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Biden honors John Glenn at memorial service

by Nikita Vladimirov - 12/17/16 4:03 PM ET

"Everybody was John's equal in his mind," said Joe Biden at the remembrance ceremony for John Glenn https://t.co/bOKgKMJ99N pic.twitter.com/igXkC1zINc

— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 17, 2016

Vice President Biden on Saturday honored the life of former Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio), praising the former astronaut for being an exemplary American full of optimism and love for his fellow countrymen.

“John was one of the few of my colleagues, when we go into the restroom where there is a shoe shining guy, John would always pat him on the shoulder, and give him a hug,” Biden said during Glenn’s memorial service in Columbus, Ohio.

{mosads}”Understanding that despite fame and position, everybody was John’s equal. Everybody was John’s equal, in his mind,” Biden added.

Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth and became one of the country’s first astronauts in the Mercury Seven crew. He also flew on 149 combat missions as a pilot during World War II and the Korean War.

He served in the Senate for 24 years and helped launch the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy.

“I think John defined what it meant to be American … what we are about, just by how he acted. He was always about promise. We were a country of possibilities, opportunity, always a belief in tomorrow,” Biden said.

Glenn died Dec. 8 at the age of 95 at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

Tags Joe Biden John Glenn