>>> WE ARE BACK NOW, 8:11, WITH
A SPECIAL MILESTONE FOR ONE OF
NBCS MOST ICONIC FACES.
OF COURSE WERE TALKING ABOUT
TOM BROKAW.
HES DONATED HIS ENTIRE ARCHIVE
FROM 50 YEARS AT THIS NETWORK TO
HIS BELOVED ALMA MATER, THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.TER, THE
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.
>> THATS A LOT OF HISTORY. THE COLLECTION OPENS TODAY FOR
THE USE OF STUDENTS,
RESEARCHERS, AND TOM RECENTLY
GAVE CRAIG A SNEAK PEEK.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> THIS IS THE OVERNIGHT TRAIN FROM BEIJING IN THE PEOPLESAIN
FROM BEIJING IN THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
>> FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY,
IVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO SEE
HISTORY UNFOLD. UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
>> GOOD EVENING, LIVE FROM THE
BERLIN WALL. >> WHEREVER I WENT, I TOOK
MEMORIES OF MY MIDWESTERN
UPBRINGING WITH ME. HIGH SCHOOL IN SOUTH DAKOTA,
STARTING COLLEGE AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. >> I USED TO LIVE IN THIS ROOM.
>> OH, REALLY?
>> YEAH. IN THIS DORM ROOM WHERE I WENT
FROM WIZ KID TO COLLEGE DROPOUT.
>> THATS THE NEWS, IM TOM
BROKAW.
BROKAW.
>> BUT I RECOVERED AND JOINED NBC NEWS IN 1966.D AND JOINED
NBC NEWS IN 1966. >> LETS SEE HOW -- THEY LOVE TO
STUDY IN GROUPS.
>> AND NOW THE ULTRA MODERN IOWA
LIBRARY IS CATALOGING THE CAREER OF A STUDENT WHO STUMBLED BUTEER
OF A STUDENT WHO STUMBLED BUT MANAGED TO RECOVER.
>> WEVE GOT BOXES AND BOXES.
>> BOXES AND BOXES.
MORE STUFF THAN I REALIZED.
>> I INVITED MY COLLEAGUE, CRAIG
MELVIN, THE NEW NBC NEWS
GENERATION, TO JOIN ME AT IOWA.
FOR, AMONG, A BASKETBALL GAME.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY
CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.
>> AND TO HELP ME LOOK THROUGH
THE EVIDENCE OF A LIFETIME OF
REPORTING.
REPORTING.
SOME TIME FROM THE DAYS OF
WATERGATE, LONG BEFORE THE 24/7
NEWS CYCLE.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER THIS?
>> I DO.
THIS IS THE COMMITTEE ON THE
JUDICIARY OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, THE HEARINGS ON
RICHARD NIXON AND WATERGATE. IT WAS THE BIBLE. WATERGATE.
IT WAS THE BIBLE. AND IT WAS AN ATTEMPT ON THE
PART OF THE WHITE HOUSE TO SAY,
SEE, HE WAS NOT INVOLVED.
>> MY QUESTION IS THIS, ARENT
YOUR STATEMENTS TO THAT MATTER
HISTORICALLY INACCURATE OR AT
LEAST MISLEADING?
LEAST MISLEADING? >> LOTS OF STAINS ON THE PAGES
HERE.
HERE.
>> WELL, I BROUGHT THAT HOME AT NIGHT AND MEREDITH HAD LEFT OUT
A PLATE OF FRIED CHICKEN FOR ME.
SO I WAS EATING THE CHICKEN WITH
ONE HAND AND GOING THROUGH THIS
WITH THE OTHER.
THE NEXT DAY SHE SAID YOUVE GOT
CHICKEN STAINS ON THE HISTORIC
DOCUMENT.
DOCUMENT.
>> GOING THROUGH THESE BOXES AND THESE PAPERS, WE WERE REMINDEDND
THESE PAPERS, WE WERE REMINDED OF THE VALUE OF PEN AND PAPER.
