EXTRA! Tom Brokaw

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Learn more@edwardjones.com hi, I'm Jane Pauley and this is our Sunday morning podcast featuring a memorable story from our most recent conversation that offers insights beyond the broadcast on this episode catch up with my former colleague and friend, one of America's most trusted voices Tom Brokaw I was at 25-year-old rookie when Tom and I first met he was at only 35.

A seasoned veteran White House correspondent during the Nixon administration.

We sat side-by-side at NBC's today show.

Tom went on to anger the nightly news, and over all those years there've been highs and lows. We talked about it all great people say that I was sick two years or I was diagnosed, I try to keep it out of the public are. I went from having a difficult summer difficult it would go away and my friends were saying was going on ice cubes that I was currently on my core I got diagnosed with Mayo Clinic with multiple mobile I barely knew what was it was a steep roll down this cancer goes right, your bones are turned so I have a hole in my polis. I have five record for fractures of my spine. My waistline all kicked in the same time so they got I got consist whatever you got folks's diagnosis itself had to of been a blow.

What was startling because I just didn't see it coming. I kept thinking there is only I've got some kind of a parasite because I would pick those up in Africa is probably the dollars you said you have cancer go multiple model you know people who God's children parole woman who ran for vice president.this is opening line.

I'm sitting here and I'm two things. One world is very personal little rules realistic I think will I need to know about multiple level I don't I've never heard about before I but I got very cool very quickly said, what is this mean for me. How long the guys next answer was, he said well officially five years, but your otherwise good health.

I think we can be that we want to run some more test will go from there later talk to college. As I said your bedside. He's at what it was you your journalist and we had to get move faster so I just have to put it out there for I knew you could handle and he was right, I could but it was very and so what any good news though, and I didn't know anybody gets more test. That night I had a very very hard flight back to Montana. Therefore, I have not told her and I don't want to really wild road late at night. Rosalie got back to the ranch. I fixed a big drink and I said on the side of the bed and I said her magic life has made a bad it was hard because I just know was going to go and just looked at me and said, tell me more. What I need to know I said this is about but is much as I know at this point I think I'm get through it, but there's no guarantee. This was how many years ago will be six is already exceeded that five year I was in the patient told me to take so that help them right away.

I came back to Sloan-Kettering and third choices that you could you could do send souls that they would extract from you they would reintroduce in your system but you have to be in isolation 3 to 5 months and a friend of mine who also have the simple IRAs. I'm not sure we want to do that because it takes away her life. We have, and they say that you can beat it without doing so. I confirmed with some of the people I said your otherwise good health. I think you don't have to do stem cell transplants and I didn't was a risk, but I thought I'm going to run the risk so much saying yes when yes was the right answer and say no no is the right answer. Well you know the other thing is I was a very gifted as I talked to the best people and I was going to take a certain Marissa because I didn't feel I have inherent strengths that I could try to get to practice my back like in December they will fix those and fix those with very difficult surgery called hypoplastic to go in your spine and the shoot was a kind of cement to fix the hole in your spine and when I went in. They did tell me the consequences of when I went in. I said something America's team. I was she wanted me to call you as I'm 6 feet.

She said no.

58 because of treatment get compressed like that and I'm not so much a world where I was good at my picture taken with everybody the shortest guy we want to write some right size and not keep it to yourself but also instead broadcast it wasn't my idea got out in like March I was diagnosed late August or early September with Margie got out. I'm not sure how to lead by host or some kind anyhow was out there. I put out a statement saying we appreciate the attention. This is a family matter were were doing well with it and would like to just be allowed to treated as cancer was in our family Guy I I worked with for decades was noted is still known as Duncan. Duncan, the wonder horse because nobody in the industry had your stamina. You payments for 24 hours a day seven days a week. Famous for his stamina will last good health claim on Berkeley climbing.

So now you two things for us to maybe slow down but still replied that broke Duncan the wonder horse sadness to the project of getting the most out of what energy and health.

