Exclusive: Pilots from Brian Williams story speak out — Transcript

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1. 0:03TODAY'S PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT
2. 0:05WHAT'S RELIABLE.
3. 0:06TV INDUSTRY TRANS FIXED BY WHAT
4. 0:09IS AN EXTRAORDINARY SCANDAL AT
5. 0:11ABC, IMPERILLING THE FACE OF
6. 0:14BRIAN WILLIAMS.
7. 0:15THE NEWS ANCHOR ADMITTED TO
8. 0:18EMBELLISHING A STORY ABOUT
9. 0:18COMING UNDER FIRE IN IRAQ IN
10. 0:202003.
11. 0:20THAT MATTERS BECAUSE, WELL,
12. 0:22BRIAN WILLIAMS -- LET ME PUT IT
13. 0:23THIS WAY.
14. 0:24THIS COUNTRY HAS NO WALTER
15. 0:27CRONKITE ANYMORE, BUT BRIAN
16. 0:28WILLIAMS IS THE CLOSEST THING TO
17. 0:30CRONKITE WE HAVE LEFT.
18. 0:31NOW HE HAS BENCHED HIMSELF, AS
19. 0:33ONE SOURCE SAID TO ME, WHILE NBC
20. 0:36FIGURES OUT WHAT IS TRUE AND
21. 0:37WHAT IS NOT TRUE.
22. 0:38HERE IS WHAT BRIAN WILLIAMS SAID
23. 0:40IN A STATEMENT YESTERDAY TO HIS
24. 0:42COLLEAGUES.
25. 0:43IT HAS BECOME PAINFULLY APPARENT
26. 0:45TO ME I'M TOO MUCH A PART OF THE
27. 0:47NEWS DUE TO MY ACTIONS.
28. 0:49AS EDITOR OF DAILY NEWS I'VE
29. 0:52DECIDED TO TAKE MY SELF OFF MY
30. 0:55DAILY BROADCAST.
31. 0:55HE WENT ON TO SAY I WILL
32. 0:57CONTINUE MY CAREER LONG EFFORT
33. 0:59TO BE WORTHY OF THE TRUST OF
34. 1:01THOSE WHO PLACE THEIR TRUST IN
35. 1:02US.
36. 1:03HE SAYS HE WILL BE BACK.
37. 1:04TO BE HONEST, OTHERS ARE NOT SO
38. 1:07SURE, EVEN SOME PEOPLE AT NBC
39. 1:08THIS MORNING.
40. 1:08HERE ARE THE LATEST
41. 1:09DEVELOPMENTS.
42. 1:10LESTER HOLT, WEEKEND "NIGHTLY
43. 1:12NEWS" ANCHOR WILL BE FILLING IN
44. 1:13FOR BRIAN WILLIAMS STARTING
45. 1:15TOMORROW.
46. 1:15IT'S UNCLEAR FOR HOW LONG.
47. 1:17MEANWHILE NBC'S INVESTIGATIVE
48. 1:19UNIT IS CHECKING ALL THE FACTS
49. 1:20TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT REALLY
50. 1:22HAPPENED IN IRAQ AND NEW
51. 1:23ORLEANS.
52. 1:24WE'LL GET TO THAT A LITTLE LATER
53. 1:25IN THE PROGRAM.
54. 1:26BRIAN WILLIAMS WAS SCHEDULED TO
55. 1:27BE ON THE "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID
56. 1:30LETTERMAN" THURSDAY.
57. 1:31CBS TELLS ME THAT'S GOING
58. 1:32FORWARD.
59. 1:33I'M TOLD BY A SOURCE CLOSE TO
60. 1:34BRIAN WILLIAMS IT'S ACTUALLY
61. 1:36UNDECIDED WHETHER HE WILL
62. 1:37APPEAR.
63. 1:38OUR EXPERTS HAVE A LOT TO SAY
64. 1:39WHETHER WILLIAMS -- AND I HATE
65. 1:41SAYING THESE WORDS -- WHETHER
66. 1:42WILLIAMS CAN SURVIVE THIS.