I SAY THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD
PREPARED FOR SOVIET LEADER
MIKHAIL GORBACHEV AND HIS
INTERVIEW ON TELEVISION.
>> THERES NO UGLIER SYMBOL OF
THE DIVISION BETWEEN EAST AND
WEST, THE DIVISION BETWEEN YOUR
COUNTRY AND WHAT THE WEST STANDS
FOR THAN THE BERLIN WALL.
>> EVIDENCE TOO OF HOW A MOMENT
IN TIME CAN INSPIRE.
>> THIS SAYS 1984, TOM BROKAW
PHOTOS, D-DAY FRANCE.
>> THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF ONE
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTERS
IN MY LIFE.
THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY.
>> NOW, YOU GUYS HAVENT BEEN
BACK HERE IN 40 YEARS.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
THATS RIGHT, TOM. >> I CAN REMEMBER VIVIDLY MY
EMOTIONS WALKING ONTO THE BEACH
WITH TWO VETERANS WHO CAME
ASHORE.
ASHORE.
THESE 18-YEAR-OLD KIDS HAD TO
WADE ASHORE AGAINST THE GREATEST ONSLAUGHT OF FIRE YOU CANREATEST
ONSLAUGHT OF FIRE YOU CAN IMAGINE FROM THE GERMANS IN A
HIGH POSITION.
HIGH POSITION. AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF ME
THINKING WE DONT KNOW ENOUGH
ABOUT WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH.
>> DID YOU BEGIN TO THINK, GEE,
MAYBE THERES A LUCKY STAR --
>> MEMORIES AS WELL OF MY FINAL
INTERVIEW WITH RONALD REAGAN AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> HE SAID LETS GO ON THE
PORTICO.
PORTICO.
I SAID THATS A GOOD IDEA, MR.
PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT LEANED OVER AND
SAID NANCY AND I WERE TALKING
THIS MORNING.
YOU WERE THERE FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING.
AND I SAID I WAS, MR. PRESIDENT.
ITS BEEN A REAL PRIVILEGE.
HE TURNED TO ME AND HE LAUGHED. HE SAID ITS WORKED OUT PRETTYD.
HE SAID ITS WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL FOR BOTH OF US, DIDNT IT?
>> THIS IS FROM THE DESK OF TOM
BROKAW.
BROKAW.
JUST THE LAST STANZA. NOW MAN IS ON THE MOON, HIS
FOOTSTEPS FOR ALL TO SEE, THE
ECHO OF HIS VOICE TO BE HEARD
THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME.
AND WHERE AM I.
YOU WROTE A POEM ABOUT THE MOON
LANDING.
LANDING.
>> THATS SO UNLIKE ME. BUT I REMEMBER BEING TRANSFIXED
BY SEEING IT.
AND THE WHOLE COUNTRY AND THE
WHOLE WORLD WAS.
IN FACT IT CAME AT A TIME WHEN
AMERICA NEEDED A LIFT AND
EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO FOCUS ON
THE MOON AND SAY WE CAN DO THE
BIG STUFF.
BIG STUFF. AND I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE
BIG MOMENTS IN MY LIFE.
>> THIS IS TOM BROKAW.
>> IM TOM BROKAW.
>> IM TOM BROKAW, NBC NEWS.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> GREAT FUN.
LET ME CLEAR UP ONE THING.
I WENT TO IOWA AND I HAD HIGH
EXPECTATIONS, THEY HAD HIGH
EXPECTATIONS FOR ME, BUT AFTER A
YEAR OF VERY UNDISTINGUISHED
SCHOLARSHIP, I WENT BACK TO
SOUTH DAKOTA AND THEN DROPPED
OUT AGAIN FOR A WHILE AND
MEREDITH BROKAW CAME ALAWULONG A
RESCUED ME AND STRAIGHTEN MEADE
OUT.
