Walter Cronkite Dies at 92

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Walter Cronkite dead at 92
BY VERNE GAY | [email protected]
8:19 PM EDT, July 17, 2009

Walter Cronkite, once known as the "Most Trusted Man in America" and the reigning symbol of broadcast journalism itself, has died at age 92.

From 1962 to 1981, Cronkite was peerless in TV news - the nation's top-rated anchorman on the nation's top-rated network, CBS. For members of recent generations, he may seem a remote figure. But for older Americans and the huge Baby Boom generation, Cronkite occupied a central position in their collective memory, during a tumultuous time in American history that spanned Civil Rights, Vietnam and Watergate.

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RIP

God bless

And That's the way it is

"The most trusted man in America".
And a huge proponent of the space program and his most singular moment was broadcasting the Apollo 11 moon
landing which coincidentally is the 40th anniversary Monday.
A true legend, an ikon of the broadcast news industry.

Godbless and godspeed. I unfortuneately am not part of any of the generations that grew up around the set watching Walter but I respect him greatly from that which I do know of him.

Walter Cronkite's death is one where instead of morning his loss it is more of a celebration of a long life that was very well lived. Growing up in Florida in the 60's and 70's I was a HUGE fan of the manned space program, and I grew up watching Walter's coverage of every launch and flight. No other newsperson covered it the way he did and without CNN and the internet, CBS, NBC, ABC and newspapers and magazines where how we got our news, and because of Walter CBS almost always won the news ratings race handsdown, he was the news.

From the mid 90's upto about 4 years ago Walter and his late wife Betsy where seen regulary in our terminal at LGA every summer taking the Colgan Saab up to Martha's Vineyard, where I believe they had a summer home. I saw them at least a dozen times, always dressed to the nines, and I got to speak with him on several occasions. I found him to be very approachable, friendly, and humble, and happy to speak with a regular guy like me who shared his love of the Manned Space Program. Sadly, the last 2 or 3 times I saw the Cronkites they where both in wheelchairs, they could both walk but not any distance. I was still impressed though that even in their late 80's they could still travel on their own. Betsy died in 2005, and I was impressed to read last night that at age 90 Walter had a girlfriend, the older sister of singer Carly Simon.

"And that's the way it was"

RIP Walter

Regards

LGA777

[quote="LGA777"]Walter Cronkite's death is one where instead of morning his loss it is more of a celebration of a long life that was very well lived. Growing up in Florida in the 60's and 70's I was a HUGE fan of the manned space program, and I grew up watching Walter's coverage of every launch and flight. No other newsperson covered it the way he did and without CNN and the internet, CBS, NBC, ABC and newspapers and magazines where how we got our news, and because of Walter CBS almost always won the news ratings race handsdown, he was the news.

From the mid 90's upto about 4 years ago Walter and his late wife Betsy where seen regulary in our terminal at LGA every summer taking the Colgan Saab up to Martha's Vineyard, where I believe they had a summer home. I saw them at least a dozen times, always dressed to the nines, and I got to speak with him on several occasions. I found him to be very approachable, friendly, and humble, and happy to speak with a regular guy like me who shared his love of the Manned Space Program. Sadly, the last 2 or 3 times I saw the Cronkites they where both in wheelchairs, they could both walk but not any distance. I was still impressed though that even in their late 80's they could still travel on their own. Betsy died in 2005, and I was impressed to read last night that at age 90 Walter had a girlfriend, the older sister of singer Carly Simon.

And that's the way it was"

Thanks for sharing. Very nice.

Great story Ron - thanks for sharing the personal experience.

In South Africa, we didn't get TV until 1976 and after that was introduced, we didn't get US news or live channels until the end of the 80's so I never knew about Walter Cronkite until I moved over here. All I have seen has been historical footage, but, certainly from what I have seen, THE leader of the news industry. While I enjoy watching Brian Williams on NBC, I don't think there is anyone in this day and age that can come even close to Cronkite.

How ironic that on the anniversary of the moon landing we lose "Uncle Walter". Between him and Jules Bergman on Channel 7 they were both very knowledgeable on the working of NASA and the space flights. I remember watching Cronkite on that very night in 69 and he was in awe just like the rest of us, watching Collins stepping foot on the moon. Its a disgrace that NASA has erased all the videotapes of that night. but thats another story,

And yes "thats the way it was", godspeed Walter cronkite... The most trusted man in newsreporting.