WRITTEN BY RIC MANDES
A
nd there is a vivid detailed signal. John Glenn’s capsule bobbing about the waters of the Atlantic. It was just a little past two in the afternoon of a bitter cold February Thursday. As I stepped from my car at the Statesboro Airport, I could see the turbo Jet banking for its landing. Smooth, is the only way I can describe the jet taxing to the Airport Inn. It looked a few minutes as the pilot spoke to the local crew of needed data. With these preliminaries cared for, the steps unfolded smoothly with the Colonel John Glenn jogged down the steps. With brisk cadence the Colonel walked directly toward me. “And you must be Richard or is it Rick?” To which I replied, “Yes Sir Colonel.” His smile was quicken and relaxed, he returned, “John! Call me John.” What a personal person. During the drive into Statesboro, he asked several clear questions about Georgia Southern College. He was warming up for his opening remarks later at the Hanner Field House to an overflow of Eagle students. Allow me to share the kind of individual he was. “You have family, Rick?” “Yes, married with three children.” “I would enjoy meeting them. Do we have time?” You can imagine the look on my wife’s face when the Colonel greeted her. And he spent time with my children Rich, Deanne and Mark. Sat down instantly on the den floor and engaged all three in easy questions. He wave with warmth as we headed to the Field House for a “mic” check, later followed by a dinner for the Colonel to break bread with several students aspiring for military flying. We walked across the street to Hanner for a packed house of students, faculty, and special invitees from the community. The overwhelming interest was having him recall what it was like leaving the earth’s powerful 62 statesboromagazine.com
November/December 2021
nn | Photo Co ator John Gle Former Astron
Posters Series: Colonel John Glenn Rides “Side Kick”
urtesy of NASA
the view from here
aut and U.S. Sen
WE LIVE HERE
gravity for his three loops around the globe in 1962. He was down to earth (no pun intended). This was followed by a reception by President and Mrs. John Edison in their home. Around eleven the last of the guests had left. Remaining were the Colonel, myself, and the Edisons. As we moved to leave, I looked at John for a note of remembering what I shared at least three times during the day. “John as we leave tonight I want you to offer to drive the Colonel back to the Holiday Inn. My old Ford is ugly when it comes to cold weather, “You do understand John, right?” He nodded for sure. And there were the Colonel and yours truly moving to my yellow Ford. I was going to mention what we were in for, but thought better of it, hoping my yellow monster would be kind. Behave? Not on your life. It gave the Colonel plenty as we jerked on to the highway. Dying once at a red light. Then with a final half mile to go, the Colonel laughed and said, “Don’t push it. We have plenty of time.” What a man! I wondered if the Colonel had to say, “Give it a little more throttle” to Houston as he circled the globe in ‘62? As we came to rest at the Inn, the Colonel reached out his hand and said, “Ric that was a testy drive. I’ll be going up next year again. Why don’t you ride with me? You would enjoy it.” I watched him disappear into the night. The Colonel. Erect but pleasant as we walked across campus, modest under the looks of our students. “Just give it a little gas Rick,” he had added. I would like to know if as this man broke the cloak of gravity he had to say, “Mission Control, I need a little more fuel.” While he was making Columbia history... The next morning I stuck my head in the President’s office. He was full of glee, “But I told Perrin as we turned out the lights, Ric asked me to do something, but for the life of me, I could not remember!” It was when I walked to the car this morning, you had suggested I drive the Colonel back to the motel or something in that order.” I smiled at my wonderful President and replied, “John, it slipped my mind too.” Remember, this is my man, Edison, who spoke fluent German and taught Chaucer every other summer at Oxford. S
