# Bill O'Reilly and his Falklands War experience **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 22, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359 "2015-02-22T18:08:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/1 "2015-02-22T18:08:49Z")
Since it has nearly derailed this thread on NBC’s Brian Williams: [Brian Williams Helicopter story: blowhard BS, but not a fireable offense - Great Debates - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748490) Have at it! ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/2 "2015-02-22T18:17:51Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Since it has nearly derailed this thread on NBC’s Brian Williams: [Brian Williams Helicopter story: blowhard BS, but not a fireable offense - Great Debates - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748490) > > Have at it! How can we debate something that does not exist. It is certain that he was never in the Falklands War, only ‘experiencing’ it in the way that any other individual outside the warzone experienced it. Does this matter? No. He is to news and truth as Pravda and Izvestia were. Propagandist, not a Journalist. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/3 "2015-02-22T18:39:22Z")
Lie-o-meter: Brian Williams 8 Bill O’Reilly 4 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/4 "2015-02-22T18:40:41Z")
I’m not going through that other thread, so maybe someone can establish this: Did either Williams or O’Reilly report significantly false information when acting as reporters, or was it only while they were acting as entertainers? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/5 "2015-02-22T18:53:37Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Lie-o-meter: > > Brian Williams 8 > > Bill O’Reilly 4 I disagree (but that’s okay). I think we can both agree that on the “response-o-meter”, Williams’ ‘I’m terribly sorry and terribly embarrassed’ is far more honorable than O’Reilly’s ‘left-wing media haters are out to get me!’. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/6 "2015-02-22T19:02:55Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Lie-o-meter: > > Brian Williams 8 > > Bill O’Reilly 4 I agree with this. But, Bill O’Reilly went after Brian Williams for his lies, so I add him some additional “hypocrite” points. Similar to how I don’t care of some guy gets a hummer in a bathroom stall, but if he is an anti-gay politician, it becomes more interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/7 "2015-02-22T19:05:23Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think we can both agree that on the “response-o-meter”, Williams’ ‘I’m terribly sorry and terribly embarrassed’ is far more honorable than O’Reilly’s ‘left-wing media haters are out to get me!’. Definitely. But only a fool would ever expect a monstrous egoist like O’Reilly to ever admit error. The guy is a machine of self-assuredness, well beyond the point of fault. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/8 "2015-02-22T19:17:21Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > IBill O’Reilly went after Brian Williams for his lies… Did he? I honestly don’t know as I don’t watch FoxNews and am not up on the history of BO’s comments about BW. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/9 "2015-02-22T19:29:10Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Did he? I honestly don’t know as I don’t watch FoxNews and am not up on the history of BO’s comments about BW. Yeah, back on February 11, O’Reilly spent a few minutes blasting Williams, which is probably what prompted Corn’s _Mother Jones_ article the next week. Regarding the “4” and “8” grades, above: Williams falsely claimed to have been shot at; O’Reilly claimed to have been a hero while falsely claiming that he had been shot at. I would reverse the grades given. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/10 "2015-02-22T19:31:19Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Yeah, back on February 11, O’Reilly spent a few minutes blasting Williams Do you have a link to the source? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/11 "2015-02-22T19:35:34Z")
My quick google search found this: > [@](#): > > [**Bill O’Reilly Defends Brian Williams**](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/10/bill-oreilly-brian-williams-jimmy-kimmel_n_6653428.html) > > Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly spoke out in defense of Brian Williams on Monday night following the growing controversy around the NBC News anchor fabricating a story. > > \ > > O’Reilly defended Williams on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” telling the audience that the anchor “made a mistake,” and shaking his finger at anyone getting satisfaction from his downfall. > > “Anybody who is enjoying the destruction of this man, you gotta look at yourself,” O’Reilly said. “There’s a lot of people saying that they’re really happy his career is going down the drain. That disturbs me.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/12 "2015-02-22T20:04:51Z")
