On This Day In History : Astronaut John Glenn Rockets Into History

Bro. John Glenn

 "I don't know what you could say about a day in which you've seen four beatiful sunsets."

~John Glenn
Concord Lodge No. 688, Ohio

Fifty years ago today, former Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, became the first American to orbit the Earth.  In the years leading up to Glenn's flight in the Friendship 7 capsule, in which he circled the Earth three times, the goal of the program was very clear: to get Americans into space and, eventually, to land Americans on the moon.

The Illustrious John Glenn 33° originally petitioned his hometown lodge, Concord Lodge No. 688 of New Concord, Ohio, in 1964. He was elected to receive the Degrees of Masonry; however, his increasingly busy life made it impossible for him to receive those degrees at the time. Even so, he continued to desire admission in Concord Lodge. Fourteen years later, on August 19, 1978, John Glenn was finally able to finish what he had begun in 1964. At the Chillicothe High School gymnasium with hundreds of Master Masons present, John Glenn received the Master Mason degree in a special meeting. After the Master of Scioto Lodge No. 6 opened the lodge, he turned the meeting over to Grand Master of Ohio, Jerry C. Rasor, who in turn opened the Grand Lodge of Ohio who conferred the degrees.

On April 11, 1997, Brother Glenn received further light in Masonry in the Valley of Cincinnati when he received the Scottish Rite Degrees. He later received the highest Masonic honor on September 10, 1998, when he was conferred with the 33° of Masonry. Several of his friends from Washington, D.C., attended the event. Senate colleagues, Brothers Charles Grassley and Conrad Burns, were present as was a former Ohio congressman Brother Clarence Brown, Jr. of the Valley of Dayton. It might be interesting to note that there are two topics deemed inappropriate to discuss in a lodge of Freemasons because they are topics that divide men instead of uniting them—religion and politics. This ideal is obviously something John Glenn very much believes in. The three friends that joined Brother Glenn at the conferral of his 33° were Republicans. John Glenn has been a lifelong Democrat.
~TEC

Freemasons In Space

The end of an era as Atlantis lifts off one last time

When the Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down on Thursday, it ended America's longest running spaceflight program.  "After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle's earned its place in history. And it's come to a final stop," radioed commander Christopher Ferguson as Atlanta rolled to a stop.  "Job well done, America," came the reply from Mission Control.



Atlantis lands for the last time



Oddly enough, the grand finale of the Space Shuttle program came to an end fifty years to the day that Astronaut Gus Grissom became the second American in space on July 21, 1961.  John Glenn had been there first, only a few months before.  Although Gus Grissom wasn't first, he would be the first American to make two trips into space.  John Glenn would eventually receive that honor, but it would take him a few years to get back into space--37 years to be exact.  He returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery at the age of 77. 



Gus Grissom



But both men shared something besides being amongst America's first astronauts--they were both Freemasons.  John Glenn is a member of Concord Lodge No. 688 in Ohio, and Gus Grissom was a member of Mitchell Lodge No. 288 in Indiana.  In fact, many of America's early astronauts were Freemasons, including Buzz Aldrin, Gordon Cooper, Don Eisele, Fred Haise, Edgar Mitchell, Wally Schirra, Thomas Stafford, James Webb, and Paul Weitz.

Many of these brave men were pilots before they were astronauts--several flew fighters in World War II and the Korean War.  They were a unique breed of fearless adventures that while understanding the risks, were willing to take them in order to achieve the gains.  And the men and women that followed aboard the Space Shuttles shared that same unique spirit. 

The future of NASA is fuzzy and uncertain at this time, which is a shame.  NASA has always represented that spirit of exploration that has always been a part of the American tradition.  It would indeed be a shame if exploration of the unknown questions in our universe were abandoned by the very country that has always lead the way. 

~TEC