Comments on: Walter Cronkite, 1916 – 2009

By: StewartIII

StewartIII — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:39:39 +0000

“Fox News had nothing to do with the Moon Hoax show. It aired on the Fox broadcast network, not on Fox News Channel. This would be like blaming MSNBC for My Mother, the Car! In fact, today the Moon Hoax show is airing yet again, this time on Tru TV–a channel owned by Turner Broadcasting, home of CNN! We reminded Mr Plait that FNC had no connection with the hoax show, but our tweet went unanswered.”
***
Fox Haters Week in Review
http://homepage.mac.com/mkoldys/blog/vmc269739478.html

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:42:47 +0000

Ouch, Sketchy! That’s a little harsh! He was saying Bah! to all the youngsters who weren’t around back then, not to Uncle Walter! Heck we -ALL- think the only way it would have been cooler would have been if we ourselves were the ones on the Moon. Don’t take it so personally, eh?

By: sketchy

sketchy — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:35:06 +0000

Yes DLC, it’s all about you. Not Mr Cronkite. Next time you land on the moon, announce it yourself.

By: Charles J. Slavis, Jr.

Charles J. Slavis, Jr. — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:52:02 +0000

In my teens, I regretted never having the chance to meet Walt Disney in person. I also regret never having the chance to meet the last unbiased, honest reporter, Walter Cronkite.

By: JediBear

JediBear — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:57:51 +0000

Cronkite was truly one of the great news-men, and they are a dying breed. May he rest in peace.

By: Lyr

Lyr — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:18:30 +0000

Walter Cronkite — the complete and utter opposite of anyone you’ll see on Fox News.

By: Ted

Ted — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:15:18 +0000

Am I the only one who’ll bring up the negative? He introduced a liberal bias that still infects the media today. His callous disregard for the American troops in Vietnam is simply unforgivable. How hard is it to report on the moon landing? “Apollo 11 has landed” cut to the tape. Possessing a kind, baritone voice and having the ability to both sit and read at once does not make him some amazing journalist.

By: Grisha

Grisha — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:33:21 +0000

RIP Walter. I recently digitized some cassette tapes I made as a kid with one of those kid casette players. It was me doing my “Walter Cronkite” impression of the early space flights.

Of course I also did my “Richard Nixon” impression.

The space program will be for me (and many others) forever linked with Walter Cronkite, his voice, and Neil’s (and a little bit of Charlie Duke’s) were permanently etched in my 8-year old brain that summer night 40 years ago.

By: DLC

DLC — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:13:46 +0000

Bah! you youngsters! I remember the whole apollo 11 mission. you couldn’t drag me away from the TV. I thought the whole thing was just so cool. It’s what got me started on reading science. We were on the blasted moon! The only thing cooler would have been if I’d been there myself.

By: Dew Drop – Weekend Edition – July 18-19, 2009 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:36:46 +0000

[...] Walter Cronkite, 1916 – 2009 (Phil Plait) [...]

By: Paul A.

Paul A. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:58:09 +0000

I lived through the Cold War and always felt that if World War III started, I wanted hear about it from Cronkite.

By: The EGE

The EGE — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:28:15 +0000

From my local paper, The New London Day:

“”Walter Cronkite was ever the consummate newsman. More than 35 years ago, Heather Bailey, the nighttime newsroom secretary, picked up the phone and a man said, “Hello, this is Walter Cronkite.”

Bailey, who often had to deal with prank or unusual calls, responded: “Yeah, and I’m Marilyn Monroe.”

“No, this really is Walter Cronkite,” the voice said. “I’m out here off Fishers Island in my boat and there’s one helluva big fire on shore. I thought The Day would like to know.”

It was Cronkite, and there was a big brush fire burning on the island.