67. 1:44WE HAVE THE FIRST TV INTERVIEWS
68. 1:47OF TWO PILOTS THERE THAT DAY
69. 1:48WITH WILLIAMS.
70. 1:49ONE WHO FLEW WITH THE ANCHOR AND
71. 1:50ONE WHO ACTUALLY CAME UNDER
72. 1:52ATTACK.
73. 1:52BEFORE WE GET TO THEM, LET'S SEE
74. 1:55HOW THIS STORY EVOLVED FROM A
75. 1:58TRUTH TO A LIE.
76. 1:59THE FIRST REPORT WAS BROADCAST
77. 2:01JUST A WEEK OR SO AFTER THE
78. 2:02BEGINNING OF THE IRAQ WAR IN A
79. 2:04SEGMENT FOR NBC'S "DATELINE"
80. 2:07BRIAN WILLIAMS RECOUNT ADD
81. 2:08HARROWING INCIDENT UNDER FIRE.
82. 2:09THE DATE MARCH 26th, 2003.
83. 2:11>> OUR COLLEAGUE BRIAN WILLIAMS
84. 2:12IS BACK IN KUWAIT CITY TONIGHT
85. 2:15AFTER A CLOSE CALL IN THE SKIES
86. 2:18OVER IRAQ.
87. 2:19>> IN HIS REPORT WILLIAMS SAYS
88. 2:20HE WAS TRAVELING WITH A GROUP OF
89. 2:22FOUR ARMY HELICOPTERS IN KUWAIT,
90. 2:24LARGE ONES, CHINOOKS.
91. 2:25THEY CAN CARRY TROOPS AND IN
92. 2:28THIS CASE EQUIPMENT TO BUILD
93. 2:30BRIDGES IN IRAQ SO UNITS CAN
94. 2:33CROSS THE RIVER.
95. 2:33>> ON THE GROUND A CHINOOK AHEAD
96. 2:36OF US WAS ALMOST BLOWN OUT OF
97. 2:38THE SKY.
98. 2:40IT WAS A ROCKET PREPARED GRENADE
99. 2:41OR RPG.
100. 2:42>> AFTER THE ATTACK ALL FOUR
101. 2:45HELICOPTERS LANDED AND A
102. 2:47SANDSTORM GROUNDED THEM FOR TWO
103. 2:49DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.
104. 2:50ARMY SENT SOLDIERS TO GUARD THE
105. 2:52HELICOPTERS AS WELL AS THE TEAM.
106. 2:53IN THAT INITIAL REPORT HE MAKES
107. 2:56MO MENTION OF THE RPG ATTACK OR
108. 2:59HELICOPTER TAKES FIRE.
109. 3:00HE DOES SAY SOLDIERS TOLD HIM
110. 3:04THEY SAW FOUR WAEX WITH WHAT
111. 3:05LOOKS LIKE RPG.
112. 3:07>> WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE
113. 3:09NORTH OF THE INVASION.
114. 3:12WE WERE THE NORTHERNMOST IN
115. 3:14IRAQ.
116. 3:14>> OUR GOOD FRIEND BRIAN
117. 3:15WILLIAMS.
118. 3:16>> TEN YEARS TO THE DAY, MARCH
119. 3:1726th, 2013.
120. 3:19BRIAN WILLIAMS TOLD THAT TORE TO
121. 3:21DAVID LETTERMAN, EXCEPT THIS
122. 3:23TIME SAYING HE WAS ON ONE OF TWO
123. 3:26ARMY CHOPPERS THAT WERE HIT BOTH
124. 3:27BY RPGs AND SMALL ARMS FIRE.
125. 3:30>> TWO OF OUR FOUR HELICOPTERS
126. 3:32WERE HIT BY GROUND FIRE
127. 3:33INCLUDING THE ONE I WAS IN.
128. 3:35>> NO KIDDING.
129. 3:36>> RPG AND AK-47.
130. 3:38>> THE QUESTION IS WHAT EXACTLY
131. 3:39HAPPENED IN THOSE 10 YEARS TO
132. 3:41MAKE WILLIAMS CHANGE HIS STORY?
133. 3:43AS WITH ALL WAR STORIES, IT'S
134. 3:46COMPLICATED.
135. 3:46WILLIAMS VERSION SLOWLY EVOLVED.
136. 3:48A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE
137. 3:50HELICOPTER INCIDENT, NBC NEWS
138. 3:52PUBLISHED THIS BOOK, "OPERATION
139. 3:55IRAQUI FREEDOM."
140. 3:55IN IT THE ACCOUNT IS VAGUE, NO
141. 3:58MENTION OF WHICH HELICOPTER WAS
142. 3:59ATTACKED OR WHERE EXACTLY IT
143. 4:01TOOK PLACE.
144. 4:02THE STORY DIDN'T RESURFACE UNTIL
145. 4:04A FEW YEARS LATER WHEN WILLIAMS
146. 4:05RETURNED TO IRAQ.
147. 4:06IN A BLOG POST IN 2007 WILLIAMS
148. 4:08CELEBRATED THE LIFE OF WAYNE
149. 4:11DOWNEY, A RETIRED GENERAL, NBC
150. 4:16ANALYST IN THE HELICOPTER.
151. 4:18WILLIAMS REFERENCED THE IRAQ
152. 4:19INCIDENT AGAIN.
153. 4:20SOME MEN ON THE GROUND FIRED RPG
154. 4:23THROUGH THE TAIL ROTOR IN FRONT
155. 4:24OF US, WILLIAMS WROTE.
156. 4:26SMALL ARMS FIRE A CHOPPER PILOT
157. 4:28TOOK A BULLET THROUGH THE
158. 4:31EARLOBE.
159. 4:31ALL FOUR DROPPED THEIR LOADS AND
160. 4:33LANDED QUICKLY AND HARD.
161. 4:35WILLIAMS OBITUARY FOR DOWNING
162. 4:37BEGAN WITH THE INCIDENT.
163. 4:38IT LEFT THE IMPRESSION WILLIAMS
164. 4:40AND THE GENERAL WERE FORCED DOWN
165. 4:42BY ENEMY FIRE.
166. 4:44>> WHEN THE CHINOOK HELICOPTERS
167. 4:46WE WERE TRAMPLING IN AT THE
168. 4:47START OF THE IRAQ WAR WERE FIRED
169. 4:49ON AND FORCED DOWN FOR THREE
170. 4:51DAYS IN A STRETCH OF HOSTILE
171. 4:53DESERT.
172. 4:53>> IN 2008 IN A DIFFERENT BLOG
173. 4:55POST WILLIAMS ADD ADD NEW
174. 4:58DETAIL.
175. 4:59THIS TIME ALL FOUR TOOK FIRE.
176. 5:02ALL FOUR TOOK FIRE.
177. 5:03WE WERE FORCED DOWN AND STAYED
178. 5:04DOWN.
179. 5:05THEN IN 2013 TO MARK THE 10th
180. 5:06ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF THE
181. 5:08IRAQ WAR, WILLIAMS WENT ON THE
182. 5:10LETTERMAN SHOW.
183. 5:11HE ALSO TALKED WITH ACTOR ALEC
184. 5:13BALDWIN ABOUT IT FOR A RADIO
185. 5:16PODCAST.
186. 5:16INSTEAD OF JUST WRITING ABOUT
187. 5:19IT, HE WAS TELLING THE STORY OF
188. 5:20BULLETS FIRED INTO HIS
189. 5:22HELICOPTER.
190. 5:22>> I'VE DONE SOME RIDICULOUSLY
191. 5:25STUPID THINGS LIKE BEING IN A
192. 5:26HELICOPTER I HAVE NO BUSINESS
193. 5:29BEING IN IN IRAQ WITH BULLETS
194. 5:31COMING INTO THE AIRFRAME.
195. 5:32>> DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD DIE?
196. 5:35>> BRIEFLY.
197. 5:36SURE.
198. 5:36>> AND THEN THIS, JUST ABOUT 10
199. 5:38DAYS AGO WHEN WILLIAMS WAS AT A
200. 5:41NEW YORK RANGERS HOCKEY GAME AND
201. 5:42AND WITH ARMY SERGEANT MAJOR IN
202. 5:44IRAQ AND WITH THE HELICOPTER
203. 5:45UNIT AT THE TIME.
204. 5:47THE SOLDIER HAD HELPED PROTECT
205. 5:48WILLIAMS AND HIS TEAM.
206. 5:49NOW A BIG CHANGE IN THE STORY.
207. 5:51THIS IS HOW HE TOLD IT ON NBC
208. 5:53"NIGHTLY NEWS."
209. 5:54>> THE STORY ACTUALLY STARTED
210. 5:55WITH A TERRIBLE MOMENT A DOZEN
211. 5:57YEARS BACK DURING THE INVASION
212. 5:59OF IRAQ WHEN THE HELICOPTER WE
213. 6:01WERE TRAVELING IN WAS FORCED
214. 6:02DOWN AFTER BEING HIT BY AN RPG.
215. 6:05>> THE PREVIOUS VERSION EVOLVED
216. 6:07TO ALL FOUR CHOPPERS BEING FIRED
217. 6:09ON.
218. 6:09THIS LATEST ONE ADDED THE RPG.
219. 6:12SOME SOLDIERS WHO ALSO WERE
220. 6:14THERE BEGAN SPEAKING OUT SAYING
221. 6:15ON FACEBOOK THEY HAD NO MEMORY
222. 6:18OF WILLIAMS BEING ON THE ONE
223. 6:19CHOPPER THAT DID TAKE A
224. 6:21ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE.
225. 6:22WERE ALL THE HELICOPTERS TOLD TO
226. 6:24LAND BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN FIRED
227. 6:25UPON OR WAS IT BECAUSE OF THAT
228. 6:29SANDSTORM?
229. 6:30TRUTH IS A TRICKY THING IN WAR.
230. 6:33NOW LET'S HEAR EXACTLY WHAT
231. 6:34HAPPENED ON THE HELICOPTER THAT
232. 6:35ACTUALLY TOOK RPG AND SMALL ARMS
233. 6:38FIRE.
234. 6:38DON HELES WAS ONE OF THE PILOTS.
235. 6:41HE SAID HE NOTICED BRIAN
236. 6:43WILLIAMS INACCURATELY TELLING
237. 6:44THE STORY MORE THAN A DECADE AGO
238. 6:45AND WROTE TO NBC ABOUT IT.
239. 6:47HE ALSO SAYS HE NEVER HEARD
240. 6:48ANYTHING BACK.
241. 6:49HE'S SHARING HIS STORY FOR THE
242. 6:50FIRST TIME ON TELEVISION THIS
243. 6:52MORNING.
244. 6:52THANK YOU FOR CALLING IN FROM
245. 6:54ENTERPRISE, ALABAMA THIS
246. 6:55MORNING.
247. 6:55>> GOOD MORNING, BRIAN.
248. 6:56>> TELL ME, DO YOU KNOW WHERE
249. 6:59BRIAN WILLIAMS WAS AT THE MOMENT
250. 7:01YOUR HELICOPTER WAS HIT BY THE
251. 7:04RPG?
252. 7:04>> WELL, WE HAD A LOT GOING ON,
253. 7:06BUT I AM PRETTY SURE HE WAS NOT
254. 7:09IN OUR FLIGHT AT ALL.
255. 7:10>> MEANING HE MUST HAVE BEEN SO
256. 7:13FAR AWAY HE COULDN'T SEE THE
257. 7:14INCIDENT HAPPEN?
258. 7:15>> YES.
