A Letter to Walter Cronkite

July 18, 2009

Dear Walter,

NASA has been putting a great effort into commemorations for the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, but it took your death to give the event some soul, some emotional content. Those of us who were alive at the time watched the landing on television -- now I guess it would be Twittered. Buzz Aldrin, in his new book, concludes that it was the fact that this event was so shared by the people of Earth that in retrospect made it so remarkable. You were the host of the world's party. 

To be honest, I don't remember you on TV that night.  I was eight years old and dividing my attention between the grainy picture on TV and poking at my sisters as we jostled for space on our parents' bed so late that night. I hadn't the slightest inkling that  not only would I become a journalist, but that I'd cover the space program. Go figure. 

I interviewed you once, back for the 20th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. I was recently married and apparently strapped for time, so I left you my home phone number as well as my work's in hopes you'd return my call  before my deadline. When I got home there was a message on the recorder. I recognized the voice immediately: "Irene, this is Walter Cronkite, returning your call." 

I still have the tape somewhere.

Years later, I sat next to you in the auditorium at the Johnson Space Center where reporters had gathered for a press conference with John Glenn during his return-to-space flight on the shuttle. I asked my question right after yours. I remember thinking that I would have rather interviewed you.

I'm sure you haven't the slightest recollection of me, but that doesn't matter one bit. You were an embodiment of integrity, a commodity that holds its value in any market. 

Thank you for being a reminder of what's possible in this ever-changing world.

Sincerely,

Irene

P.S. If you run in to Michael Jackson, could you let us know what the heck happened to him?  Did he finally find peace and happiness in Never, Never Land?  Not that I need to tell you how to do your job ... You’re the master.

P.P.S. Maybe instead of going back to the moon, NASA should head here.

Comments

[Susan]

Beautiful!

Great perspective, Irene.

[NORTON]

irene: THANK YOU...
a moving and masterful tribute to THE most admired journalist,radio, and tv voice of the people during the 60's 70'snd 80's.
his word moved our government and he will be revered by all who watched and listened to his chariasmatic voice .

[David Buchner]

That was nice. Thanks. We've been making a pretty big deal of the 40th anniversary around here, and when my wife told me the news this morning, my first thought was how that's kind of a spooky coincidence. Why now? Or maybe: why not Tuesday?

I'm 40, too, so I don't remember the landing except by rote... and Cronkite's voice is mixed in with the whole thing. I do have a memory of his coverage of the shuttle landing tests, with Enterprise. I think they set the first landing to music.

A political discussion with him would have probably driven me nuts, but how can you stay mad at a guy who gets teary-eyed on national TV over the Moon landing? I feel like he had that kind of classiness that's not-so-common anymore -- the sort that I associate with figures like Johnny Carson. And just like Johnny, he's a staple from my childhood, who's not around anymore.

[Karen James]

Thanks for this moving tribute - the video is great too - you don't often get to see the whole uninterrupted clip.

[Apollo 11 trivia]

My favorite Cronkite moment remains his coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

[Jim Belfiore]

Tears were shed last night as well watching Walter anchor the events of 40 years past.

For many of us, the childhood memories of Apollo, and the years that followed were both strong, and front-loaded with eventual disappointment. So much was achieved, and has since been squandered, abandoned, and left to rot.

http://andromeda-30.blogspot.com/2009/07/three-years-at-horizon.html

[ana karen aguilar perez]

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