TURLOCK, Calif. — George Piro was a man from the small city of Turlock who played a big role in history. It was a role amid a dedicated law enforcement career that his hometown couldn't be more proud of, awarding Piro the Key to the City.
Piro was the FBI agent leading the seven-month interrogation of Saddam Hussein.
"When I was informed that I had just been selected to interrogate Saddam Hussein, I'm the first to admit I was overwhelmed," said Piro.
It's the moment Piro worked his whole career for, and one that he realized the magnitude of. He spent more than seven months overseas interrogating the former Iraqi president during the second Gulf War.
"Saddam was extremely difficult to to interrogate. But we were very, very focused and very prepared. Spent nearly seven months on the interrogation focused on the two key questions, which were where was Iraq's WMD and its alleged relationship with al Qaeda -- the two reasons why we went to war."
Hussein didn't speak any English, and as the lead interrogator, Piro's Arabic language skills proved critical in getting the answers that millions of people were waiting for.
"We were able to get him to provide us everything that we wanted to know and clarify why we were wrong about Iraq's WMD program, the true nature of the relationship, and really address all of the questions not only did our administration or government have, but really what the American people also wanted to know," said Piro.
For his lifelong dedication to service, the now retired FBI special agent was awarded the Key to the City of Turlock.
Piro, who is from Lebanon, came to Turlock with his family when he was 12 years old. Turlock is known for having one of the largest Assyrian communities in the United States.
"It was really incredible to be surrounded by Assyrians, who took us and cared for us, and for me, made me really appreciate our history, our language, our culture," said Piro.
From a young age, Piro had a dream of joining the FBI and started his law enforcement journey with the Ceres Police Department. It was a dream that he would turn into a reality and a more than two decade career.
"I grew up in a very small town; I found that to be, actually, a good thing. It really instilled the right work ethic and values that allowed me to be successful. But I also use it as an opportunity to push myself to reach my potential and seek that excellence," said Piro.
Piro said he's writing a book about his experiences with plans for it to be released later this year.
The man from Turlock also had a message for youth who are aspiring to be something more, even if they're small town kids with big ambitions like he was.
"I truly believe while there will be hurdles or obstacles in one's path, the only person that can stop you from ultimately achieving your goal is you," said Piro. "So, it's all about chasing your dream and making it happen."
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