What does a true hero look like?

 

Rick Rescorla saved over 2,700 lives by leading the evacuation of the Morgan Stanley employees from the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Despite official guidance to stay put after the first plane hit, Rescorla, a former military officer, initiated his practiced evacuation plan, guiding nearly all his company's employees to safety. He then went back into the tower to help others but was lost when the building collapsed. 

Rescorla's Actions on 9/11

Years prior, after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Rescorla insisted on performing regular evacuation drills for the 22 floors Morgan Stanley occupied in the South Tower, often with bullhorn commands and songs to keep people calm. 

When the first plane struck the South Tower on 9/11, Rescorla refused to wait for instructions and immediately began the evacuation process. 

He moved through the stairwells, using his experience from Vietnam to keep people moving and calm, ensuring almost every employee was led out of the building. After nearly all employees were out, he returned to the building to search for any remaining stragglers, even as others told him his job was done. 

Rescorla was last seen on the 10th floor, still assisting others, before the South Tower collapsed.

 

 His body was never recovered. Rick Rescorla's foresight, disciplined leadership, and unwavering courage saved thousands of lives and cemented his legacy as a true hero. 

Rick was not a MOH recipient, but

their stories are worth telling...