259. 7:16I MEAN, BECAUSE WE HAD TWO
260. 7:18UNITS, EACH HAD A DIFFERENT
261. 7:21MISSION.
262. 7:22THEY ARE SEPARATED BY TIME.
263. 7:25THEIR DESTINATION MAY BE
264. 7:26DIFFERENT FROM WHAT OUR
265. 7:31DESTINATION IS.
266. 7:35IT CAN PUT TIME BETWEEN THE TWO
267. 7:37ARTHRITIS AS THEY ARE HEADING UP
268. 7:38NORTH.
269. 7:38>> WHEN IS THE FIRST TIME YOU
270. 7:40EVER HEARD BRIAN WILLIAMS
271. 7:42DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED
272. 7:45INACCURATELY?
273. 7:46>> WHEN I HAD RETURNED BACK TO
274. 7:48KUWAIT FOR REPAIRS ON THE
275. 7:51AIRCRAFT, A FRIEND OF MINE HAD
276. 7:55ALERTED ME OF THE STORY AND
277. 7:57BASICALLY ASKED ME IF WE HAD
278. 7:59BRIAN WILLIAMS ON OUR FLIGHT
279. 8:01WHICH I TOLD HIM NOT -- WE DID
280. 8:04NOT.
281. 8:04AND THEN HE SHOWED ME A VIDEO OF
282. 8:08IT ON THE INTERNET, BECAUSE AT
283. 8:10THE TIME THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME
284. 8:11I HAD SEEN INTERNET IN A WHILE.
285. 8:13>> SO YOU WERE IN KUWAIT, THIS
286. 8:17WAS, WHAT, APRIL 2003?
287. 8:19IT WAS VERY EARLY IN THE IRAQ
288. 8:20WAR?
289. 8:20>> YES.
290. 8:21LIKE WE SAID, AFTER THE
291. 8:23SANDSTORM WE HAD JUST GOTTEN
292. 8:25BACK.
293. 8:25OUR AIRCRAFT HAD TO GO INTO
294. 8:27MAINTENANCE FOR ABOUT TWO OR
295. 8:28THREE WEEKS.
296. 8:28>> THIS IS CRUCIAL, MR. HELUS,
297. 8:32BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE TIME
298. 8:33LINE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT FORTH
299. 8:34PAST SEARCH DAYS, IT WASN'T
300. 8:36UNTIL ABOUT 2007 THAT BRIAN
301. 8:38WILLIAMS BEGAN TO EMBELLISH THE
302. 8:40STORY ABOUT BEING NEARBY OR ON
303. 8:41THE CHOPPER THAT WAS STRUCK BY
304. 8:43RPG.
305. 8:43YOU'RE SAYING YOU HEARD IT ON
306. 8:47TELEVISION IN 2003?
307. 8:47>> I'M SAYING I HEARD IT ON THE
308. 8:50INTERNET THAT WAS AN INTERVIEW.
309. 8:52>> AN INTERNET VIDEO OF THE
310. 8:54TELEVISION SEGMENT?
311. 8:56YEAH.
312. 8:56>> YES.
313. 8:57>> SO TO BE CLEAR, THERE'S A TOM
314. 9:00BROKAW INTERVIEW OF BRIAN
315. 9:02WILLIAMS A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THE
316. 9:04INCIDENT WHERE HE DOES SEEM TO
317. 9:06ACCURATELY SAY IT HAPPENED TO A
318. 9:07DIFFERENT CHOPPER OTHER THAN HIS
319. 9:08OWN.
320. 9:09WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S OTHERS
321. 9:11IN THE ARCHIVES FROM 2003 WHERE
322. 9:14BRIAN WILLIAMS GOES FURTHER.
323. 9:15UNFORTUNATELY RECORDS OF THOSE
324. 9:16TIMES ARE INCOMPLETE.
325. 9:18THERE WRNT TRANSCRIPTS OF EVERY
326. 9:20SEGMENT ON NBC OR MSNBC SO WE
327. 9:23HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE
328. 9:24VIDEO YOU SAW.
