Tom Brokaw is the only major network reporter/anchor still working in the industry who directly reported on the fall of the Berlin Wall. Here is a video of an interview with David Gregor from Sunday where he describes the experience of reporting on one of the greatest achievements in the history of the United States orchestrated by former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush.
Brokaw discusses the odd dynamic between US politicians and those in Europe and their respective positions on reuniting Germany. He said, that the West had fought two wars to stifle the power of Germany and serving to put it back together seemed counterintuitive to some, but President George HW Bush overcame that to bring about the historic gesture.
He later went on to discuss the reality that this move appeared to be unthinkable to many on both sides of the wall. He said that it was so unexpected that it was extremely difficult to plan for. Brokaw said, “The communists had a plan for how they would take over the West but the West didn’t have a plan for how to take over the communists.”
In speaking of the enormity of the moment, he said, “As I stood here, there was no script, it was utter chaos. He said he thought of atronauts before liftoff – dont screw it up. I always thought 1968 would be the most important and profound year of my journalistic career and then he was 1989.”
1968 was of course the year that saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy; the historic Democratic National Convention – all of which Brokaw covered.
Brokaw is in Berlin this week taking part in the German celebration of its reunification. President Obama has no plans to attend the event and it appears that most news entities are choosing to skip the historic anniversary as well… that is unless they are similarly situated to Tom Brokaw and have direct knowledge of how historic the moment truly was. It is a shame that our nation’s youth is missing this golden opportunity to celebrate with Germany one of our greatest foreign policy achievements. Maybe they can someday here about it when a Republican recaptures the White House on its 30 year anniversary.
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Ronald Reagan: Fall of Berlin Wall an American Achievement
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I can’t believe that Obama isnt making this trip. He can go to Denmark to spin the olympics but he cant go to Germany to celebrate the end of the COld War?
The White House is explaining it away by pointing out that the President will be attending a memorial service at Fort Hood tomorrow. Can’t say much about his plans before last week occurred. The event in Germany has been a month long celebration commemorating an anniversary 20 years in the making. Lets just say he might have had time to plan a visit.
Thats Chicago his baby, the USA is an afterthought. NO way he was ever making this trip. That would give praise to a Republican.