COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – John Glenn’s home state and the nation began saying goodbye to the beloved astronaut Friday starting with a public viewing of his flag-draped casket inside Ohio’s Statehouse rotunda.
Politicians, including Secretary of State John Kerry, and ordinary citizens from across the country paid their respects to the first American to orbit Earth as a somber Marine honor guard kept watch. The normally festive holiday decor was bedecked with black buntings and the windows were covered in black.
Ryan and Cristin Hanson, of Holland, Michigan, brought their 10-month-old baby, Hilary.
“He’s a hero who’s continued to be remembered,” said Ryan, 31, who said he and his wife, 29, were awed by Glenn’s accomplishments. “When we were young, we learned about John Glenn from our folks, and we hope that’s something that gets perpetuated as we move forward.”
Glenn died last week at 95. He grew up in eastern Ohio before becoming a national hero when he orbited Earth in 1962. Before that he was a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea.