Rick Rescorla

22 years ago today, Rick disobeyed orders, and saved 2700 lives.

Rick was the head of security for Morgan Stanley in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He warned that the Towers' basements were vulnerable to attack.

His warnings fell on deaf ears.

Then the 1993 attack happened, and people started listening to him.

After that attack, Rick implemented regular evacuation drills, using his megaphone to direct the thousands of employees out of their offices, down the stairwells, and out of the building to safety.

Born in Cornwall, Rick would sing Welsh and Cornish songs from his megaphone, as he directed the employees out of the building.

He would routinely tell all of the employees: in an emergency, no matter what chaos is happening around you, no matter what anyone tells you, leave your offices, go down the stairwells, and leave the building.

Rick told his wife Susan that he suspected another attack on the World Trade Center would happen, this time by air.

And 22 years ago today, on September 11, 2001, that attack happened.

When the first plane hit the North Tower, the Port Authority announced over the South Tower's speaker system "Please do not leave the building. This area is secure."

Rick ignored them.

"The dumb - told me not to evacuate," he said to his best friend Dan. "They said it's just Building One. I told them I'm getting my people out of here."

And so Rick picked up his megaphone as he had done so many times before, told his employees not to listen to the orders, and directed them out of the building.

His Cornish songs helped keep their nerves calm as they evacuated, even after the second plane hit their Tower.

Once he had successfully evacuated his employees, Rick went back to look for survivors.

But first, he called his wife Susan.

"Stop crying. I have to get these people out safely. If something should happen to me, I want you to know I've never been happier. You made my life."

Rick rushed back to the South Tower.

That was the last time anyone saw him alive.

All but 6 of the more than 2700 Morgan Stanley employees survived.

Had they obeyed the Port Authority, they would all be dead.

Thankfully, they listened to Rick instead.

Rest in Peace, Rick.

Cool story, thanks for posting!

Rick enlisted in the British military at 16.
Came to America and enlisted in the US Army, 1963.
Sent to.Vietnam.



This photo of him was used on the cover of the book
We were Soldiers Once, and Young.

Heck of a life, heck of a man.
Well worth reading up on him.
Need more like him.
RIP Sir!


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla

RIP

Lord let us never forget.

thankyou for sharing that.

a lot of great people showed their grit that day , very few of them made it out but saved many more.
without sharing these stories of the great people who saved so many other lives at the expense of their own their memories would be lost.

Awesome Thanks

God bless them all.

TTT so the afternoon crew sees it

And they still stole my Oldtimer at the airport 21 years later.

Thanks for sharing

Thank God for people like Rick ! Fantastic story thank you for sharing with us !

Allan

God blessed those people with his presence. RIP Rick and all who died that tragic day

Rick was wise to trust his instincts and disobey orders. Its been my experience more often than not the ones giving the orders are a bunch of clowns.

Truly was a Renaissance Man.
Boxer, Police officer in Rhodesia, Soldier, Writer, Lawyer, Security expert

Sang the same Cornish songs to his men in Vietnam to calm them.
Was battling cancer at the time of his death.

The Man in the Red Bandana needs to be remembered, honored, and celebrated as well.
Also died same day, same way, saving others.
24 years old.

Welles Crowther