WALTER CRONKITE
1916 - 2009It was announced a couple of weeks ago that Walter Cronkite had been hospitalized and not expected to survive. This happened during the hubbub of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson's passing - so not much attention was paid to Mr. Cronkite.
I grew up in the black and white TV generation (a bane to the kids of today), and my father was a news junkie - to the extent that three basic channels offered. My first memories of newscasters was a short time of Edward R. Murrow, then there was Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, along with Cronkite.
Two incidents stay with me regarding Cronkite - the moon landing and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Walter Cronkite seemed to be onscreen non-stop for days, but when he announced that Kennedy had died, he took off his glasses and wept, as did an entire nation.
Cronkite was forced out of the field at the age of 65 - much like the mandatory retirement forced on my father. That retirement (my dad) was the beginning of his death. My father would have been ten years older than Cronkite, but that generation knew how to work and to all of a sudden be thrust out of that world was unfathomable.
The world will miss Mr. Cronkite's deep voice and insight. He now can commiserate with Edward R. Murrow, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley and Eric Severeid. One can only imagine the conversations they could have.
These voices have been silenced, but I still have my memories. Later..........
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