Glenn lived a storybook life under the bright and constant glare of public attention, awe and adoration. The small-town Ohio boy married his childhood sweetheart, served as a fighter pilot in two wars, a test pilot, an astronaut and a U.S. Senator.
Glenn died Dec. 8 at age 95.
“As a mark of respect for the memory of John Glenn, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that on the day of his interment, the flag of the United States shall be flown at half‑staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds,” a proclamation from Trump read.
Related: John Glenn, the ‘last true national hero,’ dead at 95
Ohioans and national and state leaders honored Glenn in an emotional service at Ohio State University that included a Marine escort from the Ohio Statehouse to the university’s main campus.
Related: Highlights from John Glenn memorial service
On Feb. 20, 1962, Glenn became an instant hero when he became the first American to orbit the Earth. In 1998, at age 77, he returned to space aboard the shuttle Discovery.
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