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-Land of the Free
9/11 Hero Rick Rescorla Posthumously Awarded Presidential Citizens Medal
2019-11-10
[Victory Girls] Rick Rescorla, a soldier and a hero. From the battlefields of Vietnam to that sunny day on September 11, 2001, Rick Rescorla saved lives. Last night President Trump posthumously awarded Rick Rescorla the Presidential Citizens Award.
"President Trump gave out the Presidential Citizens Medal on Thursday to a deceased hero of the 9/11 terror attacks, credited with saving the lives of thousands of people.

The honor was given to the late Rick Rescorla, a Brisith-born Vietnam vet, who was in charge of security for the financial firm Morgan Stanley, located in the Twin Towers.

When the first plane hit the North Tower on Sept. 11, 2001, Rescorla started evacuating employees in the South Tower, calming them down when a second plane hit their tower too.

Rescorla saved the lives of nearly 2,700, but not his own. He was last seen climbing the stairs of the South Tower trying to save more."

There is so much more to Rick’s story. He was a British paratrooper who served with the British Army on Cyprus and then in Rhodesia. Not long after that he emigrated to the United States and joined the Army. This man, who had already been in battle, joined up in time to go to battle again. This time at the Battle of la Drang. The loss of the men he served with never left him. It is his photo that is the cover of "We Were Soldiers Once...And Young."
"In 1965 Rescorla knew war. His men did not, yet. To steady them, to break their concentration away from the fear that may grip a man when he realizes there are hundreds of men very close by who want to kill him, Rescorla sang. Mostly he sang dirty songs that would make a sailor blush. Interspersed with the lyrics was the voice of command: ’Fix bayonets...on liiiiine...reaaaa-dy...forward.’ It was a voice straight from Waterloo, from the Somme, implacable, impeccable, impossible to disobey. His men forgot their fear, concentrated on his orders and marched forward as he led them straight into the pages of history: 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry...’Hard Corps.’"
Years later, as head of security for Morgan Stanley, Rick found himself in another fight. One against terrorism. After the first attack on the Twin Towers, Rick instituted mandatory evacuation drills. He KNEW that another attack would happen. He wanted every person who worked in those offices to be prepared. He wanted every person in those offices to be able to react immediately.

On that day, that fateful day when terrorists tried to bring us to our knees, Rick Rescorla’s planning and training saved lives. 2,700 lives in fact. While building personnel were ordering people to stay at their desks, Rick bullied Morgan Stanley employees into moving out to safety.
Related:
Rick Rescorla: 2017-09-11 Remembering 9/11: Rick Rescorla, a Singing Hero (Prescient Video)
Rick Rescorla: 2010-09-12 Rick Rescorla - 9/11 Hero
Rick Rescorla: 2009-09-11 Never Forget, 2009 edition
Posted by:Besoeker

#7  There is also a documentary made for television that highlights what he did that day. Can't remember the name but I believe t comes on the history channel every year on 9/11.
Posted by: chris   2019-11-10 11:26  

#6  A superb profile from 2002, by James B. Stewart in the New Yorker-- back when patriotism was still acceptable to the pre-Shitshow newsmedia.

And before anyone had ever heard of the affirmative action washout and British colonial-hating cokehead who would gain the White House and in all likelihood-- as Besoeker implies-- ensure that Rick Rescorla's memory not receive its due praise and honor.
Posted by: Lex   2019-11-10 11:03  

#5  Great man. rip
Posted by: chris   2019-11-10 10:54  

#4  Ref #2: Rescorla served in Cyprus during the EOKA insurgency as a young Paratrooper with the British Army, before transferring to the Northern Rhodesia Police in 1960 for a three year contract.

Delay in public recognition explained ?

Posted by: Besoeker   2019-11-10 07:08  

#3  "Rick Rescorla was the best platoon leaders I ever saw."
~ Colonel Hal Moore
Posted by: Besoeker   2019-11-10 07:00  

#2  It took 28 years and a fellow NY’er to give him his well deserved medal.
Posted by: Uleck Spererong9442   2019-11-10 07:00  

#1  Proof that toxic masculinity saves thousands everyday.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-11-10 06:55  

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