Tom Brokaw Says Farewell To NBC Nightly News

After bringing viewers the news for nearly 23 years, NBC anchor Tom Brokaw gave his parting words on December 1, 2004, expressing gratitude for what he got in return. (Aired on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw on 12-01-04)

Transcript:

Well the time is here. We've been through a lot together through dark days and nights and seasons of hope and joy. Whatever the story I had only one objective, to get it right, when I failed, it was personally painful and there was no greater urgency than course correction. On those occasions, I was grateful for your forbearance and always mindful that your patience and attention didn't come with a lifetime warranty.

I was not alone here, of course. I am simply the most conspicuous part of a large, thoroughly dedicated and professional staff that extends from just beyond these cameras, across the country and around the world, in too many instances in places of great danger and personal hardship and they're family to me.

What have I learned here? More than we have time to recount this evening, but the enduring lessons through the decades are these: It's not the questions that get us in trouble, it's the answers.

And just as important, no one person has all the answers. Just ask a member of the generation that I came to know well, the men and woman who came of age in the Great Depression, who had great personal sacrifice, saved the world in World War II and returned home to dedicate their lives to improving the nation they had already served so nobly. They weren't perfect, no generation is, but this one left a large and vital legacy of common effort to find common ground here and abroad in which to solve our most vexing problems. They did not give up their personal beliefs and greatest passions, but they never stopped learning from each other, but most of all, they did not give up on the idea that we're all in this together, we still are.

And it is in that spirit that I say, thanks, for all that I have learned from you. That's been my richest reward.

That's Nightly News for this Wednesday night. I'm Tom Brokaw. You'll see Brian Williams here tomorrow night and I'll see you along the way.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NBC
• Nightly
• News
• With
• Tom
• Brokaw
• Says
• Farewell
• Last
• Day
• Parting
• Words
• December
• 2004
• Anchor

[GOllumboy101]

i'd love to lick a lemon lollipop in lilliehammer

[TACOfarmerXD]

"this is the worst thing that happened to this town since that roving gang of tom brokaws"

"Looks like someones a little lost"

[ZondaF]

"This is Tom Brokaw signing off. Back to you, fuckers!"

[kenco22]

he certainly milked his farwell

[TheBrooklynDreamz]

I LOVE him. A TRUE professional and wonderful human being.

THANK you, jsingit, for posting that.

[OnlyTy91]

@ZhenProductions Dude, get outa here with that stupid shit. People win arguments all the time. For example; people used to believe all the planets and stars in the universe rotated around the Earth. In the Rennaisance though, scientists like Galileo and Kepler convinced us otherwise. ("winning" the argument)

And the fact that you think 50% of the world is drunk or fucked up on drugs only goes to show how poor the company YOU keep is. I assure you, my world isn't like that at all.

[ZhenProductions]

@OnlyTy91 You are a troll, because everyone is a "troll". You just thinking that you won the argument makes you a troll. In reality, no one wins or looses arguments. Have you ever taken a look at the society of today? The majority of people are doing drugs or drinking alcohol. My generation isn't going to end well if the way things are now continue to happen.

That is exactly what I am saying, but not to such an extent. I would have to guess that over 50% of people in today's world are like this

[OnlyTy91]

@ZhenProductions You don't know anything but anything. It's really easy to doubt humanity when you're too busy watching TV or playing video games to ever experience it. And I love how when people like you lose an argument, you automatically jump to the conclusion that the person disagreeing with them is a 'troll'. lol.

And anyways: I don't know if you realized it, but if you're saying Family Guy's only mean and stupid because 'the rest of us' are, isn't that really self-defeating?

[ZhenProductions]

@OnlyTy91 Continue to troll yourself, I don't care. Whatever you want to say to yourself to make you feel decent go right ahead. Just remember that in today's society, people are intentionally mean and stupid. It's more genetic than anything else.

[OnlyTy91]

@ZhenProductions Fuckin' Socrates, over here!

Yeah, I know that I can't prove anything to your intellectually constipated self, so I won't continue to bother. Just know, that I would rather be sodomized by a red-hot fire poker than be forced to sit through an airing of Family Guy. It's a stupid, intentionally mean show.

[ZhenProductions]

@OnlyTy91 My logic has not been misguided and is not flawed. You can't really prove to me nor can I prove to you that we are here for different reasons. You may try to give me evidence, but where does that lead me to conclude why you are here? It doesn't mean anything.

[OnlyTy91]

@ZhenProductions No, I was redirected here from a video of him covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, actually. You're trying to use logic, though, I like that. Misguided, flawed logic, but, well... Nice try, at least.