Jake Garn

American Republican Senator from Utah and Americas first VIP in space as a guest astronaut aboard a space shuttle. Jake was a U.S. Navy pilot as a youth, then an Air National Guard pilot. As a civilian pilot, he logged 10,000 hours, more than all but one of Americans 91 astronauts at that time. He was selected for astronaut training in November 1984 as a "payload specialist." The flight blasted off on 4/12/1985 with a crew of seven for four days in a 65 orbit flight. He was sick for the first two days and conducted 16 tests on motion sickness on himself during the flight. Garn served three terms in the US Senate, opposing big government and supporting strong defense in his more than 16 years of service. His first wife, Hazel, was killed in an auto accident in July 1976 leaving him with their four kids. Shattered by the tragedy, he had to maintain a stable front to keep the family together. He made a second marriage in April 1977, becoming a step-dad to another son, and then having two kids. On 9/10/1986, he donated his left kidney to his diabetic daughter, Susan Garn Horne, who had been in poor health for the prior two years. The operation was highly successful, a special gift of love from a man with the Right Stuff. In May 1991 he announced that he would not seek a fourth term in 1992, opting stay home with his family. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less