen to one another. one of my most enduring memories of john as a friend and mentor evolved a two prong sense of empathy and timing. he and annie sat behind me during one of the campaign

debates in 2012. when the opponent called him a liar john's hands pressed on my shoulders to keep me in my seat. [laughter] he whispered, me too, but not now. john was a man of his time who kept up with the time. never was it obvious to me that when he encouraged me to keep writing and chairing my opinion. i once joked with john and annie that i had flunked political wife training. neither of them left, instead annie grabbed onto my hands and john grabbed the other, listen to me he said, you are who you are and that is why we love you. any squeeze my hand and added, never stop speaking your mind. i will never forget the way john turned and locked eyes with annie, listen to my annie said,

i always do. that is a part of john glenn that we must not lose in all of these tributes. he loved he loved his wife. he loved his annie. he never tired of letting everyone know. one afternoon we visited their apartment with actor martin sheen who is in a higher to to campaign. john was as excited to see west wing's president bartlett has martin was to see astronaut, john glenn who had recently won the presidential medal of freedom. when it was time for all of us to leave for fundraising event john held out his elbow for anna, and he had other plans, annie martin said may i ask where you? annie looped her arm around his and smiled at john. we will we will see you when you get there. [laughter] . .

>> >> and, talked-about the future of our country but we would swap stories of our children and grandchildren he was lower but only in movement his mind was the sharp as ever. as we prepared to vp made clear he knew time was running out for you can only replace the parts for so long putting a hand on each shoulder.

we were quiet on the elevator ride once again our favorite friend was been answering the question that went unspoken as honestly as he could one last time john glenn was leading the way. as the fellow political wife we have laughed over the years that the silly definition of who we are we did not marry politics we married the men that we love you said john was your hero word for far more reasons meaningful than the public could never know but john new. once for dinner and mentioned to john how inspiring he was to meet and

said connie i enjoy and. we love you annie. >> the little over 75 years ago from commie annie was set to give her recital at college and all the way they're 20 year-old bond john glenn was listening to his car radio to learn the bombing of pearl harbor and after the concert fitch of

them sat together and talked he told her about the attacks and if his plan to enlist. december 7th, 1941 pieces of their life came together and they've mapped out there future. one of the pieces of music that she played that day became a very important piece of music for her and her soon-to-be husband acquire will now saying the still my soul set to the tune. ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ >> pdf someone goes up to jesus and asks him what is the most important thing? what matters the most? jesus answers love god with everything in you and love your neighbor the same way.

throughout his life john glenn never lost sight of what mattered the most he served god and served his neighbor one that category of neighbor was bigger and bigger until he saw the whole human family as his neighbor but that perspective to see the world is very biblical and if you listen to the deep rhythms of the bible you cannot miss got its overriding concern before creating a just and merciful society to protect the rights and welfare of those most vulnerable and got has a special fondness of those willing to promote the common good. people who are willing to

roll up their sleeves to do the hard and messy work to help communities worked better. to create just was the end society's, it is complicated hard work and i am not sure if there is a higher order calling. throughout his adult life life, senator glenn shared his guests to work toward the common good. pilot, astronaut, senator and to create the john glenn school when his legacy is not limited to students, is available to all of us for one who travels so far and soars so high, he never left

caressed of us behind. he always took as with him. earlier this week i asked mrs. cohen about her husband's faith in the answer, we didn't talk about it much because it is just in us. they are of a generation that rarely spoke about their faith. faith got into john glenn at a young age and took root with a deep and be lifelong connection to guide and into the church that changes the trajectory of its life been giving him the courage to dare greatly in the wisdom to live humbly and he knew him life and death in all

belonged to god. he did something that is rarely known and not any of his accomplishments that were mentioned today but the rare thing that he did he lived life fully incompletely reflected the values that is by that passage is appropriate to whatever is true or honorable ward just or commendable if there is any

excellence or anything worthy of praise for think about keep doing about the things that you have learned in john glenn and peace will be with you. the tradition that i represent that he was baptized makes the claim that today but this very moment he is alright he is not lost but found at this very moment complete and well and cradled in the arms of god he is holding tight in god will never never let him go.

if today we give thanks to god for the life in a witness of john glenn. let us pray. oh god our strength negative and redeemer, i giver of life, we open our hearts to you and give thanks to your service and life among us in thanks word for which he shared his life with the world and stole our hearts. we celebrate the sense of wonder how he met challenges and today we give thanks for a deep commitment to his family. of boundless compassion me with all who are mourning as

we pray for his cherished wife, beloved children and families, and be with all who are missing him on this day help us to know that nothing, including death can separate us give us such faith that by day and night and all times and places we may without fear in trust those who are dear to last with a never failing life of in this life and in the one to come. eight min per our prayers' continue as the choir sings the lord's prayer. ♪

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>> high flight and i had slipped on the bonds hovered in to dance this guy is on laughter and wings in joining at the seven split clads and done 100 things you have not dreamed of to swaying high into the silence covering their have chased my eager crafted'' up the long delirious blue on top with the easy grace even

in eagle flu. and and while with the silence mind on the sanctity of space put out my hand and touched the face of god. let us pray in tier hands of save your we commend your servant john and sheep and and the lamb of your flock precede him into the arms of your mercy of those of the everlasting peace in a glorious company amen. may fill large fleshy and

keep you made the of lord we kind and gracious to you in a look upon you with favor and grant you peace. please rise as we render military honors and remain in place until the program is complete

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