Former Fox News veteran Brian Wilson, whose departure from the conservative network followed past incidents of rude behavior from the newsman, had nothing but praise for the network in an e-mail to colleagues this week that claimed his departure was his decision.

He also called Fox News boss Roger Ailes “visionary.”

The e-mail is below:

To all my Fox friends:

So that I will not be accused of burying the lead: After 25 years with the company, I have decided it's time to move on.

It's been a great run. From the first days at WTTG, where I had a ringside seat as Mr. Murdoch transformed a small group of independent TV stations into a fourth network -- to the 12 years spent at the Fox News Channel, where I participated in a grand journalistic experiment under the direction of the visionary Roger Ailes -- it has been a blast.

While taking a few vacation days, I had time to reflect on the many remarkable opportunities provided by my association with FNC. I travelled the world on Air Force One ... met some of the most interesting public figures of our time ... while witnessing, and reporting on, history in the making.

What a privilege it has been to cover the nation's capital for Fox News. There are a few moments I will never forget: 9/11 ... the DC sniper case ... being in the anchor chair as US forces entered Baghdad. There were countless hours spent roaming the halls of Capitol Hill -- and occasionally, I even followed the camera coverage rules there.

There are many people, I should thank here, though time and space do not allow the complete list. A special thanks to Roger for his support over the years and to Brit Hume, who made me a better reporter. Thanks to John Moody and his replacement, Michael Clemente for giving me so many interesting things to do -- and for having faith in my ability to pull off some rather challenging assignments from time to time. I must mention the appreciation I have for Bryan Boughton and Doug Rohrbeck. What fun we had with the show that we used to call Weekend Live.

I cannot leave without expressing my deep personal affection for my former office mate, James Rosen. Never before have I encountered such a rewarding and enriching relationship. Your astounding intellect, your absolutely demented sense of humor and your boundless creative abilities never failed to impress me.

Television News is a collaborative process. So any success I have had along the way has been the result of the creative efforts of many people. From the field crews who give us the raw elements of news, to the producers and editors who put the polish on my stories, to the control room and studio folks who toil to make us on-camera types look better than we deserve -- THANKS!I wish you all the very best. Here's to your continued success. You know, Washington, DC is in many ways a rather small town. I'm certain our paths will cross again. See you soon.

Brian Wilson