329. 9:26YOU WROTE TO NBC, AND WHAT DID
330. 9:28YOU SAY WHEN YOU WROTE IN?
331. 9:29>> I WROTE TO MSNBC AT THE TIME
332. 9:31BECAUSE THAT WAS THE WEBSITE I
333. 9:34WENT TO.
334. 9:34>> I'M SORRY.
335. 9:35I WAS JUST GOING TO TELL OUR
336. 9:37VIEWERS AT HOME, AT THE TIME
337. 9:39MSNBC.COM WAS THE WEBSITE FOR
338. 9:40NBC NEWS, SO THAT'S WHY YOU WENT
339. 9:43TO MSNBC.COM.
340. 9:46>> CORRECT.
341. 9:46>> AND YOU WROTE TO NBC TO DO
342. 9:48WHAT?
343. 9:49TO GET THEM TO CORRECT IT?
344. 9:50>> JUST TO ALERT THEM THAT THE
345. 9:54FACTS WERE INCORRECT, BECAUSE,
346. 9:56YOU KNOW, STATING MR. WILLIAMS
347. 9:58WAS NOT PART OF OUR FLIGHT.
348. 10:01HE WAS IN A DIFFERENT FLIGHT.
349. 10:04>> IN 2007 AT FAIRFIELD
350. 10:07UNIVERSITY, CONNECTICUT, BRIAN
351. 10:08WILLIAMS SAID A DIFFERENT
352. 10:09VERSION OF THE STORY.
353. 10:09I WANT TO PLAY THAT SOUND BITE
354. 10:11FOR YOU AND GET YOUR REACTION.
355. 10:14>> A FEW YEARS BEFORE THAT YOU
356. 10:15GO BACK TO IRAQ AND I LOOK DOWN
357. 10:17THE TUBE OF AN RPG THAT HAD BEEN
358. 10:20FIRED AT US, AND IT HIT THE
359. 10:22CHOPPER IN FRONT OF OURS.
360. 10:24>> IS IT POSSIBLE HE WAS ABLE TO
361. 10:26LOOK DOWN THE TUBE OF A
362. 10:28ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE
363. 10:30LAUNCHER?
364. 10:31>> I GUESS IF HE'S THAT CLOSE,
365. 10:33THEN HE'S GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS.
366. 10:35THE ONLY THING YOU SEE COMING
367. 10:37OFF OF AN RPG WAS THE SMOKE
368. 10:41TRAIL AND EXPLOSION.
369. 10:42LIKE I SAID, IF YOU'RE THAT
370. 10:46CLOSE, YOU HAVE BAD LUCK.
371. 10:47>> I'M TRYING TO KEEP AN OPEN
372. 10:49MIND ABOUT BRIAN WILLIAMS.
373. 10:51I HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY BRIAN
374. 10:53WILLIAMS FOR YEARS.
375. 10:54I'VE ADMIRED HIM FOR YEARS.
376. 10:56I WONDER IF YOU ADMIRE HIM?
377. 10:57I WONDER HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT HIM
378. 11:00GIVEN YOU TRIED TO CONTACT NBC
379. 11:01ABOUT THIS SO LONG AGO?
380. 11:04>> I TRY TO KEEP AN UNBIASED
381. 11:07OPINION ON HIM.
382. 11:10GRANTED WE HAVE EMBELLISHERS IN
383. 11:12THE MILITARY, WE HAVE THEM IN
384. 11:13THE CIVILIAN WORLD THAT TRY TO,
385. 11:18I GUESS, TELL A STORY OF THEIR
386. 11:21WAR MEDALS AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR
387. 11:24TIME IN COMBAT.
388. 11:25WE HAVE THE SAME THING IN -- I
389. 11:28ASSUME YOU AS JOURNALISTS HAVE
390. 11:31THE SAME IN YOURS.
391. 11:34THE FACT IS THAT MR. WILLIAMS
392. 11:37WASN'T IN OR NEAR OUR AIRCRAFT
393. 11:42AT THE TIME.
394. 11:42IT SADDENS ME THAT YOU HAVE SO
395. 11:45MANY OTHER COMBAT JOURNALISTS
396. 11:47OUT THERE THAT ARE IN THAT TYPE
397. 11:49OF SITUATION.
398. 11:54YOU KNOW, SEEING THOSE THINGS
399. 11:57HAPPEN.
400. 11:57MORE THAN LIKELY, THEY PROBABLY
401. 11:59DON'T TELL THE STORY LIKE THAT,
402. 12:02YOU KNOW, WITH EMBELLISHMENT.
403. 12:04>> MR. HELUS, THANK YOU FOR
404. 12:08BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.
405. 12:10>> THANK YOU.
406. 12:11>> BRIAN WILLIAMS SAYS WHAT
407. 12:12HAPPENED WAS AN INNOCENT SERIES
408. 12:13OF MISTAKES.
409. 12:14SO WHERE WAS HE THAT DAY?
410. 12:16WELL, HE WAS ON BOARD ANOTHER
411. 12:17CHOPPER IN IRAQ.
412. 12:19HE WAS TAKING A RISK BY BEING
413. 12:22EMBEDDED WITH THE TROOPS.
414. 12:23HE WAS NOT ON THE CHOPPER THAT
415. 12:25WAS HIT.
416. 12:25THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE SOLDIERS
417. 12:26ON BOARD THAT CHOPPER AS YOU
418. 12:28HEARD FROM MR. HELUS.
419. 12:31NOW FOR HIS FIRST TV INTERVIEW A
420. 12:33PILOT OF WILLIAMS IS SPEAKING
421. 12:35OUT.
422. 12:35HE JOINED ME EARLIER FROM
423. 12:39MINNEAPOLIS.
424. 12:39CHIEF ALLAN KELLY, THANKS FOR
425. 12:41JOINING ME.
426. 12:42>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
427. 12:43>> IS IT RIGHT TO SAY BRIAN
428. 12:45WILLIAMS WAS ABOARD YOUR
429. 12:48HELICOPTER AND NOT ABOARD THE
430. 12:49HELICOPTER SHOT AT IN IRAQ THAT
431. 12:53DAY?
432. 12:54>> THAT'S CORRECT.
433. 12:54HE WAS ABOARD MY AIRCRAFT THAT
434. 12:56DAY IN MARCH.
435. 12:59>> WHAT WAS YOUR AIRCRAFT DOING?
436. 13:01WAS IT EVER WITHIN SIGHT OF THE
437. 13:05CHINOOK THAT WAS SHOT AT?
438. 13:09>> MY AIRCRAFT WITH CHALK ONE,
439. 13:10FLIGHT OF TWO CHINOOKS CARRYING
440. 13:13BRIDGE PIECES TO THE EUPHRATES.
441. 13:15WE WERE AFRAID THEY WERE GOOGLE
442. 13:16TO BLOW THE BRIDGES AND WE
443. 13:18WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIRD ID HAD
444. 13:19THE CAPABILITY OF CROSSING THE
445. 13:23EUPHRATES.
446. 13:24AS FAR AS CHINOOK THAT WAS SHOT
447. 13:26DOWN, WE WERE NOT WITHIN VISUAL
448. 13:29RANGE OF THEM.
449. 13:30THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE ALMOST ON
450. 13:31TOP OF US WITH THE SANDSTORM WE
451. 13:33WERE FLYING THROUGH TO GET UP
452. 13:35THERE.
453. 13:35>> WHAT SORT OF DISTANCE WAS
454. 13:37THERE BETWEEN YOUR HELICOPTER
455. 13:38WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS ABOARD AND
456. 13:39THE HELICOPTER THAT DID TAKE
457. 13:41FIRE?
458. 13:41>> THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO
459. 13:43ASCERTAIN.
460. 13:44WE BOTH TOOK OFF IN SEPARATE
461. 13:48CEREALS.
