Edward W. Muench, 89, Escorted Astronaut John Glenn After Historic Space Orbit

MONROE, NJ — Edward Warren Muench, a former Toms River teacher who escorted astronaut John Glenn when his capsule returned to Earth in 1962 after Glenn's historic space orbit, has died. Mr. Muench, who died July 27 at the Monroe Village Health Care Center, Monroe Township, was 89.

Mr. Muench served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years, as a parachute rigger and a parachutist aboard several Atlantic Fleet aircraft carriers including the U.S.S. Leyte, U.S.S. Coral Sea, U.S.S. FDR, U.S.S. Forrestal, and the U.S.S. Lake Champlain. But it was during his service aboard the U.S.S. Randolph that he had a front-row seat to history.

In February 1962, Mr. Muench was the chief master-at-arms aboard the Randolph when it had the role of recovering Mercury astronaut John Glenn and his capsule, Friendship 7, after Glenn's historic trip into space where he became the first American to orbit Earth. After a 4-hour, 55-minute, 23-second trip where Glenn circled Earth three times, it was the Randolph's responsibility to host Glenn and the dignitaries who greeted him following the historic flight.

As chief master-at-arms, which was akin to being the sheriff on the ship, Mr. Muench had the responsibility for escorting Glenn and the others around the ship, his daughter, Justine Muench said.

"He was supposed to keep the photographers away a bit," she said. But her father had another story to tell from that day, she said:

"They loved to make cakes on the ship for every occasion," she said, "and they had made one for Glenn." But when Glenn first arrived on the Randolph — he and the capsule initially were retrieved by the U.S.S. Noa and Glenn was brought by helicopter to the Randolph — he wasn't hungry, so the story goes. (Mr. Muench recounted the story to the Sarasota Herald Tribune in 2012.)

The cake was taken below deck, where it didn't last long with the sailors, she said. A few hours later, one of the officers remembered the cake and offered it to Glenn, who decided he would have a piece, which set off a search. "They had to tell him the cake was gone," Justine Muench said. Her father recounted to family members that he was none too happy with the officer who mentioned it or the sailors who ate it.

Mr. Muench was still on board the Randolph in October 1962 when the aircraft carrier headed to the Gulf of Mexico for the standoff with Russia now known as the Bay of Pigs.

The Randolph also recovered the capsule of astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom during Mr. Muench's time assigned to the ship. (The anchor of the Randolph sits in downtown Toms River, on the median near Water Street Grille.)

Mr. Muench's last tour of duty brought him and his wife, Shirley Baker Muench, to Navy Base Lakehurst, where he was school supervisor and assistant training officer of the Parachute Riggers School (Class A). He also was a member of the Navy's Centurion Club, which honors those with 100 or more parachute jumps. He retired from the Navy in 1967, and later went to work for the Toms River Regional Board of Education, teaching math proficiency at Walnut Street Elementary School and at Toms River High School South before he retired in 1990.

Mr. Muench was an avid cyclist who held many state and other race awards. He was a member of several bicycle clubs including the U.S. Cycling Federation, Century Road Club and The Wheelman. Mr. Muench was eligible for the final tryout for the 1952 Olympic Team representing the United States in the Helsinki, Finland bicycle races. He also owned a series of recreational vehicles and enjoyed traveling with his family to all 50 states and Canada. He was an active member of Nativity Lutheran Church, East Brunswick, where he served on the church council.

Mr. Muench was born March 1, 1928, in Belleville, NJ, and later lived in Jacksonville, FL, and Norfolk, VA during his Naval career before winding up in Toms River. He and his wife moved to the Rossmoor community in Monroe in 1984.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley Baker Muench; his son, Warren, and his wife Deborah; his daughter Justine Muench and her husband Brad Thompson; and his daughter, Karen Muench; four grandchildren, Erin, Danielle, Tyler and Lauren, and his two great-granddaughters, Elise and Claire.

A memorial service for Mr. Muench will be held at Nativity Lutheran Church, East Brunswick, on Saturday, Aug. 19 at noon, with a reception to follow.

Should friends desire, donations may be sent to Nativity Lutheran Church, 552 Ryders Lane, East Brunswick, NJ 08816 or www.nativity-lutheran.org (donations tab).

Candle image via Shutterstock; Edward Warren Muench photo provided by Justine Muench