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| Brian Williams faces fierce mockery after recanting Iraq war story | Brian Williams faces fierce mockery after recanting Iraq war story |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| NBC News anchor Brian Williams faced swift, and often harsh and sarcastic, reaction Wednesday after he recanted a story that he was aboard an Army helicopter that was hit with enemy fire in Iraq and forced to land. | NBC News anchor Brian Williams faced swift, and often harsh and sarcastic, reaction Wednesday after he recanted a story that he was aboard an Army helicopter that was hit with enemy fire in Iraq and forced to land. |
| The longtime NBC News journalist apologized in an interview with Stars & Stripes, saying he had “misremembered” what happened. He was actually in another nearby helicopter. | The longtime NBC News journalist apologized in an interview with Stars & Stripes, saying he had “misremembered” what happened. He was actually in another nearby helicopter. |
| “I would not have chosen to make this mistake,” Williams told the newspaper. “I don’t know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another.” | “I would not have chosen to make this mistake,” Williams told the newspaper. “I don’t know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another.” |
| [RELATED: Why war reporters can't stand the Brian Williams scandal] | |
| The story drew immediate scorn online, where critics — including veterans and retired baseball star Curt Schilling — questioned how it would have been possible to make that mistake. The incident, said to have occurred during the early days of the Iraq war in 2003, drew new scrutiny after soldiers on the helicopters Williams referred to said he wasn’t there after NBC News featured on Friday a story crediting Command Sgt. Maj. Tim Terpak with keeping the newsman safe “after their Chinook helicopter was hit and crippled by enemy fire.” | The story drew immediate scorn online, where critics — including veterans and retired baseball star Curt Schilling — questioned how it would have been possible to make that mistake. The incident, said to have occurred during the early days of the Iraq war in 2003, drew new scrutiny after soldiers on the helicopters Williams referred to said he wasn’t there after NBC News featured on Friday a story crediting Command Sgt. Maj. Tim Terpak with keeping the newsman safe “after their Chinook helicopter was hit and crippled by enemy fire.” |
| The story spawned two hashtags, #BrianWilliamsMisremembers and #BrianWilliamsWarStories, devoted to mocking the anchor. Others questioned whether he should keep his job. Here’s a sampling: | The story spawned two hashtags, #BrianWilliamsMisremembers and #BrianWilliamsWarStories, devoted to mocking the anchor. Others questioned whether he should keep his job. Here’s a sampling: |
| http://t.co/Crfsp63uES how on earth is this guy not fired? — Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) February 4, 2015 | http://t.co/Crfsp63uES how on earth is this guy not fired? — Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) February 4, 2015 |
| http://t.co/Crfsp63uES how on earth is this guy not fired? | http://t.co/Crfsp63uES how on earth is this guy not fired? |
| — Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) February 4, 2015 | — Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) February 4, 2015 |
| This Brian Williams RPG story reminds me of the one time I was wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad — Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) February 4, 2015 | This Brian Williams RPG story reminds me of the one time I was wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad — Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) February 4, 2015 |
| This Brian Williams RPG story reminds me of the one time I was wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad — Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) February 4, 2015 | This Brian Williams RPG story reminds me of the one time I was wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad — Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) February 4, 2015 |
| Hey folks, let’s leave @BWilliams alone. I, too, have trouble remember details of places I’ve served. Like Gettysburg… — Tommy (@FirstTeamTommy) February 4, 2015 | Hey folks, let’s leave @BWilliams alone. I, too, have trouble remember details of places I’ve served. Like Gettysburg… — Tommy (@FirstTeamTommy) February 4, 2015 |