462. 13:49THE BIG WINDY CREW MY
463. 13:50UNDERSTANDING TWO AIRCRAFT AND
464. 13:51THEY HOOKED UP WITH THEIR LOADS
465. 13:53AHEAD OF US.
466. 13:54INITIALLY WE WERE PROBABLY A
467. 13:56HALF HOUR BEHIND THEM.
468. 13:57BUT WITH THE SANDSTORMS, THE
469. 13:58WEATHER WE RAN INTO, WE HAD TO
470. 14:00SLOW UP.
471. 14:00I'M SURE THEY DID AS WELL.
472. 14:03SO IT'S ANYBODY'S GUESS THE
473. 14:06EXACT DISTANCE BUT I'D SAY
474. 14:07PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 15
475. 14:08AND 30 MINUTES.
476. 14:09>> DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE
477. 14:10THAT WILLIAMS AND HIS CREW
478. 14:12THOUGHT THEY WERE BEING SHOT AT?
479. 14:13IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED
480. 14:14ON YOUR FLIGHT THAT MADE IT SEEM
481. 14:16LIKE THERE WAS AN ATTACK?
482. 14:23>> THING IS POSSIBLE.
483. 14:25THEY ARE SITTING IN THE BACK.
484. 14:26I DON'T REMEMBER IF THEY WERE
485. 14:28HOOKED UP ON HEADSETS AND COULD
486. 14:30HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON.
487. 14:32WE HAD A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON
488. 14:33IN THE RADIOS.
489. 14:34WE HAD AIRCRAFT CALLING FOR
490. 14:36HELP, BEING SHOT DOWN, BIG WINDY
491. 14:38BEING ONE OF THEM.
492. 14:39SO MR. WILLIAMS IN THE BACK,
493. 14:40HE'S FREE TO LOOK OUT THE
494. 14:45WINDOWS BACK THERE.
495. 14:48HE WOULDN'T SEE MUCH.
496. 14:49IF HE WAS ON HEADSETS AND HEARD
497. 14:51RADIO CALLS OVER GUARD, IT'S
498. 14:53POSSIBLE HE COULD HAVE THOUGHT
499. 14:54THAT, I SUPPOSE.
500. 14:55>> I DO WANT TO GIVE HIM AND HIS
501. 14:57CREW THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
502. 14:59HERE, BUT SINCE YOU'VE HEARD THE
503. 15:01APOLOGY HE GAVE ON AIR.
504. 15:04HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE KPANLG
505. 15:06REAGANS?
506. 15:06ARE YOU PERSONALLY OFFENDED BY
507. 15:09IT?
508. 15:09>> I DON'T MAKE ANY JUDGMENTS ON
509. 15:11THAT.
510. 15:11EVERYBODY HAS TO LIVE WITH THE
511. 15:13LIFE THEY CHOOSE TO LEAD.
512. 15:15I WAS THERE TO DO A JOB, PART OF
513. 15:17A VOLUNTEER ARMY.
514. 15:18I DID MY JOB.
515. 15:19PART OF THAT MISSION WAS TO
516. 15:21CARRY MR. WILLIAMS AND HIS CREW
517. 15:23WITH HIM UP TO BE OBJECTIVE
518. 15:26RAMS.
519. 15:26IF HE MADE MISTAKES, I MEAN,
520. 15:30WE'RE ALL HUMAN.
521. 15:32BUT I MAKE NO JUDGMENTS ON HIM
522. 15:34IN THAT REGARD.
523. 15:34>> CHIEF KELLY, THANKS FOR
524. 15:36SHARING WHAT YOU REMEMBER THAT
525. 15:36DAY.
526. 15:37I APPRECIATE IT.
527. 15:38>> IT'S MY PLEASURE.
528. 15:39THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
529. 15:40>> NBC HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY
530. 15:42REQUEST FOR COMMENT ABOUT THESE
531. 15:44SOLDIER'S ACCOUNTS BUT NBC