Throwback Thursday: Franklin’s connection to outer space

Throwback Thursday has told you stories of unidentified flying objects in Kentucky,
or UFOs. This week, we’re learning more about nearby Franklin’s connection to
outer space, thru a story shared by former Simpson County local, Don Hall. Thanks
to a new display created by James Henry Snyder, the public can now view the
documents and photos verified by NASA and the Smithsonian.

The year was 1962, amidst the heated global space race. Astronaut John Glenn
became the third American to enter outer space, and the first person to ever orbit
the Earth. Glen orbited Earth three times during this specific mission, then landed in
the ocean. He was picked up by the USS Noah, a Navy destroyer. The Noah was not
originally planning to make the pick up, as NASA had arranged for an aircraft carrier
to do the job. However, Glenn did not land in the exact location NASA planned when
he returned from orbit.

This is where the Southern Kentucky connection occurs. Franklin local, Don Hall,
happened to be stationed aboard the destroyer Noah at the time. He captured a few
photos of Glenn being picked up in the middle of the ocean. He also noticed an
official record of him boarding the Noah as a visitor was not placed for safekeeping.

Those specific documents were lost to time, until they were rediscovered and put
into a new public display at the Simpson County Archives and Historic Museum.
The museum sent the original documents and images to the Smithsonian in
Washington to be displayed at the National Museum of American History, in the
military section. While Franklin is not exactly home to the astronaut John Glenn, it is
indeed home of one of the crew that picked him up after his first global orbit.

That’s it for Throwback Thursday, brought to you by Hart County Tourism and The Kentucky Museum. In
Bowling Green, because local matters, Telia Butler, WNKY News 40.