Remembering legendary reporter Morley Safer

Morley Safer, legendary CBS News correspondent, died Thursday at the age of 84.

Safer made a name for himself during the Vietnam War for his coverage that brought the horrors of the war into the living rooms of everyday Americans. For CBS News, he did three tours in Vietnam, embedding himself with the troops, surviving enemy fire and building friendships with the soldiers he met overseas. He found himself in the cross hairs of the White House following his August 1965 report which covered an attack on the hamlet of Cam Ne. The images that were broadcast on CBS Evening News showed American Marines burning down huts with flamethrowers and lighters as horrified villagers looked on in tears.

In 1970, he joined 60 Minutes, broadcasting 919 reports until his retirement from the program last week. During his four-decade-long career at 60 Minutes, Safer shed his role as a war reporter, but never stopped traveling the globe to bring stories back into the homes of millions. He rode the Orient Express, flirted with Miss Piggy from the Muppets, held hands walking into the sunset with Helen Mirren, asked the tough questions of Alec Baldwin, sat down with First Lady Betty Ford. One of the biggest reports of his career and Safer’s all-time favorite story for 60 Minutes uncovered evidence that helped free Lenell Geter, a wrongly convicted black engineer.

Following his retirement from CBS on May 11, 2016, the network paid tribute to his remarkable career in the post appropriate way: a 60 Minutes special. The special aired on May 15, just four days before Safer’s death.