Posted on 06/18/2009 2:36:23 PM PDT by Beaten Valve
TVNewser has learned legendary CBS newsman Walter Cronkite, 92, who once held the title of "Most Trusted Man in America," is said to be gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources. The network began updating his obituary more than a week ago, a source adds.
CBS News executive Linda Mason, designated to speak on Cronkite's behalf, had no comment.
The avuncular Cronkite anchored "CBS Evening News" for 19 years, until 1981, when he was forced to retire. Dan Rather was named his successor. Cronkite maintained an office at CBS, where he was a special correspondent.
A native of St. Joseph, Mo., Cronkite made his mark as a World War II correspondent for United Press. He joined CBS in 1950 as a Washington correspondent. In 1962, he was named anchor of "CBS Evening News," then 15 minutes in length. The following year, it became network TV's first 30'minute weeknight newscast.
Cronkite's nightly sign-off -- "And that's the way it is..." - became part of the popular lexicon, and his gravelly voice was instantly recognizable. During his tenure, he led "Evening News" to first place in the Nielsen ratings.
Cronkite returned to "Evening News," in a manner of speaking, in September 2006, when he recorded the opening to the newscast with new anchor Katie Couric.
In an interview with this reporter in 2006, Cronkite was asked if he ever thought about death.
"When you get to be 89, you have to think about it a little bit. It doesn't prey on me, and it doesn't keep me awake nights. Occasionally, when I'm upset about something else, I think, 'My gosh, I don't know if I should do this or that because I'm not sure I'll be here that long to enjoy it.'"
And that’s the way it is
I used to like Cronkite’s reporting on the space program.
That's not completely accurate. JFK intentionally escalated the VietNam conflict in 1961 after Kruschev humiliated and bullied him at their June summit. JFK did so to prove his manhood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_summit
Yes, few people could lie and promote communism with the gravitas of Walter Cronkite.
Amen!
And, to have his obvious, FAR-LEFT (albeit, well hidden) opinions and views, accepted "ad Gospel," such as the battle of Khe Sanh and his having declared the "WAR LOST!" which was BUNK and he knew it, or SHOULD HAVE!!!
I hold not animosity and will pray for him and his family, but he remains [one of] those most responsible for our being forced to ABANDON S. Vietnam; were NOT allowed to prevail and so many of my brothers and sisters, DIED IN VAIN!
A Nam Vet
We thought we knew what you were until we discovered that you were’t what we we thought you were . Now that is just the was it is, Walter.
May he rest in peace . . . oh . . . he’s not dead yet? Sorry!
Isn’t he the guy that said the TET Offensive was a massive failure and trashed all our GIs? Huh???????
May he rest in peace.
“... few people could lie and promote communism with the gravitas of Walter Cronkite.” ‘And that’s the way it is, Friday, June 18th, 2009.’
Today is Thursday.
Not in Japan.
Eggsackley!
Duh, I’m dense tonight.
A great American ... with the blood of millions on his hands.
Wikipedophile?
Wiki is 99% propaganda and opinion.
My Dad died in Vietnam in ‘72. Without Cronkite giving aid and comfort to the enemy, that might not have happened.
I’ll drink a glass of wine when the old bastard dies, and wish he had died 40+ years ago...
This war is lost.After two years of exceedingly costly bombing of Germany "around the clock", and six months after the invasion of the Continent, during which we have been provided ongoing glowing reports on Allied progress, we see the German strength is hardly diminished.
What appeared to be Allied gains were ephemeral, in actuality a brilliant German strategic fallback to the impregnable defenses of the Siegfried Line.
The enemy is even now able to mount a totally unforseen offensive in the Ardennes, driving unstoppably to the sea, amidst the worst winter weather in decades.
This is a catastrophic failure of intelligence and strategic vision.
It is clear Gen. Eisenhower must be relieved of his command, and President Roosevelt must pursue a diplomatic solution to this conflict; no military solution is possible.
In Japan, it’s not June 18 anymore.
I'll join you with a glass of single-malt.
James Reston, Jr. was one of the first people to meet with JFK after his summit with Khrushchev on June 4, 1961, in Vienna, Austria. At the time he was Washington Bureau Chief for the New York Times.
From his autobiography, Deadline: A Memoir - by James Reston Jr.
http://www.amazon.com/Deadline-Memoir-James-Reston-Jr/dp/0394585585
pg. 290
“He had tried to convince Khrushchev of U. S. determination but had failed. It was now essential to demonstrate our firmness, the place to do it, he remarked to my astonishment, was Vietnam!”
“When Kennedy returned to Washington, he gave orders to send another U. S. division to Europe and to triple the number of U. S. military advisers in Vietnam. Officers were assigned to the Vietnamese army at the battalion and regimental levels to advise in combat, as well as in training. They were instructed to accompany the South Vietnamese troops into battle and to fire if fired upon. He approved National Security Action Memorandum 52, which said that the objective of the United States was ‘to prevent Communist domination of South Vietnam.’”
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