WALTER CRONKITE'S BELATED 90TH!

Walter Cronkite

_____________________________________

How did I overlook the 90th Birthday of a man we've called "The Most Trusted Man in America"? On May 18th, CBS broadcast an hour-long tribute to its former anchorman. Whatever the reason, I managed to miss it. And without meaning to sound critical, today's newscasts simply don't compare with the still robust baritone of Walter Cronkite. He is from the era of really great names in Journalism with CBS's all-star lineup of newsmen such as Edward R. Murrow, Eric Sevareid, Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Harry Reasoner, Charles Kuralt, and Roger Mudd — among others. Through his World War II reports from a B-17 Bomber to newsreels we've all seen of Cronkite announcing President Kennedy's assassination to stunned world and choking back tears, through the Vietnam War and his natural enthusiasm exuding with coverage of the NASA Space launches, I was sorry that I missed such an event. As writer David Blum opined, Walter Cronkite "still sees the world the way we do — angry about wars, in awe of space exploration, and cynical about government scandals - and with a sense of humor "in the course of the special, that Mr. Cronkite still enjoys doing a mock striptease for the likes of George Clooney, or considers the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart a friend". He is without a doubt, a national treasure! So my Blog today is a very belated "Happy Birthday!