A fallen hero

I remember years ago dreaming so vividly that I had met Walter Cronkite. In my dream, he had come to visit the Bonner County Fair. We'd met in front of the canning display at the old fairgrounds, and I was so excited to meet one of my heroes that I couldn't talk. That's all there was to the wacky dream, but its few events were so real, I've never forgotten it.

I never had the opportunity to meet Walter Cronkite in person, but I followed him faithfully for years as the CBS news anchor and the network's consummate science reporter. Walter was the first in my long line of journalistic heroes. As a part-time but longtime journalist and perennial news junkie, I've followed their every move and envied their good fortune of living their lives in the eye of unfolding, dramatic events that shape our lives and our world.

That is why I'm sad this morning to hear that Peter Jennings has died. I remember so vividly first tuning in to this debonair newscaster when he reported the events of the Munich Olympics. Terrorists took over the dorms, held hostages and murdered some athletes. In my memory, that event seems to stand out as an inaugural introduction to world terrorism as we see it today. Peter Jennings, impeccably dressed and so handsome, delivered the stunning news of those horrible days at the Olympics with elegance, style and professionalism.

From that point on, I followed his career and set him up on a journalistic pedestal as another Walter Cronkite, whom I'd love to meet some day. I never tired of listening to Peter Jennings report the news. His flair always kept me entranced as he so deftly and with such confidence and knowledge served us our evening helpings of tragedy and triumphs happening around the world. I do have to admit that I did not watch his newscast every night because Dan Rather had also earned my admiration.

That respect, however, diminished considerably over the past several years as Dan Rather's credibility and his style veered off on a downward track. Peter Jennings, however, remained constant and true to his form---always incredibly knowledgeable, always sophisticated and always the same dedicated, eloquent man who had impressed me so many years before. I also thought it was pretty neat when he decided to become an American citizen. Like the converted Catholic, he displayed a passionate love for this country, through his commentary, his reporting and his writings.

It was sad to watch him on his last newscast in April when he could barely utter the words as lung cancer had already begun to eat away at his body. Somehow, I knew it would be the last time. Just last week, I began to wonder how he was doing because I had not heard any recent updates. So, when we walked into the house last night, flipped on the TV and immediately heard Charles Gibson referring to him in the past tense, I knew Peter Jennings was gone.

We never really get to meet our evening news anchors, but if we love the news, love the craft of journalism and closely follow their every word, we feel like we know them as a friend. So, I feel like I've lost a friend with Peter Jennings' passing. He was truly one of the greats among my journalistic heroes.