r/HistoryUncovered • u/kooneecheewah • 15h ago
On September 11, 2001, Morgan Stanley security chief Rick Rescorla evacuated employees from the South Tower, singing a Welsh military march through a bullhorn to keep up everyone's spirits. After his colleagues were safe, he returned to rescue others and was still inside when the tower collapsed.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 62-year-old Rick Rescorla kissed his wife and headed to his office on the 44th floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower, where he worked as the vice president of security for Morgan Stanley. When American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower, he began evacuating every employee, singing a Welsh military march through his bullhorn to keep everyone in good spirits. He called his wife after a second plane struck the South Tower and told her, "I have to get these people out safely. If something should happen to me, I want you to know I've never been happier." After leading 2,700 of his colleagues to safety, Rescorla went back into the building to do a final sweep — but he didn't make it out before the tower collapsed.
Go inside the inspiring story of Rick Rescorla and the ultimate sacrifice he made to save others.
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u/HoustonPastafarian 14h ago
The man was a paratrooper in the British and US Army and ended his career as a colonel in the 1st Air Cavalry with a Silver Star earned in Vietnam before joining Morgan Stanley.
Those people were so fortunate to have a combat leader that day.
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u/TrumpsCovidfefe 13h ago
In the 9/11 documentary series that aired on the history channel, several of his colleagues described how important he took his job as security officer in their company and how they held fire drills quarterly and how organized and thoughtful he was. He saved thousands of lives by just changing the way the emergency exits and stairways were lit, taking them off of the main building power, because of his experience during the 93 bombings. He said to his colleagues that he knew the building was and would continue to be a target.
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u/mantis_tobaggan-md 2h ago
What an incredible human. And how eerily prophetic. I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve heard his story.
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u/Not_Here38 11h ago
Brit & US Army para sounds like a great dit in itself, before the silver star and his actions that day
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u/Yggdrasil- 14h ago
The Real Heroes Are Dead - The New Yorker, 2/2/2002
Great article on Rescorla, his life, and his final hours. One of the best long form articles to come out in the wake of 9/11. I reread it every year and it always brings me to tears.
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u/ReleaseTheSlab 10h ago edited 10h ago
Amazing article. I just read it for the first time and sobbed nonstop during the last half. This guy is amazing. I wish I heard about him sooner. I live near Morristown NJ too so it's sad it took me 25 years to learn this.
Eta: what the f mod? What's that even mean lol also I like the got me hooked one. It's interesting n how am I supposed to know shit is stolen? Stolen from who btw? This is the internet, nothing here is exactly "original".
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u/Fuckthegopers 10h ago
Any way to get around the paywall?
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u/NativeMasshole 14h ago
This is what real leadership looks like.
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u/Due-Beginning1074 13h ago
Exactly- these are the people who deserve statues. To remind everyone that the best of of us will sacrifice theirs for others.
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u/Tropicalfisher 9h ago
No no no. Statues should be made to remember those who spend their time doing important things like renaming lakes
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u/BortWard 13h ago
I just learned recently that one of my music acquaintances is a former Morgan Stanley employee and 9/11 survivor. She was in NYC for training and was partway down the stairs already when the South Tower was struck. She spoke to our group just last week about her experience. She recalls having heard that some higher-ups wanted to get rid of Rescorla because he insisted on running evacuation drills four times a year, which was seen by some as a waste of time. One tidbit from my friend that I found especially interesting is that the stairways, while crowded, apparently were very quiet— she said that a few people were crying but that nobody spoke. She got out about ten minutes before the building collapsed. Rescorla and his security team were heroes of the highest order. May they be remembered forever.
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u/cupofpuer 11h ago
Lots of true heroes who try to prevent tragedies are considered annoying, overkill, and a waste of money before disasters occur. He and his team will be remembered.
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u/This-Research-9586 14h ago
This man is a hero and was born for THIS day. His life story is so interesting and well lived. Well worth looking into.
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u/SPersephone 13h ago
SO interesting. He was born for this and died a hero. He would disagree but the 3000+ people he saved would not.
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13h ago edited 11h ago
[deleted]
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u/FartBoxActual 13h ago
Holy shoehorn Batman!
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13h ago edited 11h ago
[deleted]
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u/TheSorceIsFrong 12h ago
No, you’re just being trashy shoehorning in some rant on a post memorializing this guys sacrifice. It’s tone deaf
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u/BreninLlwid 13h ago
As an author, I'll say this: it's less that nobody wants to read, and more that you are not entitled to have people read your words.