You've got and still running slower rings the rest of the stylus is been an adjustment. There's no question about that, but it's the same time. What has always knew you before that before that, was that I grew up in a working class family in South Dakota had big ambitions big greens basically started to get fulfilled I want to take advantage of every one of them at every opportunity, and people be willing to say like to climb know about my friend Yvonne took me up the grand Teton very difficult route. My first time on rocks. I tried out I was trying everything now I have to doubt I can so I don't ride bikes the same way I can write but I don't like planks. I swim along and I know I'm also silly and I think I would've dialed down a little bit anyway at this age. You definitely better looking younger looking man then you were just couple of years ago that's true you know I'm in remission.

I've also learned how to live with.

Frankly, that has something to do with say you to be 80 years old. You know I was also known as the boy wonder one point because I was the youngest guy and NBC levels. Big jobs can can't believe but I'm so very very lucky because America's families and the opportunities of jobs that I have the places that we been able to go to the fulfillment of the kid who lived working-class house in South Dakota. I don't know if I could I've got this cancer and I start I don't think people said to me you will feel generally, we think that you little longer life and it will be multiple wall I don't think you and Meredith were married in 1962 was invited to your 50th wedding anniversary which each 60th coming up in 2022 99. Make 60th so we went to high school in South Dakota and she was all everything and she was a cheerleader and we have Lisa before and she was girls mission I was forced to. We never, never dated. Frankly were pals only got together we were perfect partners for each other because I want to have an adventurous life.

She was a port she's climb she's been on places where I haven't been she's been in northern Pakistan on glacier trucks. For example, she's been in Bhutan on a truck. She's fearless about it when she decided to go horseback riding at age 50 should connect writer right away so we were we were meant for each other in ways we didn't know at the time and will often even now after all these years. Look at each other on the success of what comes with it the ability to get you did through school and have a comfortable life financially travel we look at each other and say that but it's been great wonderful story. The two of you kids heading off you get big new job in Los Angeles right say you're heading from the Midwest with your young bride and lamenting you just to lay all the big stories of no more new errors. That's how I felt. I remember I was afraid about the assassination. Recently I was in Omaha will not happen. I got this is what happened, but probably the last big story of my life and we got to California I was 26 years old and right away, the world was treated rapidly. Ronald Reagan was running for president.

Vietnam was going full bore and I got involved in the Reagan campaign as a reporter immediately because a lot of peoples always are going to so that was a big break and I was able to cover a huge deal already got elected governor California later presentand I was on the election in Los Angeles in the studio went back to New York about how he was doing. I can't get I turn the other two guys standing at the stage door and they said how is Reagan doing this it always been went and they said are you sure I said yes Mr. Hope and Mr. Crossley. I yank in South Dakota today is Bill and Bob Hope and Bing Crosby was going on, you know, Washington and this is back in the days when the network had one White House correspondent not one White House correspondent Mueller Watergate guy was White House correspondent I arrived. Watergate was underway at that point we did know how it turned out we had a great life is not easy to leave but I do. This is a big political story, and I do. I know a lot of the mixing team. I knew Bob Holden from California cigarette others, so I was kind of connected and then I got there from the moments I arrival something Agnew had to resign Saturday night massacre the Middle East all the stuff was just flying out and I was on here seven days a week.

I don't think I have the time off of any kind and I were on airplanes because Nixon was approved, the sole presence of Russian police were going all over America to prove that he sold the president and keeping track of the very complicated legal situation that was going on. Were they can be a little impatient.

Could they put together enough evidence for could he escape turns out I asked him the last question was asked in a press conference because I been working what I thought was the right thing. He kept saying that he had executive privilege that was part of the presidential suite start checking with legal scholars and one of them was Alexander Bickel was a very conservative legal scholar. He said, except in cases of impeachment when you don't have executive privilege so I had that question.