Well, O’Reilly’s lying certainly lets Brian Williams off the hook. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/13 "2015-02-22T20:08:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Do you have a link to the source? [http://www.hulu.com/watch/750109#i0,p0,d1](http://www.hulu.com/watch/750109#i0,p0,d1) ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/14 "2015-02-22T20:20:45Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > [http://www.hulu.com/watch/750109#i0,p0,d1](http://www.hulu.com/watch/750109#i0,p0,d1) Transcript: > **[Why the Brian Williams Story Is Important for America - Talking Points Memo -...](https://www.billoreilly.com/b/Why-the-Brian-Williams-Story-Is-Important-for-America/-756063959256727968.html)** > > Why the Brian Williams Story Is Important for America >   >   >   ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/15 "2015-02-22T20:51:15Z")
Today’s edition of \*Reliable Sources \*(CNN, 11am EST) filled in a lot of the gaps, and answered many questions asked in this and the other thread about O’Reilly’s movements during the period in question. Host Brian Stelter talked to as many of O’Reilly’s CBS colleagues from the Falklands War days as would give statements, and/or appear on camera. He also had a compendium of clips of O’Reilly’s claims about that time, as recorded over the years. I don’t see the entire show up on video yet, but here are some snippets and descriptions: > **[On CNN's Reliable Sources, Media Critics Dissect O'Reilly's Politicization Of...](https://www.mediamatters.org/bill-oreilly/cnns-reliable-sources-media-critics-dissect-oreillys-politicization-criticism-his)** > > From the February 22 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources: > **[Bill O'Reilly in 2008: I had an M16 pointed at my head | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/02/22/rs-stelter-intv-bts-engberg-new-bill-oreilly-video.cnn)** > > As 2008 video of Fox News’ host Bill O’Reilly’s claim about unrest in Argentina surfaces, a former CBS colleague who was also there disputes his account. [http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com/](http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com/) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/16 "2015-02-22T21:00:23Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > IBut, Bill O’Reilly went after Brian Williams for his lies, so I add him some additional “hypocrite” points. > [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Transcript: > > [Why the Brian Williams Story Is Important for America - Talking Points Memo - Bill O'Reilly](http://www.billoreilly.com/b/Why-the-Brian-Williams-Story-Is-Important-for-America/-756063959256727968.html) Not seeing how that is “going after” BW. Pretty much just giving the chronology of events that led to his demise. There were lots of folks who were “going after” BW in pretty vicious ways, but I wouldn’t put BO’s comments in that category. YMMV. As for O’Reilly himself, he’s told enough lies/fibs/whatever that his days a straight news reporter are over. But that’s not what he’s doing now, so it’s not really an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/17 "2015-02-22T21:10:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Do you have a link to the source? [http://townhall.com/news/around-the-web/2015/02/12/oreilly-on-brian-williams-time-to-open-that-proverbial-network-window-and-yell-were-mad-as-hell-n1956583](http://townhall.com/news/around-the-web/2015/02/12/oreilly-on-brian-williams-time-to-open-that-proverbial-network-window-and-yell-were-mad-as-hell-n1956583) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/18 "2015-02-22T21:12:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > As for O’Reilly himself, he’s told enough lies/fibs/whatever that his days a straight news reporter are over. But that’s not what he’s doing now, so it’s not really an issue. Your claim here is that for O’Reilly, because of “what he’s doing now,” credibility is irrelevant. Are you really asserting that he doesn’t care if his “non-fiction” books and his remarks (on television, radio, and Internet) are labelled and widely acknowledged as being complete fabrications? _Really?_ ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/19 "2015-02-22T21:15:45Z")
He was embedded with a unit on the front lines in the War on Chirstmas. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359/20 "2015-02-22T21:26:47Z")
> [@Yossarian](#): > > He was embedded with a unit on the front lines in the War on Chirstmas. I heard he was stationed with a British Thermal Unit during the Falklands. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-and-his-falklands-war-experience/713359.md?page=2)