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>>> WELCOME BACK, GUYS.

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FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, NEARLY A
DECADE OF THEM WITH US AT NBC, 

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BILL NEELY HAS BEEN 
CRISS-CROSSING THE WORLD TO TELL

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THE STORIES THAT MATTER. 
>> YEAH.

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NOW, THE VETERAN CORRESPONDENT, 
WHO WITNESSED SO MUCH HISTORY, 

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IS HANGING UP HIS MIC IN SEARCH 
OF HIS NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE.

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>> Reporter: FOR MORE THAN FOUR 
DECADES, BILL NEELY HAS BEEN ON 

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THE FRONT LINES OF HISTORY.
>> PROCLAIMING A NEW ERA.

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>> Reporter: REPORTING FROM 
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD WITH 

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HIS UNIQUE STYLE AND SWAGGER.
>> IT'S JUST ASTONISHING.

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>> Reporter: STARTING OUT AS A 
CUB REPORTER FOR THE BBC, HE 

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ROSE THROUGH THE JOURNALISTIC 
RANKS.

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SPENDING THE LAST DECADE OF HIS 
CAREER HERE WITH US AT NBC NEWS,

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AS OUR CHIEF GLOBAL 
CORRESPONDENT.

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>> DEFIANT MESSAGE TO AMERICA. 
>> Reporter: HIS GIFT FOR 

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STORYTELLING EARNING HIM MANY 
AWARDS.

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>> 500 YARDS AWAY.
>> Reporter: INCLUDING A 

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PEABODY.
IN HAITI, HE WAITED PATIENTLY AS

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RESCUERS SEARCHED FOR EARTHQUAKE
SURVIVORS.

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>> THINK YOU'LL LIVE?
>> LIVE?

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WHY NOT?
>> Reporter: HE'S COVERED 

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PRESIDENTS IN THEIR PALACES. 
>> THE FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY IS

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SAYING YOU ARE A BRUTAL 
DICTATOR. 

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>> Reporter: AND GREETED 
MIGRANTS DESPERATE FOR A TASTE 

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OF FREEDOM. 
>> SPEAK ENGLISH?

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NO?
>> Reporter: HE WAS FIRST ON THE

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GROUNDCOVERING A SCHOOL SHOOTING
IN PAKISTAN, AND CAME UNDER FIRE

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FROM ISIS WHILE COVERING A STORY
IN PHILIPPINES. 

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>> THE ISIS SNIPERS ARE ACROSS 
THE BRIDGE. 

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>> Reporter: BILL INITIALLY 
WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR.

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WHEN YOU GROW UP IN NORTHERN 
IRELAND DURING THE TROUBLE, YOU 

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GET DRAWN TO NEWS.
AS A DRUMMER IN A PUNK BAND, 

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BILL LOVED GREAT MUSIC.
 **

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>> Reporter: HE WAS ON DUTY THE 
DAY THE LEGENDARY DAVID BOWIE 

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DIED.
>> BILL IS WITH US LIVE FROM 

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LONDON.
BILL, YOU'RE A LEGEND.

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YOU'RE SO BELOVED AND ADMIRED 
AND REVERED AROUND HERE.

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WE CANNOT BELIEVE YOU'RE 
LEAVING.

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SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO MISS 
THE MOST, DO YOU THINK?

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>> Reporter: OH, I THINK APART 
FROM THE GREAT STORIES, JUST 

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PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT THE VIEWERS DON'T

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REALIZE IS THAT I STAND ON THE 
SHOULDERS OF PEOPLE IN THE 

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"TODAY" SHOW GALLERY, LIKE LIBBY
AND MAZ AND BILL AND ERICA AND 

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ROBERTO AND PHIL AND PETE, THE 
WHOLE GANG.

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YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GREAT 
THINGS ABOUT BEING AN ON THE 

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ROAD REPORTER IS THE MOMENTS 
WHEN YOU GET TO TALK IN THE 

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EVENINGS, MAYBE OVER DINNER IF 
YOU'RE LUCKY, OVER A GLASS OF 

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WINE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, ONE OF 
WHOM IS STANDING BEHIND THE 

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GLASS, TONY HEMMINGS, MY GREAT 
COLLEAGUE AND CAMERAMAN, AND 

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SOMETIMES WITH COMPETITORS.
LIFE IS SHORT.