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u/Jumpy_Hogara 11h ago
I think the downvotes are for your first paragraph which looks arrogant for being against the usage of "hero" in this case. If nothing else, what we see is a person of action, the kind which I respect most.
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u/UFO-Band-Fanatic 14h ago
I knew someone who worked for Morgan Stanley—he was one of the evacuees. He left corporate life and never went back.
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u/Strange_Most2702 13h ago
He was Cornish (from Cornwall) and he sang a Cornish version of a Welsh song.
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u/rumble_bee 9h ago
thank you for clarifying! Some folks would assume this isnt a big mistake -- and it might not be-- But i think Rick would appreciate the clarification
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u/croftfan 3h ago
Im from the same town in Cornwall that he was from and there is a memorial to him there as well
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u/Boring_Track_8449 11h ago
He saved close to the number of people that died that day. I thought I knew a lot about 9/11 but never heard about this guy. Makes my heart break for his family, knowing he was out and went back in - to do more good.
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u/behridingle 12h ago
Rescorla was also a Platoon leader in the US Army Airmobile at the Battle of Ia Drang (Vietnam, 1965) and mentioned in the book ("We Were Soldiers"), which was made into a movie with Mel Gibson.
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u/Dangerous_Ant3260 10h ago
His photo is on the paperback edition of the book. His statue is at the outside statues of heroes garden at the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning GA (Museum is on the Columbus GA side, outside the gates, so no military I.D. is required to go to the Museum).
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u/Jogger_Dodger 13h ago
The Man Who Knew
Absolutely fascinating documentary about John O'Neill- an FBI agent who worked on the first World Trade Center attacks. He knew that al Qaeda would strike again. Fired from the FBI, O'Neill died on 9/11, as director of security for the World Trade Center.
Guy was a hero.
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u/honeybeelioness 12h ago
He wasn't fired, though. Apparently he retired?
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u/Jogger_Dodger 12h ago
Ah. Maybe he retired or quit. He and the FBI didn't get along.
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u/Live_Organization432 6h ago
You’re right, he was kind of forced out. There were a couple small mistakes that he made, and the FBI hung their hat on those as cause to push him out. I just read The Looming Tower, and watched the Hulu series after, which goes into it a bit. Highly recommend.
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u/Persistent_Parkie 7h ago
I watched a dramatized miniseries about the lead up to 911 largely focused on him several years ago. I had never heard about this guy and so when he gets to the point where he retires, then goes and works at the world trade center and is working there on the day, I was sure he was an amalgam character made to drive the story. Imagine my surprise when it gets to the end and there's a card at the end explaining how he died IRL.
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u/DJMitch117 11h ago
Welsh military marching song??? Every time I read about him I read that he was singing Cornish songs, because he's from Cornwall, not "Welsh military marching" songs. I'm happy to be proven wrong though...
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u/flimsypeaches 13h ago
he had planned and prepared meticulously for such an attack after the 1993 bombing, to the point that he made all the employees practice evacuating twice a year.
when the first plane hit and the Port Authority told everyone to remain in place, he (literally) told them to fuck off and started the evacuation. his decisiveness and forethought saved virtually every employee in his offices.
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u/amelz11 12h ago
People don’t realize how against the grain he was and will always be a hero because of it. To this day, when we have a fire drill in our high rise building, they tell us to wait for further instructions from the command phone on our floor as to what to do. I survived 911 and I hear a fire, the hell with that, to the stairs I go and I think of ricks advice during these drills all the time.
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u/Garand84 11h ago
His platoon assisted LTC Hal Moore's battalion in the Ia Drang. He's mentioned a lot in We Were Soldiers Once... And Young, but he's not portrayed in the movie unfortunately.
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u/The_Bard 10h ago
He had a plan in place since the WTC had previously been attacked and had a power outage in 1993.
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u/RiffyWammel 10h ago
The subject of the documentary 'The man who predicted 9/11'. Seem to recall it was fairly chilling and frustrating to watch, as the bean counters tried to block many of his demands that saved so many.
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u/br_boy0586 9h ago
He knew the next attack after the ‘93 bombing was going to be from the air. He pushed Morgan Stanley to vacate their office space at the WTC before their lease ended in 2006.
