Today marks the 21st anniversary of the September 11 attacks. On this day, hijackers belonging to the militant Islamic extremist organization al-Qaeda stole and crashed four passenger planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and attempted to strike either the White House or the Capitol Building before it was forced to crash by passengers fighting to regain control of the plane. 2,996 Americans were murdered in these attacks. Another roughly 6,000 were injured. Over 3,000 children were orphaned. First responders, many of whom rushed the smoking hulks of the World Trade Center looking to rescue those trapped at higher floors, died with the Twin Towers’ collapses. Subsequent responders, including those that arrived from all over the United States to aid those in New York City, spent the following weeks working around the clock searching through the twisted heaps of rubble and debris for survivors, and eventually, recovering and identifying remains. And with the emergence of a growing and evil threat, the United States entered the Global War on Terror—an ongoing campaign that has produced 21 years of global conflict, costing the United States another roughly 7,000 lives and injuring nearly 50,000 more.
21 years later, we still witness the effects of this day. From airport security to ongoing military operations abroad, the United States’ evolution into a nation constantly bristling against future attacks can be seen everywhere. On this September 11, 2022, join us in remembering the thousands who were stolen from us, the bravery of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who tirelessly worked for their rescue and recovery, and all those who have and now stand to defend our nation from future attacks. In many ways, the following months saw us at our best and most virtuous, constantly reminded that despite whatever differences we all might have, we were all Americans. 9/11 showed the nation and the world what Americans can do when we are united. Today, it can be easy to forget that. So, as we mourn this anniversary, try and remember to live as we did in those days when we were united and resolute. Not for ourselves, but for the memory of those who cannot—for those like a man named Rick Rescorla.
Day to day, the practice of maintaining and optimizing security often falls through the cracks. Complacency grows quickly, and in the absence of a security failure, oftentimes security is little more than a facade. It requires a steadfast commitment to planning, rehearsal, and procedures to preserve an effective response to the variety of hazards that might threaten your business and staff. Rick Rescorla possessed such a commitment.
Born in the United Kingdom in 1939, Cyril Richard Rescorla showed this commitment his entire life and devoted his early adulthood to service, volunteering for the British Army at 16 years old. After completing his enlistment, he worked as a police officer in Northern Rhodesia and London before moving to the United States in 1963.
That same year, he enlisted in the United States Army and was commissioned as an officer. In 1965, Rescorla was sent to Vietnam and participated in the Battle of Ia Drang, popularly known for Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore’s 1992 book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young and Mel Gibson’s 2002 film adaptation We Were Soldiers. For his service, Rescorla was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Purple Heart and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Rescorla exited active service in 1967 after returning from Vietnam, and remained in the United States Army Reserves until 1990, retiring with the rank of Colonel.
Rescorla spent the years after Vietnam pursuing his education, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Arts degree in English, followed by a law degree. After graduation from law school, Rescorla taught criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, before transitioning to private security.
Rescorla joined Dean Witter Reynolds, a stock brokerage and securities firm that would later merge with Morgan Stanley, at their World Trade Center offices in 1985. From his hire date, Rescorla was gravely concerned with the possible risk of a terrorist attack, coupled with the lack of security at the World Trade Center. Although his concerns were largely dismissed, Rescorla persisted, organizing a private audit of the World Trade Center’s security in which he noted the vulnerability of the parking garage to a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Again, his suggestions on how the Port Authority might prevent such an attack were deemed too costly and ignored. Three years later, in 1993, terrorists would detonate a van packed with explosives a mere 30 feet from where Rescorla predicted such a bomb would be placed. In the years after the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, Rescorla’s credibility increased at Morgan Stanley. Using this newfound focus on security, Rescorla implemented a strict evacuation procedure, and incessantly campaigned Morgan Stanley relocate their offices to New Jersey or to an office that offered a lower risk of future attacks. Unfortunately, the company’s lease did not expire until 2006. Rescorla’s insistence on regular, realistic, and timed drills to rehearse Morgan Stanley’s evacuation plans were almost universally despised. The company occupied 22 floors of the South Tower, and the irregular disruptions to their workdays and timed exits down from dozens of flights of stairs often put him at odds with the senior executives who were also required to participate in such drills. This investment in planning, training, and rehearsal would ultimately repay them more than they could ever have imagined.
