America lost a legend today. John Glenn — American hero, Marine WWII vet, first American to orbit the earth, and former U.S. senator, died at 95 in his home state of Ohio.
Glenn’s legacy as an American hero transcends generations: I remember very vividly remembering watching Glenn return to space in 1998 on the space shuttle Discover in middle school. He was the first American to orbit the Earth AND the oldest person to ever fly in space. That takes a pair of testicles that you and I will never have.
There will be many emotional, touching remembrances of Glenn over the coming days. But for us here at BroBible, I think this old video of Gunnery Sgt. Brian Walgren delivering his “John Glenn” speech to fire up his unit — Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines — is a fitting one to watch today. Here’s a little background on the speech from the Marine Corps Times a few years back:
Times were tense before the initial February assault on Marjah, Afghanistan. A narcotics hub and Taliban stronghold, it was expected to be booby-trapped with improvised explosive devices and filled with insurgents waiting for a fight.
Obviously, the Corps took control of Marjah within days. It’s still a dangerous place, but one where Marine officials say they see hope, at least.
Before the assault, Gunnery Sgt. Brian Walgren, the company gunny for Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, fired up his troops with a gritty, heartfelt speech.
It’s the best motivational pep talk you’ll ever watch. Nothing in sports will ever come close to Gunnery Sgt Walgren pumping up his unit before storming into battle with a tale about badassery of John Glenn.
RIP to an American legend. Pour some out for him tonight, Bros.
Here’s an account of John Glenn’s referenced speech from the Columbus Dispatch years ago:
On May 3, 1974, at the City Club debate in Cleveland, Glenn let fly with the following counterattack that left Metzenbaum mumbling:
”Howard, I can’t believe you said that. I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I went through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions.
”I ask you to go with me as I went the other day to a veterans’ hospital, and look those men with their mangled bodies in the eye and tell them they didn’t hold a job. You go with me to any Gold Star mother and you look her in the eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job.
”You go with me on Memorial Day coming up and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends than I like to remember, and you watch those waving flags, and you stand there and you think about this nation and you tell me that those people didn’t have a job.
”I tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men – some men – who held a job.”
Here’s another version of the speech that’s even more cinematic: