World War Two vet admits lying about heroic exploits
GLENVILLE, N.Y. (AP) -- He claimed to have fought at Midway and been shot down at
Iwo Jima.
But it turns out Ed HoldenÔŅĹs wartime service in the Navy wasnÔŅĹt nearly as heroic. The 80-year-old Narragansett, Rhode Island resident admits the harrowing war stories heÔŅĹs been telling school children for years have been lies.
Questions arose after Holden was the featured speaker at the Empire State Aeroscience MuseumÔŅĹs dedication of a Pearl Harbor-related display.
He told the Albany Times Union that as a Navy flier, he helped sink a Japanese aircraft carrier at the Battle of Midway, then was shot down at Iwo Jima three years later.
When confronted with discrepancies in his stories, Holden admitted he lied about his exploits in an effort to boost childrenÔŅĹs appreciation of the nationÔŅĹs combat veterans.
He tells the Schenectady Daily Gazette that he inserted himself into stories about actual wartime events, but says he wonÔŅĹt do it again.
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