The Navy will christen the USNS John Glenn on Saturday morning in San Diego. Sen. John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, will be in attendance.
His daughter, Lyn, is the ship's sponsor.
In addition to being a history-making astronaut and former U.S. senator, Glenn has a long and storied career in the military, according to the Department of Defense:
In 1942 while a junior in college, Glenn enlisted in the Naval Reserve to become a naval aviation cadet. He then entered active duty to attend the Naval Aviation Pre-Flight School in Iowa and became a naval aviator while he was a Marine.
Glenn flew 59 combat missions as a Marine during World War II, along with 90 combat missions in Korea.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said of choosing Glenn as the ship's namesake:
“The christening of the future USNS John Glenn (MLP 2), a ship that will help usher in a new age of Navy and Marine Corps operations, is a fitting tribute to a man whose years of service to his nation as a Marine, a U.S. senator and an astronaut helped shape the future of the United States itself.”
The christening ceremony is free and open to the public. For more information click here.
Here's an interview Glenn did with PBS NewsHour back in 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of his historic space flight:
Interview with John Glenn
