Members of Glenn's generation marvel at accomplishment

As the space shuttle Discovery's two massive white rockets ignited, thrusting legendary astronaut John Glenn back into a world spotlight, five elderly women huddled close in a small bedroom, their eyes seared to a portable color television set.

The women, residents of The Charleston Retirement and Assisted Living Center, 2121 W. Charleston Blvd., on Thursday morning relived memories of 36 years ago, when a then-40-year-old freckled face Marine colonel climbed inside a spaceship no bigger than a Volkswagen Bug and headed into the uncharted blackness of space.

But this time, Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth in 1962, wasn't going alone. He one of seven crew members destined to spend nine days in space performing more than 70 medical and scientific studies.

"I just hope nothing will happen to him," Helen Hilsinger, 80, said as the rockets flared up. "He's (nearly) the same age as I am."

As Discovery ascended into a clear Florida sky, activities director Jane Morris couldn't restrain her excitement.

"Keep going. Keep going," she shouted, as if by sheer will power she could push the spacecraft into orbit.

"2,000 mph," the TV announcer said. "3,500 mph. 3,800 mph."

"Oh, Lord," Hilsinger said in disbelief.

"My heart would drop out of my mouth," Lottie Hill, 88, exclaimed. "His great grandchild will watch this time."

Soon, Discovery became a tiny speck of glowing light against the blue sky. Still, the five friends could not stop watching the television screen.

"His wife is a nice-looking lady," Marie Jones, 87, said, breaking a silence, except for the cracking of rockets.

"Be interesting if the moon changed," Evelyn Smith, 79, said as an afterthought.

A guest to this little gathering pointed out that the mission won't go to the moon.

"How long is the flight?" Hilsinger asked.

"Nine days," the guest replied.

A moment of silence returned, as an artist's rendering of the Discovery spacecraft is show on TV circulating the earth.

"Well, it's time to eat lunch,' Lewanda Tulo, 84, blurted out.

The guests left, and the five friends, following a liftoff and orbit that only took 8 1 / 2 minutes, departed on their own mission.

Lunch time.

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