It was the last question that he took in a news conference when I raised with him. I said factors must present you say that you are not liable for this executive privilege has no application fees for proceeding are you misleading the American public once aggressive that we have no right I said that he's the present I get to ask ask for heady days I had great colleagues or maybe old washing press Corps. Peter was born. Others who'd been around were generous to me. Dan Rather was there from CBS and he was one tough competitor. Obviously there were others as well so it is a real kind of fraternity and sorority of people want Thomas I have great friend by the name of Fred Zimmerman who work for the Wall Street Journal. It was a print guy Chessmaster.

I was broadcaster and I don't like chess but we saw the world the same way so we all kind of protected.

I do not remember television entering the house you other hand, must have a very specific memory of when television first arrived in the Brokaw household. You didn't see it until I was 50 really remote part of South Dakota. His mother would drive at 75 miles of World Series time to stand in front of a department store once series on holding true story would drive to Sioux Falls South Dakota or some city I have television and radio so we get the agent we finally told that it was for me, Nirvana, and the other fortuitous part of it was the beginning of Berkeley and that was a whole new form of telling the news they became kind of my vitals and I watched I made the decision.

I remember this visibly. I was kind of.

I was in college I was in and out and I was hanging around I was chasing girls and drinking and having a good time and I wasn't really his focus is I need but on the election item 1960 I sat down to 6 o'clock at night to watch the returns and is remember was a long night and was very close at 8 o'clock in the morning I went to bed and I thought that's what I will be a correspondent to cover politics. I was a political junkie. Anyway, that's what I want to do right.

Could I get there possibly so in writing this book, I was reminded that I get California quickly more. I want Omaha by 10 126 on the Los Angeles government. Reagan a lot of national politics and Berkeley comes out to do the news. What was like God came in the newsroom and they said we want you to brief Brinkley on a model Reagan put together real and told what was going on. It's okay.

So they became is very cordial, but he was taught kind of clipped tones so he said to me, I was Reagan changed since he became a candidate and I said almost Brinkley. He used to be seen around sport jacket and slacks and loafers. But when he became a candidate they dress and only in blue suits with serious ties and with serious shoes. Okay, so that night on Brinkley. David opens up and said good evening.

California Ronald Reagan who used to be seen around town over slacks now is appearing only in prosodic keys but also by sale, but was Brinkley because that was you know that was inside for equipment and made an impression on me about how you you connect with people by telling myself it is really insightful about the character change whatever this is how research is done. The day that you Google Tom Brokaw what comes up is anthrax you what comes up was to tell me what was right after 9/11. This testing secretary consistent, and she really organize the office and she was very alert to the dangers without bothering me because he was on edge and she's keeping stacks of letters that were coming in, and when she said you should take a look at this one slightly misspelling your trailer, your comfort and all eyes that she said I had to letter yesterday and I emptied it out because of that stuff in it. We sentence the police and it turns out it was, but I really told them about four days later she said I got this, rationing was going on and her friends came to me and said that was little more serious than we thought that one was inerrant because I was so busy on the aeration. One of my sitter was going on. She said I got the trash so we sent her to a dermatologist and they said it was a brown recluse spider bite that was diagnosed with like three times she had been out of the country while etiquette a spider bite, then it spread a little bit in the workforce and she came back to work she was feeling better because we answer prologue it was doing with the cheese and feel a little better girlfriend for the bathroom with her and came out and said to me oh my God, this looks terrible. We had a friend in town was a great great exotic disease guy Kevin Cahill is a Dr. Third World medicine. Use it when I got off after he'd been away and he knew because she was Erin O'Connor and Kevin great Irish connection so I called my son I got my systems at this thing going. I would know what it is I sent her up there Kevin so I can't rule out.

