No
Ordinary Dog
My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden
Raid
By Will Chesney, Joe Layden
St.
Martin's Press
April 21, 2020
ISBN 1250176956
War Biography/Military Dog
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Review and Interview by Elise
Cooper
No Ordinary Dog
by Will Chesney with Joe Layden shows why dogs are man’s
best friend. The canine four-legged patriots put their
lives on the line for their partners but also to keep
Americans safe. The heart of the book is the love between
a man and his dog. Although both are elite soldiers,
ultimately, they were a man and dog that had a bond
like no other.
This July 4th, Americans should remember why it is important
to celebrate. Chesney and his dog Cairo served gallantly
to make sure that that their fellow citizens were able
to enjoy inalienable rights endowed equally to all including
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some might
remember the name, Cairo, since this Belgian Malinois
military working dog went on the mission to get Osama
bin Laden along with his handler Will and approximately
two dozen others. They were able to find and kill the
man who wanted to take away all the liberties. Everyone
on that mission, except Cairo received a Silver Star
for their “gallantry in action against an enemy
of the United States.” Will was disappointed because
he felt that Cairo risked just as much.
But the book does not begin with that mission but with
Will, a recent high school graduate, deciding he wants
to be a Navy SEAL. The first part of the book has details
of SEAL training. The next portion of the book talks
about how the military acquires their Combat Attack
Dogs and goes about training them. But the meat of the
story begins in 2008 when Will decided to become a Navy
dog handler and he met his partner, Cairo. They worked
side by side, depending on each other for survival on
hundreds of critical operations in the war on terrorism.
The book ends with Will and Cairo together helping each
overcome their emotional and physical wounds. Will was
recovering from TBI, while Cairo from his many wounds
received while a military dog.
Will told how he feels privileged while serving alongside
“some of the bravest and best men you could ever
hope to meet. I also had the distinct honor of working
and living with an unusual and unsung hero, a four-legged
warrior named Cairo. He did everything expected of his
human counterparts, and he did it with unblinking loyalty
and unwavering courage. I would have taken a bullet
for him, and he did in fact take one for me. Cairo became
my dog. And I was his dad.”
When asked if he agrees with the quote by Senator Martha
McSally in her book, Dare To Fly, “I
wouldn’t have survived this far without the unconditional
love of the furry, four-legged angels in my life. You
can make it through nearly anything if you come home
to the love of a dog who brings smiles, joy, and a coat
to dry all tears.”
He responded, “Definitely yes! Anyone who has
ever shared his life with a dog understands the symbiotic
nature of the relationship. A dog relies on us for sustenance
and shelter, while they respond with love and loyalty
that is unconditional. Take that relationship and multiply
it tenfold and that is the bond forged between a military
handler and their dog.”
Cairo was a dog with athletic ability, sensory gifts,
and a tireless work ethic. Yet, he was also affectionate
with a laid-back demeanor. Will describes it “as
throwing a switch. When it was time to go to work, he
would work. There was also something else that made
him special, a ferocious drive to perform and serve
with his human counterparts in Special Operations. He
could sniff out an IED, saving dozens of lives, or find
the bad guys. But he knew when we went home it was time
to hang out. He and I would sit on the coach and watch
movies together or eat steak together. I could sleep
right next to him and trust him with strangers and children.
He was in many ways my closest friend.”
To show what a special dog Cairo was there is a scene
in the book where, in Afghanistan, they encountered
some insurgents. Cairo could help neutralize the enemy
by taking away their advantage, the ability to hide.
He was following the scent, weaving in and out of the
trees. Then, shots rang out. He came upon two terrorists
and engaged one of them. The other one shot at Cairo,
who was hit in the chest and leg. This revealed the
insurgent’s position, which saved SEAL lives.
After hearing Will call out his name, Cairo was able
to find his way back, collapsing from a nearly shattered
leg and a gaping chest wound.
Will explained, “He was treated just like a soldier,
one of the family of brothers. The medic came up and
stuffed gauze into the chest wound. Within a few minutes
a medevac helicopter came and flew us back to Sharana
where a team of doctors worked on him for hours. These
were physicians who normally treated human soldiers.
He was treated just like any other soldier. They didn’t
treat Cairo like a dog, but simply as a wounded member
of the US Armed Forces. They performed an emergency
tracheotomy to open his airway and inserted chest tubes.
They put a brace on his leg to stabilize the wound and
to keep his femur from falling apart. He was then put
on a plane bound for Bagram Airfield where there were
veterinary staff. While recovering he had rehab and
then back to Lackland Air Force base in Texas. Eventually
he recovered and was able to resume his life as a critical
member of our team.”
Through thick and thin Will and Cairo were there for
each other. Starting in 2012 Will had debilitating and
painful headaches, probably caused from a grenade blast
experienced in Afghanistan. The headaches had become
chronic, which caused depression that led to self-medication.
To make matters worse, there was the fact that he had
an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury. He became confused
and angry and terrified. His hair was falling out from
the stress. What finally helped him was stopping by
the kennel to play with Cairo, which is when he decided
that he wanted Cairo to retire with him.
“I wanted him to be with me and my girlfriend
Natalie. He had earned a better life that included chilling
at home with dad, eating a steak, running loose in the
yard or at the beach, watching TV, sleeping wherever
the hell he wanted to sleep. Cairo had served his country
honorably, saving my life and countless others. It seemed
only right that he gets a chance to have a few happy
and relaxing years. I felt he needed me, and I sure
needed him. In April 2014 he came home.”
What makes Will special as an author is that he can
put into words what others are feeling. Anyone who is
a dog lover and who has lost a dog can relate to what
Will said in the book. The story does not “end
on a high note. It never does with dogs, right? Someone
once said that buying a dog is like buying a small tragedy.
You know on the first day how it all will turn out.
But that’s not the point, is it? It’s the
journey that counts, what you give the dog and what
you get in return.” He directly noted, “Our
relationship was based on mutual respect, trust, and
love.”
Readers will take a journey with Will. They will get
to know Cairo, and understand the relationship that
forges between a dog and handler. This book is informative,
heartfelt, and also a heart-wrenching memoir about a
Navy Seal and his bond with Cairo, a Belgian Malinois,
designated a combat assault dog. As Will said in summarizing
their relationship, “Cairo gave me more than I
ever imagined, probably more than I deserved. The bond
is crazy.”
Elise
and MyShelf.com would like to thank Will Chesney for
the interview. |
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