Col. Rick Rescorla: A Soldier Once...And Young

He...

• Fought against Communist-backed rebellions in Cyprus from 1957-1960, and in Rhodesia from 1960-1963 as a citizen of Great Britain.
• Enlisted in the U.S. Army, so that he could go fight Communism in Vietnam...directing his men gallantly (and singing) during the Battle of Ia Drang.
• Took a patrol through the battlefield on Day 2 of Ia Drang, destroying a machine gun nest while searching for American dead and wounded .
• Jumped (with his men) 10 feet out of an evacuating helicopter to return to the battle.

Lieutenant Larry Gwin reminisced,

 “I saw Rick Rescorla come swaggering into our lines with a smile on his face, an M-79 on his shoulder, his M-16 in one hand, saying, ‘Good, good, good! I hope they hit us with everything they got tonight—we’ll wipe them up.’ His spirit was catching. The enemy must have thought an entire battalion was coming to help us, because of all our screaming and yelling.”

• Was awarded a Purple Heart, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with oak-leaf cluster, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. 
• Used his military educational benefits to study writing at the University of Oklahoma, and eventually earned a bachelor’s, a master’s in literature, and a law degree.
• Taught criminal justice at the University of South Carolina for three years and spent hours writing books. 
• Directed security at Morgan Stanley-Dean Witter from 1985-2001.

Rescorla’s office (on the 44th floor) at Morgan Stanley-Dean Witter was in the World Trade Center and occupied twenty-two floors in the South Tower. Rescorla's friend and fellow Vietnam Veteran (Capt. Dan Hill) was an expert in counter-terrorism and invited by Rescorla to evaluate security at the World Trade Center...

Hill recalled,

“He knew I could be an evil-minded bastard..we walked down an entrance ramp into a parking garage; there was no visible security, and no one stopped us...this is a soft touch...I’d drive a truck full of explosives in here, walk out, and light it off." 

Rescorla took their concerns to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which managed the buildings and was told to mind his own business...3 years later (February 1993), a truck bomb (followers of Omar Abdel Rahman) exploded in the basement of the World Trade Center. 

1993 WTC Attack

After the 1993 attack, Rescorla anticipated another attack. This time he felt it would be an air attack, probably a cargo plane loaded with explosives or chemical/ biological weapons. Fearing that the WTC was a symbol of United States power and wealth and a target of terrorists...he tirelessly worked on evacuation plans for his 22 floors.

When the towers were hit (8:45 & 9:02) on September 11, 2001 Rescorala called his best friend Dan Hill...

"Are you watching TV...what do you think?”

Hill responded, "Hard to tell. It could have been an accident, but I can’t see a commercial airliner getting that far off.”

"I’m evacuating right now."

Hill could hear Rescorla issuing orders (and singing) through the bullhorn to help keep the evacuees calm.

Rescorla back on the phone with his wife Susan...

“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.”

As he kept encouraging his people and singing he said...

“Slow down, pace yourself...today is a day to be proud to be an American.”