He was the only one that we knew who ever seen in anthrax scale of some kind so that we made arrangements to send sample to the CDC in Atlanta and also to support Maryland where they did secret stuff on on that kind of thing makes it illegal to get anthrax and two days later I got a call at 7 o'clock in the morning from Garrett who was the New York police commission. He said you have a secretary benevolent Erin O'Connor don't tell me you said she's got anthrax.

They just made the match world changed and it was terrifying was like a movie of some kind.

I called her she had a two-year-old took a while to go have a daughter and she was terrified car on the way to A consistency of what treatment they should be getting in the attic with good reason. I was in a panic around almost all the weight of 30 rock. We had a meeting up at 430 Rockefeller Plaza with the FBI. Mayor on the phone.

The CDC what the holy do now without a whole building. We got a whole and they said well we don't know we think it's been too long clue and I went down to our office and everybody was gone. The headlamps I sent you want to go see a doctor. You go right now I we don't know what this place is hot or not we think not, but we got up and showed up about the news tonight will see what we have to do well in the long short of it is parent did get treated appropriately. It was very difficult for her to put it mildly. And she's been very brave and her daughter that God is in college now the wife is going on turns on an Internet emptied the anthrax envelope and she has foretold on her leg and were not aware of that and then she came and said you know I have these things and so they had to go to her apartment and clean it out and then put her in treatment and we kept everything kind of under the cover all my camera crews came with guys like your guys here and labor reporting for their shift. They said no one said anything to us.

What the hell's going on so we got him Cipro and I My desk a bottle of bottled blues is walking. I said okay guys here we are together will take Cipro and this so we all, Bob. We got through it building my life because no one had the answers and it was so emotionally traumatic for my secretary and for other people as well that Isaac would give Cipro the haptic population of New York. If you're walking by 30 rock you got some Cipro but was really scary was that the city was so unprepared. They just have no way of dealing with no member flyovers children and grown-ups. All of us on this day that I still get.

I still have that kind of a side effect or effect of cancer. Cancer treatment is 13.

We began the interview talking about Duncan the wonderful arson your famous stamina and I know I still still see that fatigue is something I can really relate to. If you know 15.

I don't know if it's easier to roll out the door despite pain benefit.

She just well I for the prism of my life I will fatigue what side I sleep more than I ever have before. I took a nap before we set down her. I went in there I took a 50 I've now calibrated in the way that I can go over what I need to go. Last weekend we been traveling a lot with her grandchildren. I was Paris London and then came home and I caught up to me and I'm 79 and a lot of the other thing is you know I'm my system was running now so I just have to measure a little more carefully about what I doing when I do it and I have no no apologies for taking a nap on Tyrell are going to happen. So I do. I think it comes with this particular age work in the last six months working on that and I feel guilty if I don't get out and do something really active with the dogs. I'm looking forward to summer in Montana trout streams out of the program with my dogs so I think that God is no I've have this great great life and I've been married a murderous and we have these wonderful children and are really doing well and will you live beyond any expectation that we could've had when we left Yankton on August 17, 1962 wavy Duncan. Have a great summer everyone a lesson is key project story is what does that mean term little inside joke about that is that you are my Douglas and you had address and it was a term to describe it seem to be metallic and it was a what they call the sacrifice. I guess in those days and you and it was short. In addition to all that so we did. Mike Douglas and went went very well and we were walking off and I would do you know I said burn address never forgot it so I don't remember the address. I don't remember nothing. I remember her address. That was so presumptuous of me but I was we are in this together. You know you and I will help me were we were well I used to say it was like DOS boat NBC put us in this wrapped and set us afloat you go okay do for yourself. I was with Tom wrote it was chaos. Frankly didn't take out with teacher Gary this week Stephen Landau live Mitch McConnell in one of Washington's biggest midterm moneyman list for me to Senate races you think Republicans have the best chance of taking a democratic seed with Nevada not Georgia. George is right up there, but New Hampshire's surprise New Hampshire people really just kind of don't like Maggie have for more from this week's conversation, follow the take out with Maj. Garrett on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts