Brian Williams may have fibbed

[Box]

I witnessed his chopper being shot down first hand.
I had been out on a tip-top-secret scouting mission in which we were all riding on winged unicorns. I was wearing my magic helmet so no one saw me...

...but I was totally there

[BryanK]

It's a damn shame what happened to that unicorn SGM

[PSM]

Funny, he told the truth back in 2003: ORIGINAL HELICOPTER REPORT FROM 2003

Pat

[Sigaba]

Mr. Williams may be able to explain to the satisfaction of some his conflation as a false or mistaken memory. President Reagan had a similar issue on 12 December 1983 during a convention of Medal of Honor recipients. President Reagan said:

And I found my memory going back to those things that I had read during the war, any one of them a thrilling story of heroism above and beyond the call of duty. But one in particular seemed appropriate at that time. A B-17 coming back across the channel from a raid over Europe, badly shot up by antiaircraft, the ball turret that hung underneath the belly of the plane had taken a hit. The young ball-turret gunner was wounded, and they couldn't get him out of the turret there while flying.

But over the channel, the plane began to lose altitude, and the commander had to order bail out. And as the men started to leave the plane, the last one to leave—the boy, understandably, knowing he was left behind to go down with the plane, cried out in terror—the last man to leave the plane saw the commander sit down on the floor. He took the boy's hand and said, "Never mind, son, we'll ride it down together." Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously awarded.

In fact, the president was describing a scene from the film A Wing and a Prayer (1944).*

IMO, regardless of what he now says, Mr. Williams is the managing editor of a nightly news program. He should hold himself accountable for the failure of what ever research/editorial/fact checking processes are in place in his shop.

_________________________________________________
*FWIW, the New York Times has given President Reagan a permanent pass on this mistake.

[Streck-Fu]

Mr. Williams may be able to explain to the satisfaction of some his conflation as a false or mistaken memory.

No. He. Can't.

He should hold himself accountable for the failure of what ever research/editorial/fact checking processes are in place in his shop.

His memory is a matter of research/editorial/fact checking processes?

I can actually excuse Reagan for incorrectly thinking he read an account about an event that was actually a movie scene which may have been similar. Reagan did not try to put himself in that bomber.

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

Mr. Williams may be able to explain to the satisfaction of some his conflation as a false or mistaken memory. President Reagan had a similar issue on 12 December 1983 during a convention of Medal of Honor recipients. President Reagan said:
In fact, the president was describing a scene from the film A Wing and a Prayer (1944).*

IMO, regardless of what he now says, Mr. Williams is the managing editor of a nightly news program. He should hold himself accountable for the failure of what ever research/editorial/fact checking processes are in place in his shop.

_________________________________________________
*FWIW, the New York Times has given President Reagan a permanent pass on this mistake.

This is the last time you go tit for tat on this website. You know as well as I do that this is like comparing apples to oranges.

And yeah, I'm a "self" appointed "expert" on stolen valor.

President Reagan was not attempting to steal unearned valor.

Consider yourself warned.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Streck-Fu

His memory is a matter of research/editorial/fact checking processes?

Not his memory, but his statements that were based upon his memory.

That is, before the clip got posted (as in published) on NBC Nightly News's Facebook page, it might have/should have been scrubbed by worker bees for accuracy. Such a process might have (should have) led someone to looking at the report Williams filed in 2003, and then picking up the phone and making a call.

[Streck-Fu]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

Not his memory, but his statements that were based upon his memory.

Seriously?

A research intern needs to remind Mr. Williams that he actually wasn't in a helicopter that was shot down?

What about this 2013 recount: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCkA1cgQStE

[CDRODA396]

First he lies, then lies about the lie. Nothing to see here...If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor....Hell I have more respect for Jimmy Swaggart and his pathetic apology when he got caught sinning with an evil woman of ill repute...he owned it, cried a little and all is forgiven.

"I have sinned against You, my Lord, and I would ask that Your Precious Blood would wash and cleanse every stain until it is in the seas of God's forgetfulness, not to be remembered against me anymore."

This clown wont even have to go through the motions....in 10 minutes another sound bite will come along and all will be forgotten...the American public....

[Divemaster]

Both FOX and CNN have given due air time to this story, so the coverage is "fair and balanced". Brian Williams is a douche. I remember pretty much every event (in vivid color) during my brief and less than "S**L Combat Memoir" worthy combat experience. I remember that the the vehicle behind mine was the one with the most damage (no injuries) and that mine took a single piece of frag through the ass end. Even 40 years from now I won't magically transport myself into the vehicle that got hit and become my junior 18B in the turret who shouted, "I felt that one in my balls!"

Brian Williams, that's the difference. My 20-something Special Forces Weapons Sergeant actually had balls.

[bluebb]

[Richard]

This is a pretty good piece which should 'tweak' the sensibilities of the Fourth Estate, in particular, and JQP, in general.

Brian Williams’s Mistake
Ken Auletta, NYer, 5 Feb 2015

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-d...intcid=mod-yml

And on the lighter side:

The Fact-Checked Adventures of Brian Williams
Andy Borowitz, NYer, 5 Feb 2015

The fact-checking department at NBC News has verified that the following anecdotes told by Brian Williams actually happened.

1. In August of 2003, I boarded a helicopter to Steven Spielberg’s house in East Hampton. Once we were up in the air, I was alarmed to discover that there was no bottled water on board. I commanded the pilot to make an emergency landing.

2. In November of 2007, I boarded a Cadillac Escalade to attend the annual gala of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Not until I arrived at my destination did I realize that the driver had closed the door on my Armani coat. I was able to have it successfully dry-cleaned, but that was a close one.

3. In March of 1998, I fell asleep on my tanning bed. I could have been burnt to a crisp. Fortunately, I woke up in the nick of time, but the people at the spa had needlessly endangered me. I started going to a new spa.

4. In May of 2011, the elevator in my building suffered an equipment malfunction en route to my penthouse. I was stuck talking to a tax attorney for seven minutes before I was rescued.

5. While in Sochi for the Olympics last year, I ordered dinner from room service. I don’t know if it was the oysters or the caviar, but something had gone bad. I was hurling all night.

6. In December of last year, I had to attend a live broadcast of “Peter Pan.” It was worse than I expected, but I was trapped for two hours with no way out.

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borow...d-most-popular

Richard

[Last hard class]

Originally Posted by CDRODA396

Jimmy Swaggart and his pathetic apology

"I have sinned against You, my Lord, and I would ask that Your Precious Blood would wash and cleanse every stain until it is in the seas of God's forgetfulness, not to be remembered against me anymore."

Man, that is one low threshold you have chosen for the apology bar

As I recall, he didn't actually admit to what he did during his apology. Just admitted he had sinned. Trying to save his TV show ( cash flow) until the end. Then again, maybe I'm just the cynical type. Especially when it comes to people asking me to send them money.


LHC

[abc_123]

Dude,

Jimmy Swaqgart! I remember flipping channels and getting sucked in listening to him before going WTF am I doing? That dude was a real pro!

[PSM]

Lying Williams is on the CMOH Foundation's Board of Directors: CMOHF The last name on the list.

Pat