Hillary
and I mourn the passing and give thanks for the remarkable life of our
friend, John Glenn, a uniquely American hero and one of the finest men
we have ever known.
He excelled in every one of his
roles—decorated Marine, pioneer astronaut, accomplished and admired
senator, loving husband and father. He was brave, bright, determined,
and profoundly humble. I was honored to approve sending John back into
space in 1998, making him, at age 77, the oldest person to ever make the
journey. I will never forget seeing him off at Cape Canaveral, and
emailing him during the mission.
He and Annie were faithful
participants in the Clinton Global Initiative for as long as they were
able. He was always eager to learn and embrace new ideas to improve
lives. I was fascinated to see how young people were drawn to him, to
his quiet dignity, open mind, and open heart. How lucky we were to have
him so long.
Our hearts go out to his beloved Annie, John, and Carolyn, and the people of Ohio he served so well.
In her remarks today, Hillary remembered the late Senator John Glenn
who passed away today. The occasion was a tribute to Harry Reid who is
retiring after 30 years representing Nevada. Joe Biden and Chuck
Schumer, who succeeds Reid as Leader, shared the podium in reminiscing
on Reid's long career. Both Hillary and Schumer quoted words from Paul
Simon's "The Boxer." Reid was a a boxer at one time. The event was
held at the Russell Senate Office Building.
Read's remarks were
typically acerbic. There were moments when he seemed emotional. Harry
stuck around so that every single person in the room who wanted a
picture with him got one. You could tell he was very touched.
Here is a full video of the proceedings.
The portrait was unveiled and it is truly extraordinary!
