Glenn awarded Pentagon’s highest civilian honour

Cohen honoured Annie Glenn, the senator’s wife of 56 years, with the department of defence medal for outstanding public service, calling her “a hero in her own right” and praising her for overcoming a stammer to become “a strong voice for children, speech and communications, and the disabled.”

Yesterday’s military ceremony featured a full colour guard, 50 state flags, and an honour guard, allowing Glenn and Cohen to inspect troops from every branch of the service.

Glenn himself wore hiscountry’s uniform for 23 years, enlisting during World War II and retiring as a lieutenant colonel known to his Korean War flying buddies as “the MiG-mad Marine.”

During the last nine days of that conflict he downed three MiGs in what Cohen described as “thunderous dogfights.”

Glenn’s trademark as a fighter pilot was dangerous, low-altitude flying. He survived the 149 combat missions over two wars without injury, though he once had to land a jet that had a hole large enough to put his shoulders through.

In accepting the award, Glenn spoke of friends who didn’t return from Korea or World War II. And he read a poem he first composed for the ceremony marking the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

“They were just like you gathered here today,” he told the troops. “They were honourable and dedicated members of the United States armed forces.”Glenn is in his final month of a 24-year career in the United States Senate.He was the third person this year to be given this award. The otherawardees were Senator Strom Thurmond and former Senator Bob Dole.