| Hey folks, let’s leave @BWilliams alone. I, too, have trouble remember details of places I’ve served. Like Gettysburg… — Tommy (@FirstTeamTommy) February 4, 2015 | Hey folks, let’s leave @BWilliams alone. I, too, have trouble remember details of places I’ve served. Like Gettysburg… — Tommy (@FirstTeamTommy) February 4, 2015 |
| Brian Williams has announced that, despite his recollections, he was not on the Titanic. He saw the film and was confused. cc @andyedelson — Daniel Wright (@DanSWright) February 4, 2015 | Brian Williams has announced that, despite his recollections, he was not on the Titanic. He saw the film and was confused. cc @andyedelson — Daniel Wright (@DanSWright) February 4, 2015 |
| Brian Williams has announced that, despite his recollections, he was not on the Titanic. He saw the film and was confused. cc @andyedelson — Daniel Wright (@DanSWright) February 4, 2015 | Brian Williams has announced that, despite his recollections, he was not on the Titanic. He saw the film and was confused. cc @andyedelson — Daniel Wright (@DanSWright) February 4, 2015 |
| Dear Brian Williams: Getting hit by RPG fire is not something you oopsie get confused over or “conflate” because 12 yrs ago. Dude. — David Pleasant (@dpleasant) February 4, 2015 | Dear Brian Williams: Getting hit by RPG fire is not something you oopsie get confused over or “conflate” because 12 yrs ago. Dude. — David Pleasant (@dpleasant) February 4, 2015 |
| Dear Brian Williams: Getting hit by RPG fire is not something you oopsie get confused over or “conflate” because 12 yrs ago. Dude. — David Pleasant (@dpleasant) February 4, 2015 | Dear Brian Williams: Getting hit by RPG fire is not something you oopsie get confused over or “conflate” because 12 yrs ago. Dude. — David Pleasant (@dpleasant) February 4, 2015 |
| If MSM wants to maintain their illusion of credibility @BWilliams MUST be fired. — Mr. Wells (@clutch14) February 4, 2015 | If MSM wants to maintain their illusion of credibility @BWilliams MUST be fired. — Mr. Wells (@clutch14) February 4, 2015 |
| If MSM wants to maintain their illusion of credibility @BWilliams MUST be fired. — Mr. Wells (@clutch14) February 4, 2015 | If MSM wants to maintain their illusion of credibility @BWilliams MUST be fired. — Mr. Wells (@clutch14) February 4, 2015 |
| #BrianWilliamsMisremembers back when I was at the Daily Planet…. pic.twitter.com/VeDjfkTNRM — The Morning Spew (@TheMorningSpew) February 5, 2015 | #BrianWilliamsMisremembers back when I was at the Daily Planet…. pic.twitter.com/VeDjfkTNRM — The Morning Spew (@TheMorningSpew) February 5, 2015 |
| #BrianWilliamsMisremembers back when I was at the Daily Planet…. pic.twitter.com/VeDjfkTNRM | #BrianWilliamsMisremembers back when I was at the Daily Planet…. pic.twitter.com/VeDjfkTNRM |
| — The Morning Spew (@TheMorningSpew) February 5, 2015 | — The Morning Spew (@TheMorningSpew) February 5, 2015 |
| “So I told #leftshark ‘Don’t worry about the choreography, just go with it’” #BrianWilliamsMisremembers pic.twitter.com/NRM9GUYTPR — Dave Murray (@Michigandmurray) February 5, 2015 | |
| “So I told #leftshark ‘Don’t worry about the choreography, just go with it’” #BrianWilliamsMisremembers pic.twitter.com/NRM9GUYTPR | |
| — Dave Murray (@Michigandmurray) February 5, 2015 | — Dave Murray (@Michigandmurray) February 5, 2015 |
| #BrianWilliamsMisremembers #BrianWilliamsWarStories Brian in the trenches defending the world. pic.twitter.com/Lk1sJaXDwF — Яob (@robx_d) February 5, 2015 | #BrianWilliamsMisremembers #BrianWilliamsWarStories Brian in the trenches defending the world. pic.twitter.com/Lk1sJaXDwF — Яob (@robx_d) February 5, 2015 |
| #BrianWilliamsMisremembers #BrianWilliamsWarStories Brian in the trenches defending the world. pic.twitter.com/Lk1sJaXDwF | #BrianWilliamsMisremembers #BrianWilliamsWarStories Brian in the trenches defending the world. pic.twitter.com/Lk1sJaXDwF |
| — Яob (@robx_d) February 5, 2015 | — Яob (@robx_d) February 5, 2015 |
| “I quickly mounted the cannon ball, and rode it right back into the battle!” #BrianWilliamsMisremembers pic.twitter.com/gLc6g6kzjc — THE Chris Coon (@Coondawg68) February 4, 2015 | |
| “I quickly mounted the cannon ball, and rode it right back into the battle!” #BrianWilliamsMisremembers pic.twitter.com/gLc6g6kzjc | |
| — THE Chris Coon (@Coondawg68) February 4, 2015 | — THE Chris Coon (@Coondawg68) February 4, 2015 |