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THESE STORIES ARE TERRIBLE.
WE DO NEED TO DECOMPRESS.

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YOU KNOW, FOR ANYBODY OUT THERE 
WHO WANTS TO BE A JOURNALIST, 

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IT'S ACTUALLY A WONDERFUL 
CAREER.

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>> BILL, YOUR WORK HERE HAS BEEN
PHENOMENAL.

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YOU MENTIONED MAZ, THE EP OF 
THIS SHOW, MAZZARELLI.

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HE SAYS IN BILL WE TRUST.
IF BILL NEELY GOT ASSIGNED A 

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STORY, WE KNEW WE WERE IN GOOD 
HANDS.

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WHAT'S NEXT, BUDDY?
WHAT IS THE NEXT CHAPTER?

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>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, I DON'T 
KNOW.

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I DO JUST WANT TO TAKE A REST 
AND HAVE A THINK.

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BUT ON THAT SCORE, I HAVE TO 
SAY, IT IS SUCH AN AMAZING 

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PRIVILEGE THAT NBC, AMERICAN 
BROADCASTERS, GAVE ME.

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YOU KNOW, A PUNK KID WITH A 
DODGE 

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DODGEY ACCENT, TO BE ALLOWED 
INTO YOUR LIVING ROOMS AND 

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KITCHENS TO TELL THE STORY OF 
YOUR PRESIDENT, OF YOUR TROOPS 

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ON THE FRONT LINE.
I MEAN, THAT IS SUCH A PRIVILEGE

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AND SUCH A RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY THAT YOU 

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GAVE US TO ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH

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FOR IT.
BECAUSE I'VE HAD A BLAST.

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>> BILL, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU 
HAVE DONE.

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SEEING THE STORIES YOU COVERED, 
I HAVE TO ASK, WERE YOU EVER 

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SCARED?
>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, I THINK 

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I'VE COVERED QUITE A LOT OF WARS
AND BEEN UNDER FIRE.

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I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SAID 
YOU WEREN'T SCARED, YOU'D BE A 

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LIAR.
BUT THERE ARE MANY DEGREES OF 

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FEAR.
UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE NEVER FELT 

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TERRIFIED AND NEVER HAD 
FLASHBACKS.

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THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT.
BUT, YES, OF COURSE, BUT YOU 

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MEASURE RISK ALL THE TIME, 
ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IN WARS, 

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AS MY COLLEAGUE RICHARD ENGEL 
WILL KNOW ONLY TOO WELL, AND IN 

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EARTHQUAKES.
YOU MEASURE UP RISK AND REWARD.

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THANKFULLY, IT'S ALL BEEN WORTH 
IT. 

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>> NOW, YOU CAN RUN THE 
MARATHONS.

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I WAS READING, YOU FINISHED 11 
MARATHONS.

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THIS YEAR, YOU'LL COMPETE IN THE
LONDON AND BOSTON MARATHONS IN 

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THE SPACE OF EIGHT DAYS?
>> CRAZY.

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>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE --
THAT'S THE PLAN.

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I'M RUNNING FOR A VERY NICE 
BRITISH CHARITY CALLED CRY.

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I WILL SEND BEGGING LETTERS TO 
AS MANY OF YOU AS I POSSIBLY 

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CAN.
YEAH, I MEAN, TWO MARATHONS IN 

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EIGHT DAYS IS A BIT SILLY, BUT 
I'M GOING TO GIVE IT A GO. 

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>> BILL, YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING.
GLOBE-TROTTING FOREIGN 

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CORRESPONDENT, A WONDERFUL 
COLLEAGUE, A RUNNER, A GOOD 

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HEART.
NOW, WE KNOW YOU WERE IN A PUNK 

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BAND.
>> IT'S TRUE. 

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>> NOW, I FEEL I BARELY EVER 
KNEW YOU.

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I JUST LEARNED THAT TODAY.
>> Reporter: WHO KNEW, HUH?

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>> YOU'RE AMAZING, BILL.
WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU.

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GOOD LUCK IN ALL YOUR 
ADVENTURES.

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ADVENTURES.
I HOPE IT IS THE RIGHT BALANCE