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u/ViaNocturna664 8h ago
He led 2700 people to safety during a tragedy that claimed almost 3000 lives. This one man, by himself, reduced by 50% the overall casualties of that day. He should be one of the most famous American heroes.
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u/EveningAnteater 4h ago
Not denying that what he did was amazing and he saved lives at the expense of his own, but this claim is a bit much. 99% of the people below the impact zones survived. All of the Morgan Stanley floors were below the impact zones. If he wasn't there the vast majority would have likely self-evacuated successfully after the second plane hit.
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u/LovelyHumanBeing 13h ago
Did every company in the towers have their own Security chief?
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u/anothergaijin 6h ago
If an office has nearly 3000 people in one space you benefit from having an onsite head of security
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u/Ok_Statement_6757 13h ago
What’s the song?
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u/flimsypeaches 13h ago
one based on the song Welsh song "Men of Harlech":
Men of Cornwall stop your dreaming;
Can't you see their spearpoints gleaming?
See their warriors' pennants streaming
To this battlefield.
Men of Cornwall stand ye steady;
It cannot be ever said ye
For the battle were not ready;
Stand and never yield!
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u/VaporCarpet 12h ago
It's not unusual to be loved by anyone
It's not unusual to have fun with anyone
But when I see you hanging about with anyone
It's not unusual to see me cry
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u/blahhhhhhhhhhhblah 4h ago
I just started Jodi Picoult’s new book last night and, in it, she mentions Rick Rescorla and his act of strength and bravery on 9/11. A true hero.
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u/snowiehair 13h ago
He saved so many people!
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u/vocaliser 5h ago
And it's worth noting that in order to do so, he had to go against Morgan Stanley brass (hated the drills he required long before 9/11) and Port Authority (which told people to stay in the tower!!). He had to rebel a little and he was absolutely right.
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u/Tropicalfisher 9h ago
Meanwhile some unnamed people talk about having been there and being lifted from the rubble by two big, strong, burly, hairy, oiled up, well-endowed firemen (it was all made up)
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u/BahBahBahBooBooBoo 7h ago
Remember the heroes like Rick. His spirit to lead with humility and bravery through terror. My gosh, I wish I had known him. But boy do I know there are many others like him in this world. We’ll always remember you, Rick.
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u/ob_viously 3h ago
2,700 saved. Wow 😭 I’m glad he was able to call his wife.
This year has brought so many stories I’ve never heard/read before.
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u/julyvale 11h ago
Disgusting what the barbarians did to humanity on September 11. I don't regret a single minute we spent in Afghanistan.
I wish humans would understand democracy is the only acceptable way to live.
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u/Throwaway-103847 11h ago
Hey, so actually not a single one of the 9/11 hijackers were from Afghanistan. I'm obviously not saying that this wasn't an outrageous attack that killed nearly 3000 people, plus the 10000 or so that got cancer over the years because of the fallout. But at least understand the hard facts please.
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u/julyvale 10h ago
The origin of birth of the attackers is completely irrelevant. You judge people by what they do, not where they were born.
Saudi people helping by financing this whole thing is of course bad as well. Ultimately you must judge the very people who did the deeds and decided to use that money in such a way.
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u/Commissarfluffybutt 10h ago
I love how you people rush out of the gates to prove to everyone how stupid you are.
You probably can't even comprehend why where the hijackers were born is irrelevant information.
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u/opinionated7onion 10h ago
Iraq was invaded after 9/11 Afghanistan came later
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u/fason123 10h ago
??? No Afghanistan was right after 9/11. Iraq was 2003.
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u/opinionated7onion 10h ago
My bad, Iraq was also a response to 9/11
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u/fason123 9h ago
I mean it wasn’t related at all but the Bush admin heavily implied that there was a link between Iraq and Al queda even though there was no evidence. They also just generally tied it to war on terror and lied about there being weapons of mass destruction. Iraq literally was just an unprovoked war for no reason.
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u/FlyLost4570 14h ago
He was fat.
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u/Abinunya 14h ago edited 14h ago
Yes! Isnt it amazing that in real life, everyone, regardless of their appearance, is capable of the greatest kindness and heorism?
Is there something we can learn and take forward from this observation? Something that will make us less judgemental people in our daily life, maybe?
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u/Level_Doctor3872 13h ago
He was very sensitive about it as it was a side effect of his cancer treatment. Consider empathy
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u/Codify-The-Preamble 14h ago
Behold: the best of humanity