Vietnam War

276081_original

Walter Cronkite and the Vietnam War:

In February 1968, Cronkite’s Executive Producer at CBS urged Cronkite to travel with him to Vietnam to cover the aftermath of the Tet Offensive. Before his report, Cronkite was known as a warhawk, and supported American involvement in the overseas conflict. Murray Fromson, a former CBS news correspondent who spent time with Kronkite in Vietnam said that Cronkite became troubled by the visual images he was seeing in vietnam contrasting with what president Johnson was telling the American public.

 

Cronkite was always a staunch defender of the CBS Evening News as a balanced, unbiased, presentation of events. On Feburary 27, 1968, he summed up his trip to Vietnam at the end of his CBS Special Report, Report from Vietnam: Who, What, When, Where, Why? with a rare editorial report. This break of character was such a personal departure, that the nation was stunned at what they heard. People were hearing a very different Cronkite than they had become accustomed to. Up until that point, Cronkite had avoided expressing any personal opinions on-air. In his editorial, now immortalized as “We Are Mired in Stalemate” Cronkite basically said that he now believed the war to be unwinnable. He suggested to the viewers that the only way that the war would end would be to negotiate. Cronkite, who had already captivated the hearts of American’s with his previous broadcasts, such as the JFK assassination, had now cast serious doubt about the United States’ mission in Vietnam.

Following Cronkite’s editorial report, President Lyndon Johnson is claimed by some to have said, “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.” Weeks later, President Johnson announced that he wasn’t going to be running for a second term as President. Many people claim that Cronkite’s critical editorial may have been on of the last straws to convince the President not to run for reelection.

Although the war continued for years, a United States “surge” in troop levels — let alone a nuclear option — was no longer thinkable. American troops eventually started to return home as Vietnamization and negotiation eventually took center stage.

9 comments

  1. Ralph Poliquin

    Hey Fox News Walter Cronkite a real journalist not a stuffed shirt take a long look Hannity is it ain’t you.

    • Roger

      I find it very telling that you did not tell the whole story about Walter Cronkite. I also noticed that you did not play his original Original film he made from the Airbase in Da Nang. The one where he was praising our military and its fighting ability. Because they had thoroughly pounded the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive and beat them soundly. Why didn’t you show that?

      Is is because you are also an operstive like walter Cronkite?

      “It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed America without Walter Cronkite,” said Sean McManus, president of CBS News, on the passing on Walter Cronkite. “More than just the best and most trusted anchor in history, he guided America through our crises, tragedies and also our victories and greatest moments.”

      I wonder if Mr. McManus knew the real Cronkite — Cronkite the a former intelligence officer who was lured away from his UPI Moscow desk by Operation Mockingbird’s Phil Graham.

      Of course he did. Because the corporate media, at least at the level Walter Cronkite occupied, is rife with spooks, government agents, and disinfo operatives. The CIA has “important assets” inside every major news publication in the country, a fact established by numerous FOIA documents. A rare glimpse was also provided by Frank Church’s committee in the mid-70s.

      Walter Cronkite was a CIA Operation Mocking Bird plant. And a sold out globalist.
      https://youtu.be/heegk07026I?si=YoGx-cCl9RZSoEWc

  2. Patty Black

    Walter Cronkite’s coverage of the Vietnam War remains iconic, shaping public opinion and influencing policy. Military essay writers delve into his pivotal role, analyzing how his reporting affected public perception and governmental decisions. By examining Cronkite’s impact through the lens of military history and journalism, these writers provide valuable insights into the intersection of media, war, and public opinion during a tumultuous era in American history.

Post a comment

You may use the following HTML:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>