Friends remember American hero John Glenn

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The world has paused to remember one of the first U.S. astronauts.

John Glenn, a senator and the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, passed away Thursday at the age of 95.

Those who worked closest with Glenn are recalling their memories.

Lee Solid spent decades working on rocket engines for NASA, and participated in Project Mercury—the first program to send humans to space.

Solid showed Channel 9 a nearly 60-year-old photo of Glenn that was taken days before Glenn made history as the first American to orbit Earth.

Solid was there when Glenn hopped into the launch vehicle and rocketed into space.

“John reached his hand out the window and I shake his hand and wish him well,” Solid said.

Glenn’s orbit around Earth in 1962 was his first, but not his last time in space.

He returned to space aboard the Discovery shuttle in 1998.

In the years between, Glenn served as a U.S. senator for his home state of Ohio.

And four years ago, he received the presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“We identify the big ones—the Thomas Jeffersons and so forth—John was one of those,” Solid said.

Florida senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio released statements on Glenn's death.

Nelson called Glenn a "first-class gentleman" who “paved the way for the space program.”

Rubio called Glenn a "true pioneer and American hero."

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will host a wreath laying ceremony on Friday at 1:30 p.m. in remembrance of Glenn. The ceremony will be held outside the new Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Cox Media Group