In these days of media scrutiny, it’s difficult to find someone who is truly, unopposedly, a hero.

However, at least one such man exists today. His name is John H. Glenn.

When I was a kid of five, John Glenn’s name was pronounced with reverence and awe. After all, he was the first American to orbit the earth!

Later on, I read Tom Wolfe’s book The Right Stuff. The biographical account of the first astronauts revealed that John Glenn was a genuine adult Boy Scout who provided a fine example for youth to follow.

And follow him we did! We all had our G.I. Joe space capsules as we orbited our imaginary planet and called the battle-scarred figurine by the name of our favorite astronaut.

Glenn, an Ohio State alumnus, has contributed a large amount of photographs, papers, and artifacts to his alma mater. They, in turn, have established The John Glenn Archives.

The museum is well worth a physical visit, but its online version is great as well.

While the papers are of interest primarily to historians, you’ll get a kick out of the cartoons (I loved the bumper sticker on the space shuttle that said “Ask me about my grandchildren!”), the ephemera, and the artifacts.

John Glenn is admired by conservatives, liberals, the young, the old. He is even portrayed on a U.S. coin while still alive (I know, Ohio’s quarter features an anonymous astronaut. But WE know who it is!). So enjoy the online archives of a genuine hero.

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Tags: family first, astronaut, john glenn, john glenn archives, american hero, the right stuff