Friday, July 17, 2009

Good Night, Uncle Walter


It's pouring rain and lightning here, but I had to get on the computer- why- to say Good NIght to Walter Cronkite who passed away an hour ago at the age of 92.

Cronkite is probably the most familiar American TV newsman from the last Century. It was his evening news shows that I watched every night as a girl and a teenager, with my parents and sister. It was he who told me about the Vietnam War every night, men landing on the moon, Watergate and Nixon resigning. In 81 he retired from CBS news, and Dan Rather came in. Personally, I thought Dan Rather couldn't hold a candle to Cronkite.

One very good obit is here, from CBS, no doubt, as the weekend continues, more and more praises will come in to him, deservedly, and what he did for American journalism.

Back when I was 8th grade, our class went to Washington DC. While touring the Smithsonian, they showed two tapes of Cronkite's = which were among his most famous up to that point in time. His announcement to the world, that JFK had just died in Dallas. He takes off his glasses, and breaking one of the unwritten laws about journalism, wipes away a tear, clearly in shock. The other tape was that of his first 30 minute broadcast of the evening news. I won't tell the date- but it was on my first birthday.

Thank you for the memories.

(Photo courtesy Drudge Report)


ETA; Anthony, at My Sick Mind has a wonderful obit here. It's worth reading,

3 comments:

Anthony said...

Thank you Susan.

Red Pill Junkie said...

When I read about Cronkite's passing, I wrote this over @ The Daily Grail:

How very sad, and profound in ways that I'm not capable of grasp just yet, that Walter Cronkite, the man whose voice was heard by millions of Americans when the historic events —among many others— of the Apollo landing were unfolding, has just passed away.

He didn't get to celebrate the 40th anniversary. Not that he needed to, since he had front seat tickets to the original event.

Is this telling us something? Maybe that we shouldn't wait any more time with Man's exploration of Space? that the clock is merciless and keeps ticking for us all?

RIP Walter; you've not gone, you're just catching on to your words as they're traveling through the Cosmos."

susan said...

RedPill, you wrote a beautiful obit over there, I read a bit of your blog and was most impressed. You and i have some things in common.....with unusual beliefs.

it's nice to think of Walter and his most beloved wife sitting in the front row holding hands and enjoying the event.

Related Posts with Thumbnails