Brian Williams, the anchor of "NBC Nightly News," admitted on Wednesday that he had not been aboard a helicopter hit and forced down by enemy fire during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq after making the false statement repeatedly and for years.

Stars and Stripes reported that on Friday, during a public tribute to a retired soldier who had provided ground security for the helicopters, Williams claimed that the incident "started with a terrible moment."

"... when the helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by (a rocket-propelled grenade)," Williams continued. "Our traveling NBC News team was rescued, surrounded and kept alive by an armor-mechanized platoon from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry."

In reality, however, Williams and his colleagues were aboard a formation that was about an hour behind the three helicopters that came under fire, crew members told Stars and Stripes.

On Wednesday, the anchor said that he said he had misremembered the events and was sorry.

"No, we never came under direct enemy fire to the aircraft," Williams explained. "I would not have chosen to make this mistake. I don't know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another."

The discrepancies in Williams' story first came to light after veterans who were on the helicopter that was hit posted comments on the anchor's Facebook page, the BBC detailed.

"Sorry, dude, I don't remember you being on my aircraft," flight engineer Lance Reynolds wrote. "I do remember you walking up about an hour after we had landed to ask me what had happened."

In a later posting, Reynolds added that "the place we were shot at was a long ways away from where we even saw (Williams) and his crew."

Williams also apologized on his "NBC Nightly News" broadcast, The Associated Press reported.

"This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran and by extension our brave military men and women, veterans everywhere, those who have served while I did not," he said on the air. "I hope they know they have my greatest respect and also now my apology."