Remember it well. I was working in NYC with a radio network and they had front line coverage of it. Walter was not happy being moved out of that chair. True, he was 65 at the time, but you might remember that Dan Rather kept anchoring well past that age. Cronkite was a unique man.
Some called him "the most trusted man in America." LBJ knew that America's hopes in Vietnam were doomed when Cronkite's special report about how badly things were going in Vietnam was aired by CBS.
"When you've lost Walter Cronkite, you've lost America!" is what Johnson allegedly said.
Perhaps Cronkite's greatest joy was covering the NASA missions. He was like a kid in a candy store, especially during the famed Apollo 11 landing on the moon.
'WOW!" he exclaimed when Neil Armstrong made his famous comment: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!"
How can anyone forget the day that Walter Cronkite showed his human side by nearly breaking down after announcing John F Kennedy's passing. He loved to tell the story of how a Park Avenue debutant got through to his office phone to complain about his reporting that day until he revealed himself to the caller telling her, "You are speaking to Walter Cronkite and you madam are a damned idiot".
Remember it well. I was working in NYC with a radio network and they had front line coverage of it. Walter was not happy being moved out of that chair. True, he was 65 at the time, but you might remember that Dan Rather kept anchoring well past that age. Cronkite was a unique man.
ReplyDeleteSome called him "the most trusted man in America." LBJ knew that America's hopes in Vietnam were doomed when Cronkite's special report about how badly things were going in Vietnam was aired by CBS.
"When you've lost Walter Cronkite, you've lost America!" is what Johnson allegedly said.
Perhaps Cronkite's greatest joy was covering the NASA missions. He was like a kid in a candy store, especially during the famed Apollo 11 landing on the moon.
'WOW!" he exclaimed when Neil Armstrong made his famous comment: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!"
He was pretty emotional when Armstrong made that comment. Rightfully so!
DeleteThere are some great stories about Cronkite rising up at the network and his stature at CBS in David Halberstam's The Powers That Be.
DeleteTruly a momentous evening.
ReplyDeleteHe was a favorite in our home, as a matter of fact,
we fondly referred to him as "Uncle Walter"
CBS forced him to retire when he was 65. Odd that it's now obvious he was too young.
ReplyDeleteThe day network news as we knew it died.
ReplyDeleteHow can anyone forget the day that Walter Cronkite showed his human side by nearly breaking down after announcing John F Kennedy's passing. He loved to tell the story of how a Park Avenue debutant got through to his office phone to complain about his reporting that day until he revealed himself to the caller telling her, "You are speaking to Walter Cronkite and you madam are a damned idiot".
ReplyDelete