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Ex-Naperville fire captain to reflect on deployment to New York

Chuck Wehrli kept close watch on the workers navigating the maze of steel beams.

The Naperville Fire Department captain served as their eyes and ears, making sure they didn't take a wrong turn in the wreckage at ground zero in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"The hardest part was seeing the other police and firefighters that survived," Wehrli said. "Just the looks on their faces."

Wehrli, now retired, flew with a Missouri-based FEMA urban search and rescue team to a military base in New Jersey in the wake of the 2001 attacks.

As he has done in past years, he visited Neuqua Valley High School last week to show students video and images and look back on his 10-day deployment.

"This is my way of giving back to make sure these kids don't forget," Wehrli said.

He will make a similar presentation from 10:30 a.m. to noon Sunday at Naper Settlement in Naperville before attending a 1 p.m. remembrance at the Cmdr. Dan Shanower/Sept. 11 Memorial in Naperville, which includes a steel beam that he arranged to obtain from the World Trade Center.

  Augustine Cervantez listens to retired Naperville Fire Department Capt. Chuck Wehrli speak about the hazards first responders encountered at ground zero. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  "This is my way of giving back to make sure these kids don't forget," retired Naperville Fire Department Capt. Chuck Wehrli said. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  Retired Naperville Fire Department Capt. Chuck Wehrli was a driving force to bring a steel beam from the World Trade Center site to Naperville's Sept. 11 memorial. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
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