NBC’s BRIAN WILLIAMS ignites conflagration of controversy, after admitting being shot down in Iraq was a falsehood.
The Nightly News anchorman made on an air retraction about a story from his own personal life that had become part of the Brain Williams legend – that he was riding in a military helicopter when it was shot down by enemy fire in Iraq in 2003.
His tale of journalistic adventure was oft-repeated through the years by Williams – most recently at a NY Rangers game as NBC aired a tribute to one of the “combat-happy joes “ Command Sgt. Major Tim Terpack who protected the TV journo over there.
"The story actually started with a terrible moment a dozen years back during the invasion of Iraq when the helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by (a rocket propelled grenade)," Williams often said.
Stars & Stripes, the newspaper of record for GIs, had recently interviewed members of the chopper that fateful and they remembered it quite differently – Williams wasn’t onboard the chopper that was hit.
But after being caught Williams finally ‘fessed up, near the end of last night’s NBC national news telecast.
“I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago,” Williams admitted. “I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by (rocket propelled grenade) fire.
Instead, I was in the following aircraft,” he read off the teleprompter, appearing as earnest as ever.
Naturally, Twitter and social media exploded afterward with more than a few salvos targeting the disgraced news anchor at #BrianWilliamsRemembers.
