Cronkite: Comment On Vietnam War His Proudest Moment

Walter Cronkite has indicated that the high point in his career came during a documentary he did in 1972 about the Vietnam War, when he indicated that the war was unwinnable. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Cronkite said, "I came to the conclusion that we should get out of Vietnam. Some, at least, believe that the resulting opinion I expressed had some effect on the end of the war." (It was later reported that following the broadcast, President Lyndon Johnson remarked to an aide: "If we've lost Walter, we've lost the American people.") Asked about the decision to name Katie Couric to the CBS anchor post, Cronkite offered a rather reserved opinion: "I have watched her since her early days covering serious news in Washington and thought then that she was a particularly good journalist," he said. "I believe that to be the case today and will be reflected in her performance on the CBS Evening News."

26/07/2006