John Glenn remembered fondly by Republicans and Democrats

President Obama touted Glenn’s achievements in space, as well as his work in the Senate.

“When John Glenn blasted off from Cape Canaveral atop an Atlas rocket in 1962, he lifted the hopes of a nation. And when his Friendship 7 spacecraft splashed down a few hours later, the first American to orbit the Earth reminded us that with courage and a spirit of discovery there’s no limit to the heights we can reach together … John spent his life breaking barriers, from defending our freedom as a decorated Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, to setting a transcontinental speed record, to becoming, at age 77, the oldest human to touch the stars,” Obama said in a statement. “The last of America’s first astronauts has left us, but propelled by their example we know that our future here on Earth compels us to keep reaching for the heavens.”

“Today we lost a great pioneer of air and space in John Glenn,” President-elect Trump tweeted. “He was a hero and inspired generations of future explorers. He will be missed.”

Trump flew in to John Glenn Airport in Columbus to visit Ohio State University, the scene of last week’s campus attack, just 90 minutes after news of Glenn’s death broke.

House and Senate leaders also praised Glenn as a bipartisan lawmaker and friend to many.

“Today our nation bids farewell to one of the most iconic figures of the 20^th Century,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. “John Glenn said his childhood was like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, but his life was anything but typical. From flying combat missions over Korea and the South Pacific as a Marine Corps aviator to a post-orbit splashdown in the Atlantic, he’d come a long way from small-town Ohio by the time his constituents elected him to serve in a different capacity — something they would do many times over the course of Senator Glenn’s congressional service.”

“John Glenn was an American hero. As a military pilot, astronaut, and U.S. senator, he never lost his passion for exploration and public service. On behalf of the House, I extend my deepest sympathies to Annie and the entire Glenn family. May his memory live on every time we look up at the stars,” House Speaker Paul Ryan said.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who was Glenn’s colleague from 1987 to 1999 before the senior senator retired, said Glenn embodied “what it means to be an American hero.”

“He distinguished himself as one of America’s finest pilots and officers in World War II and the Korean War. He inspired us to reach new heights when he became the first American to orbit the Earth and put America on a path to victory in the space race. His passion for exploration never wavered in his long, distinguished career in the United States Senate, where he fought to ensure America remained a leader in science, space, and discovery,” McCain said. “More than anything else, John served his country with profound humility. He extended kindness and courtesy to all those who had the pleasure of being in his company. John held many titles throughout his life: war hero, astronaut, and senator. But none so aptly described John as the title of ‘good man.'”

“I will always remember John Glenn as a wonderful colleague, courteous and thoughtful, and someone who represented the best of America in the way he treated not only his friends and allies in Congress but his opponents as well,” House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said in a statement.

Ohio politicians also mourned Glenn’s passing.

“John Glenn is, and always will be, Ohio’s ultimate hometown hero, and his passing today is an occasion for all of us to grieve. As we bow our heads and share our grief with his beloved wife, Annie, we must also turn to the skies, to salute his remarkable journeys and his long years of service to our state and nation,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich said. “Though he soared deep into space and to the heights of Capitol Hill, his heart never strayed from his steadfast Ohio roots.”

Kasich signed a bill in June renaming Port Columbus International Airport in Glenn’s honor.

“John Glenn was an American hero. He flew 149 combat missions in two wars; he was the first American to orbit the Earth, and the longest-serving United States Senator in Ohio history. I’m grateful to have known him, to have partnered with him on projects and legislation in Congress, and to have worked with him and served on his advisory board at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University. Most recently, I called him to ask him to join me at my swearing in in January for the seat he once held,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said.

According to a report, his body will lie in state at the Ohio Statehouse for a day and there will be a public memorial service at Ohio State University’s Mershon Auditorium. Glenn will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in a private service. Dates and times for the public events have not yet been announced.

Glenn’s long career in the military, science and politics began in the 1940s. He served from 1941 to 1965 in the Navy and Marine Corps and fought in World War II and the Korean War. In 1959, NASA selected him as one of the “Mercury Seven” military test pilots to become one of the country’s first astronauts. Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, making him a household name during America’s Space Race while John F. Kennedy was president. He received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978 and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990.

In 1974, he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat and served four terms until retiring in 1999. During his second to last year in the Senate, he flew in both the Mercury and Space Shuttle programs, making him the oldest person to fly in space at 77 years old. He was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.