Walter Cronkite Memorial Service Attended By Dignitaries, Friends

by Yuliya Talmazan | September 9, 2009 at 10:38 am

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Walter Cronkite, a legendary figure in 20th century journalism who passed away in July of this year at the age of 92, was honoured in a memorial service attended by distinguished dignitaries and friends today. The service, which took place at New York's Lincoln Center, was attended by US President Barack Obama and former US President Bill Clinton. Among other attendees were broadcast luminaries Katie Couric, Andy Rooney, Bob Schieffer, Tom Brokaw, Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, and Brian Williams.

"Like all of you, I have benefited as a citizen from his dogged pursuit of the truth, his passionate defense of objective reporting, and his view that journalism is more than just a profession," President Obama told the crowd. "It is a public good, vital to our democracy."

"I thought that he had the most trusted news program because he had an inquiring mind and a caring heart and a careful devotion to the facts," former President Bill Clinton said. "He was always looking for the story, not the storyline. And there's a big difference."

Cronkite had an amazing career, having anchored the CBS Evening News for nearly 20 years. Cronkite covered history defining moments, among them WWII battles, the Nuremberg trials, Moon landing, JF Kennedy assassination, Vietnam War and others.