OUT.
IOWA ALWAYS KEPT IN TOUCH WITH
ME.
I WAS ON THE FLOOR OF ONE OF THE
CONVENTIONS AND THIS VERY
FAMILIAR-LOOKING MAN CAME OVER
TO ME, HE HAD BEEN ONE OF MY
POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSORS.
HE SAID MR. BROKAW, I HAVE SO ADMIRED YOUR REPORTING AND SO
ADMIRED YOUR REPORTING AND SOMEONE TOLD ME YOU MIGHT HAVE
BEEN IN ONE OF MY CLASSES.
HE SAID I WENT BACK AND LOOKED
UP YOUR RECORD.
I HAVE A QUESTION, WAS IT MY
FAULT OR YOURS?
IT WAS ALL MINE.
>> AS PRESIDENT REAGAN SAID, IT
WORKED OUT FOR YOU.
>> IT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL FOR
BOTH OF US, RIGHT.
>> ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO RNS AANSWE
BUT IS THERE ONE STORY THAT
STANDS OUT?
>> THERES QUITE A COLLECTION.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT I WAS
IN THE SOUTH.
IN 1968 WE LOST DR. KING AND
BOBBY KENNEDY, JOHNSON STEPPED DOWN. KENNEDY, JOHNSON STEPPED
DOWN.
15,000 PEOPLE DIED IN VIETNAM
THAT YEAR, AMERICANS OF OURS, SO IVE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.SO
IVE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. AND THEN THAT RUSH OF
EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE WHERE THE
SOVIET UNION COLLAPSED, CHINA
REINVENTED ITSELF, AND THEN
FINALLY 9/11.
FINALLY 9/11.
THOSE ARE THE BIG, BIG MARKERS I
THINK IN MY CAREER THAT ILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER.
>> TOM, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SEE YOUR WHOLE CAREER LAID OUT LIKE
THAT?
THAT?
THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AMAZING, FASCINATING FOR YOU.AMAZING,
FASCINATING FOR YOU. >> WELL, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I
HAVE THIS KIND OF QUIRKY MEMORY.
I REMEMBER EVERYTHING FROM MY
YOUNG DAYS IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
I HAVE A LOT OF AMBITION, A REAL
WORKING CLASS FAMILY.
I WANTED TO SEE THE WORLD ON
SOMEBODY ELSES NICKEL.
THEN I REALIZED I KIND OF
OVERWISHED BECAUSE I SAW THE
WORLD IN WAYS I NEVER COULD HAVE
ANTICIPATED.
ANTICIPATED.
AND ITS VERY GRATIFYING.
THE NICE THING IS THAT THE
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA AND GREG
PERKMAN, ONE OF THE ARCHIVISTS THERE, SAID THIS WILL BE REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS TO GO
BACK AND UNDERSTAND WHAT
HAPPENED WITH HISTORY AND LEARN FROM THAT AS WELL.ORY AND LEARN
FROM THAT AS WELL. AND I THINK WITH ALL DUE RESPECT
TO CRAIG, I THINK ITS ALL GOOD
FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF
REPORTERS TO SEE THAT.
>> FOR ME GROWING UP, I WATCHED
THREE GUYS.
THREE GUYS. BERNARD SHAW, BRYANT GUMBEL, AND
TOM BROKAW.
TOM BROKAW. AND IT WAS JUST A TREMENDOUS
HONOR TO SEE NOT JUST YOUR LIFE
IN FRONT OF ME, BUT TO SEE THE
HISTORY OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
INVITATION.
INVITATION.
>> IT WAS GREAT HAVING YOU OUT THERE.WAS GREAT HAVING YOU OUT
THERE.
>> IT WAS AWESOME.
>> YOU ARE THE NATIONAL
TREASURE.
>> NO, NO, COME ON.
DONT CHECK WITH MY FAMILY. >> YOU SHOULD HEAR THE STORIES,