I don't know if you guys remember him or not but.....

He was the newsman of choice when I grew up...

I thought he was already dead :\

He used to be the benchmark.

Back when news was 30 minutes. But that was the slot when the Networks reigned. There was not 24-7 to fill.

15 minutes of news. A special interest piece. The rest was commercials. His passing represents the OFFICIAL end of news as being important unbiased reporting (or unmitigated). As is there is no room for commentary, speculation or opinion. What he said....goes.

Dan Rather is the closest thing the Gen X-ers got. For anything past...its CNN or Fox news or BBC. After that...its blogs. Can you grasp it now? He used to be THE voice of political decision. The voice of who was winning the Cold War. Who was winning the Space Race. If we should dig a bomb shelter in our back yards. 30 minutes is final and total. The outcome waits until tomorrow. In the mean time....carry on.

So yes. Care. And mourn. He is one of the last that forced us to do our own homework......or feel good about not.

He was the epitome of a newsman, and he and Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were a separate breed that all who wanted to become journalists aspired to emulate.

I still remember watching him in my grandfather's den, while in the living room my grandmother watched Huntley and Brinkley. If there was something of real importance going on she would appear in the doorway to catch the Cronkite take on things. And any time you saw any emotion or excitement about a topic, you would see and hear that emotion or excitement at school the next day or at Sunday's church sermon. Yes, he really did have that kind of impact in my part of the country in those early days of television. And obviously your parents and other older family members always mirrored Cronkite's feelings about the news.

President John Kennedy challenged the country to reach the moon within the decade, but it was just as much Walter Cronkite's enthusiasm (almost a childlike excitement) regarding space that kept the country involved in the race to beat the Russians to the moon.

We have heard the word icon used way too much during the past few weeks, but in this case it is a well deserved tribute.

Rest in Peace, Walter.