Complete Story
04/26/2018
2018 convention speaker admits D-Day deception
By Dennis Hetzel, Executive Director
Everyone who attended the 2018 ONMA convention breakfast likely would tell you that Morley Piper’s talk about taking part in the D-Day landing was the most memorable part of our annual gathering and the most moving talk they had heard in years. Some of our members were in tears, and several lingered afterward to share stories with Morley about their relatives who served.
Then it was reported this week that Piper, the retired executive director of the New England Newspaper Association, had fabricated his participation in the landing. It came to light when the New England association announced they were naming an award in his honor and someone contacted them questioning his membership in the 29th Infantry Division.
“I am profoundly sorry that I have to tell you I am one of those sad old men with an altered WWII military record. I made a terrible mistake. It should have never happened,” he told the Eagle-Tribune in Lawrence, Mass.
ONMA was one of numerous organizations that hosted him as a speaker over the years. I have known Morley, who is 93, since 2010 in his role as part-time director of our Newspaper Association Managers group. Walt Dozier, our AdOhio director, has known Morley for three decades. He not only was respected by all of us, it’s not an exaggeration to say he was revered.
I’m sad, mad and stunned to learn this news. We share these links below to set the record straight.
- Boston Globe story
- Salem News story
- ONMA’s story on his convention speech (which now will be appended with this article).
