The Hero

With tomorrow being the anniversary of the September 11 attacks there will surely be a flood of memorial postings and the like. I wanted to go a different route and profile a special hero. This is a man I talk about in my Active Assailant class, and I get the same reaction a lot of the time. "I never heard of this guy, but what a story."

There are many heroes of this day, some well-known, some unknown, yet all deserving of respect.

The hero I'd like to discuss is Rick Rescorla.

Rescorla was a British and later American soldier. He served in the Vietnam war and was part of The Battle of Ia Drang made famous in the Mel Gibson film We Were Soldiers. Rescorla earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

After service he used his military benefits to get an education eventually earning a Master's Degree in English. He then went on to earn a law degree and eventually teach Criminal Justice. He left the academic world in 1985 for the world of private security. He became head of security for Dean Whitter Reynolds (later Morgan Stanley) at their World Trade Center headquarters. He began to have concern over the rise in terror attacks around the world and brought in an old friend and counterterrorism expert to consult. The friend noted that the twin towers were a prime target and identified several areas of the buildings that he thought were most at risk. He noted the basement was a prime target due to the secluded area and lack of security. They brought these findings to the New York Port Authority and requested increased security but were told it was "too expensive." In 1993 a truck full of explosives was detonated 30 feet from the spot that Rescorla's associate noted was a prime target.

Rescorla feared a second attack may occur and urged his employer to leave Manhattan and relocate to New Jersey. They declined the suggestion. So, with this in mind, Rick Rescorla instituted disaster plans. Figuring that Morgan Stanley populated 22 floors of the South Tower (that's incredible) that they were at a huge risk.

Rescorla became known to conduct evacuation drills during the workday which angered high level executives.

At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, a plane hit the North Tower. The New York Port Authority issued a statement urging occupants of the South Tower to hold in place. Rescorla ignored this order and initiated an evacuation.

At 9:03 a.m. the second plane hit the South Tower.

Rescorla was able to evacuate and save 2,687 people that day. Of the 2,700 employees, 13 including Rick Rescorla died. They died after going back in the save more people.

What can we gather from this? Proactive security is worth its weight in gold, silver, diamond, and platinum. Having a plan to fall back on is better than assuming it can't happen to you.

Rick Rescorla is an amazing American hero that I feel deserves his due. Please take a moment either today, tomorrow, or whenever and pay respect to this great man. Not only did he save almost 2,700 people but he left a legacy to empower everyone to be ready and be safe.