Rescorla heard the explosion from the North Tower at 8:46 AM on the morning of September 11, 2001 in his office on the 44th floor of the South Tower. Seeing the North Tower burning, Rescorla ignored the Port Authority’s direction to remain in place, and immediately began to order the evacuation of Morgan Stanley’s roughly 2700 employees in the South Tower. This strict adherence to the evacuation protocol would save thousands of lives, as most of his employees were already in the stairs exiting the building when the South Tower was struck at 9:03 AM. Many others that worked in the South Tower simply joined the organized Morgan Stanley employees’ ranks as they evacuated, allowing for hundreds of additional lives to be saved due to Rescorla’s staff’s calm, orderly exit from the building. After seeing the majority of his staff safely out of the building, Rescorla returned to the South Tower to ensure none of his staff had been left behind, where a colleague instructed him to evacuate as well. Rescorla replied, “As soon as I make sure everyone else is out.” Rescorla, along with his deputies Wesley Mercer and Jorge Valezquez, and security guard Godwin Forde, stayed behind to seek out others in need of aid, and died in their efforts. Rick Rescorla was last seen heading up the South Tower, on the 10th floor, just a few minutes before the South Tower collapsed at 9:59 AM. His remains were never recovered.
Rick Rescorla was a security professional who, time and time again, insisted on maximizing the readiness and training of his staff and company. A professional who, despite being repeatedly ignored and dismissed, unwaveringly planned and rehearsed realistic and strict drills to condition his staff to actively participate in their own survival. His methods were unpopular, uncomfortable, and time consuming. But when the moment of disaster struck, Rescorla and his staff were ready with a pre-planned and well-rehearsed exit strategy. All the hours Rescorla had devoted to his staff in lectures and rehearsal were returned tenfold as all but 13 of the nearly 2700 Morgan Stanley employees survived the collapse of the South Tower. Seldom can one man’s actions be so extraordinary as his, saving more of his employees than any other company located in the World Trade Center.
Rick Rescorla embodied the most magnificent display of service, selflessness, and courage that one could hope to possess. He was a husband and father, and at work he was an excellent leader, a phenomenal tactician, and a caring member of his team. And in death, he is an inspiration to any who know of him, and especially to those who share the responsibility he bore. For those tasked with the security of a business, a staff, or a facility, there are truly only two options—pay now, or pay later. Paying now requires the foresight to plan, rehearse, and adapt in a constant loop. It is the investment of time and energy in the preparation for a day that hopefully will never come. Paying later requires almost nothing. It is the complacency that inspires little to no preparation, training, or rehearsal, and if such a moment of crisis were to occur would offer little advantage, if any. In the years preceding the September 11 attacks, Rick Rescorla chose to pay now. He poured his decades of experience, tactical training, and leadership into arming his staff with the knowledge and rehearsals that would save their lives if the worst came to bear. On the morning of September 11, they were ready and rehearsed, and because of Rescorla’s leadership, nearly all Morgan Stanley’s employees were spared. Training and preparation saved their lives. Rick Rescorla saved their lives. In his honor, those of us in this field owe our jobs the same respect and professionalism.
If you are in such a position, invest the time and energy in training and preparation now. For over a century of security experience, contact JS Security Consulting and let our professionals work together with you to prepare and develop a comprehensive security network that allows you to know that if the worst comes to bear, you are ready. Contact us to schedule a free consultation today, and let JS Security Consulting keep you and your business safe, secure, and ahead of the worst.