Will Chesney was a senior in high school contemplating a career in the military when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred. Like most Americans, he watched in horror as the events unfolded on television. Unlike most Americans, however, Chesney would one day go on to be part of the elite Navy SEAL Team Six that stormed the compound where Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, was hiding.
Chesney was the canine handler on the team, partnered with his beloved K-9 soldier, Cairo. After retiring from the military, Chesney and Cairo reentered civilian life together, and Chesney even authored a book “No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid” about Cairo. “No Ordinary Dog” is available for purchase on Amazon.com.
Twenty years after watching the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Chesney still thinks back on the day and how the worst terrorist attack on American soil led him to the team that took down the terrorist behind it.
What was your experience like on September 11, 2001? What were you doing when it occurred?
I was in high school, going into the library to watch it on television. And it was terrible. It just made me want to join the military even more and do my part. I’d known I wanted to serve my country, but at that moment I was even more certain that it was what I wanted to do.
I’ll never forget it. I can vividly remember all of it. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years.
You knew you wanted to go into the military, but this solidified your decision. What was that like?
After what happened, we obviously knew we were going to be going to war. I already wanted to be a Navy SEAL and serve my country, and knowing we were going to be going to war made me want to do it even more.
Moving forward in time, what went through your mind when you learned that you were going to be involved in the Bin Laden raid? Did it have an impact on you that you would be taking down the person responsible for 9/11?
I joined the military right out of high school, so not long after 9/11 occured. I never got to visit the World Trade Center until I was out of the military. But I definitely thought about it all the time. After seeing what happened on 9/11- it never left my mind that we had an important reason for doing what we were doing.
When you were sent on dangerous missions- not just the Bin Laden raid, but any dangerous assignment- were you spurred on by a sense of purpose?
We knew that we were there to do an important job. It was a dangerous job, but it was important, and someone had to do it. We knew the reasons we were there, and we never forgot that. I loved the job, because I was around a great group of guys and we had an important job to do.
What’s it like, knowing you played a major part in taking down the person that was responsible for orchestrating 9/11?
It was an honor to be such a big part of history. I like to talk about Cairo- his job was way more important than my job. I worked really hard to be able to be put in that position. I’m glad it paid off and we were able to complete the mission successfully.
Has your perspective on 9/11 changed because you were so involved in the war on terror?
I would say definitely. I was 17-years-old when I joined the Navy, and I'm 37 now, so my perspective has changed over time. I think that was a moment in time in my life that made me realize I had a purpose. It’s kind of hard to find purpose these days, because the job I was doing in the SEALs was so important.
As far as the war, we were there to stop bad people from doing bad things. And that hasn't changed.
Despite being part of what many would say was one of the most significant military operations of all time, your book is about your K-9 partner, not you or even the mission itself, really. Tell us about him and how you came to write a book about him.
I was the dog handler for the Navy SEALs as part of a Naval Special Warfare development group. The book is not called “No Ordinary Dog,” and it's about Cairo. Cairo was my working dog, and it's basically about our story together. I wanted the book to be just about him and
I don't think a lot of people know what these dogs can do for us and that these dogs save lives. Cairo’s is just one story to tell. There are lots of stories out there that are really amazing. I just want to bring attention to all that.
What do you think about the military and the war on terror now that all these years have passed since 9/11?
It's just hard to believe it's been 20 years. Things might not be the best right now as far as the military is concerned, but everybody keeps their heads up and no matter what happens, we'll get through it, and we'll be able to fix the problem like we always do. The time that I served overseas was spent doing what needed to be done, and it was an honor to be able to do it.
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