Several years later, reporter Garret Condon was covering an appearance by Cronkite at Mystic Seaport. Condon, dressed in Irish tweed, was asking the news anchor a question when Cronkite interrupted and said, “You’re awfully well dressed for a reporter, Garret.” “”

I am far to young to have seen the Kennedy assassinations, or the moon landings, or Nixon, or even Vietnam live, but to me he was still one of the last of the great reporters.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:34:28 +0000

I dont mind dating myself, but I too watched Walter religiously in mainly high school. I remember all the big moments: JFK, RFK assassinations, Apollo, Nixon resigns, Vietnam. I don’t know what % of people on this blog remember this all, so maybe I’m just reminicing with a handful of people, but it was memorable stuff.

Phil, it doesn’t seem quite fair that you weren’t old enough to remember Apollo 11.

By: Stone Age Scientist

Stone Age Scientist — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:16:51 +0000

Phil, for those unfamiliar with the broadcasts (such as I ):

By: Daffy

Daffy — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:16:05 +0000

If I am not mistaken, the last of the “Murrow Boys.” Truly the end of an era…very sad indeed.

By: ntsc

ntsc — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:44:22 +0000

I was in the same room with him once. He came into our ready room to discuss something with one of our floor corespondents at the 19980 Republican convention in Detroit.

For a bunch of people who were on first name basis with his peers at our network, it was a remarkably quiet group.

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:42:28 +0000

So long Walt.
HAve a nice flight.
The stars have been
waiting for you,,,

Gary 7

By: robinpa

robinpa — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:34:39 +0000

“What kind of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times. Only, you are there”

Rest in Peace

By: red

red — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:42:19 +0000

I was blown away by his series “The 21st Century” during the late 60′s – I avidly awaited the show on Sunday nights.

By: Knurl

Knurl — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:09:17 +0000

“And that’s the way it is.”
Friday, July 17, 2009.

Damn. Just. Damn.

I really wish he passed away late next week.

By: Dwight

Dwight — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:59:31 +0000

Vale Walter Cronkite

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:54:51 +0000

My father made sure that I watched every televised launch of Gemini and Apollo. He probably had me watching Mercury as well, but I dont’ remember any of them. What I do remember is Walter Cronkite. A huge part of my youth, not only his enthusiastic support of the space program, but his nightly reports as well. One of a kind, I consider myself lucky to have been on this big ball of dirt at the same as he was.

By: Mchl

Mchl — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:45:57 +0000

Sad news.

For me, on the other side of Atlantic, Walter Cronkite is as much part of Apollo as Astronauts or Flight Directors. I have not known him in any other context than lunar landings.

By: Quiet Desperation

Quiet Desperation — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:43:43 +0000

Never really understood why I was supposed to trust him. Never understood *any* of the hooha over news media figures. He was “there” during some major historical events. Um, OK. He broke the news of the Kennedy assassination. OK… and? Someone had to. Go back in time, convince young Walter to be an accountant, and years later someone else would have been “there” and we’d be praising him or her. Nothing against the guy, but my klaxons start sounding when the hyperbole appears. It’s pretty much autonomous at this point. I blame society. Sorry.

That being said, Cronkite was a guy I’d invite to dinner at my home, unlike, say, Dan “Kenneth” Rather or Katie “Bubbly” Couric. No, on second thought, I *would* invite them because of the endless amusement to be found hurling well buttered dinner rolls at their empty heads.

I had just had my 2nd birthday when Neil took that “giant step”, but apparently it was still a real big deal to me, even at that young age.

I was 4, and I can actually sort of remember my parents calling me in to watch. I even recall seeing Star Trek when it was first aired.

By: Zyggy

Zyggy — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:51:42 +0000

Rest in Peace, good Sir.

I had just had my 2nd birthday when Neil took that “giant step”, but apparently it was still a real big deal to me, even at that young age. I’m sure I didn’t understand the true significance of what they had just accomplished, but I was pretty impressed nonetheless. My Mom wrote in her journal about my questions regarding the “Men on the Moon”. Apparently I wouldn’t stop talking about it for weeks, and I guess I never really have.

My Mom has also shown me some home movies of me sitting about 6 inches in front of a wee 12″ B/W screen watching the landing on TV that Mr Cronkite was narrating. My Dad was a bit of a geek, I come by it naturally, and he insisted on filming the moon landing coverage from the TV, WAY before VCRs.