#BrianWilliams Apologizes For Making Up Story About Helicopter Shot Down In Iraq

Brian Williams has apologized for reporting on a false story on January 30 about being on a helicopter that was forced down by fire during the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 (watch below). The 55-year-old news anchor admitted that he made up the story and apologized via Facebook on Wednesday after crew members of one of the Chinook helicopters that did get hit by rockets called him out after he repeated his false claim during a military tribute at last Friday’s New York #Rangers hockey game.

According to the crew, on the day in question in 2003, Brian arrived about an hour after three Chinooks were forced to make emergency landings. It turned out that Brian's helicopter didn't take any fire, and landed next to a damaged vehicle due to a sandstorm.

In a post via Facebook yesterday, Brian wrote:

“To Joseph, Lance, Jonathan, Pate, Michael and all those who have posted: You are absolutely right and I was wrong. In fact, I spent much of the weekend thinking I’d gone crazy. I feel terrible about making this mistake, especially since I found my OWN WRITING about the incident from back in ’08, and I was indeed on the Chinook behind the bird that took the RPG in the tail housing just above the ramp.”

“I have no desire to fictionalize my experience (we all saw it happened the first time) and no need to dramatize events as they actually happened, I think the constant viewing of the video showing us inspecting the impact area — and the fog of memory over 12 years — made me conflate the two, and I apologize. Later in the invasion when Gen. Downing and I reached Baghdad, I remember searching the parade grounds for Tim’s Bradley to no avail. My attempt to pay tribute to CSM Terpak was to honor his 23+ years in service to our nation, and it had been 12 years since I saw him."

"The ultimate irony is: In writing up the synopsis of the 2 nights and 3 days I spent with him in the desert, I managed to switch aircraft. Nobody’s trying to steal anyone’s valor. Quite the contrary: I was and remain a civilian journalist covering the stories of those who volunteered for duty. This was simply an attempt to thank Tim, our military and Veterans everywhere — those who have served while I did not.”