Ex-Navy SEAL who says he killed bin Laden details harrowing mission

Robert O’Neill, the former Navy SEAL who claims to have shot dead Osama bin Laden, is scheduled to visit Georgia May 2 for a charity event aimed at helping U.S. Special Forces veterans. He recently spoke with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at length about the daring raid on bin Laden’s Pakistan hideout in 2011. Here’s some of what he said:

Q: What do you remember most about the raid on bin Laden’s compound? What sticks out in your memory?

A: Well, seeing him standing up — being one of the few people to ever see Osama bin Laden alive. It was under night vision, so I could still see the clothes he was wearing, the cap he had on his head and his short gray beard. … That stands out, as does first walking in and looking to my left to see the actual compound itself. And it looked exactly like I thought it would. And just thinking: “Wow, this is cool that we are here. This is actually happening.” It was kind of surreal. It was a realization that we are never going to come home, so you might as well take in a few things and remember them and enjoy them.

The complete interview will be published on Sunday, April 26 on MyAJC.com.