The Memory of Rick Rescorla

Convinced that the Twin Towers would one day be targeted in a terror attack by air, Colonel (Ret) Rick Rescorla – a Vietnam hero and retired Infantry officer – cautiously prepared for the 9/11 attacks and was able to lead 2,700 people to safety from the World Trade Center before being killed as he returned into the South Tower to continue rescue efforts.

The National Infantry Museum Foundation needs your help to fund the recent restoration of the national Rick Rescorla monument on the museum’s Memorial Walk of Honor, just outside of Fort Moore, Georgia. In 2006, a monument was dedicated to Colonel Rescorla at the museum. It depicts him in his prime as a young Infantry platoon leader guiding the way in combat, his M-16 rifle with bayonet attached ready for use. The national monument honoring Rick Rescorla’s heroic actions has recently been restored. Weathering conditions affected the dignity of the statue and funding is needed to cover the cost of the monument restoration and provide ongoing maintenance for the memorial.

Rescorla, who at the time of the attacks was serving as Vice President of Security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, frequently insisted the banking firm run drills on how to get thousands of staff from the company’s offices – which covered 40 floors of the South Tower and a site nearby – out as quickly as possible.

As his fears came true, Rescorla’s training drills helped save thousands of lives that fateful day on September 11, 2001. He fought to ensure his staff’s safety until the very end and was last seen going back into the South Tower to rescue the remaining victims before it collapsed. However, Colonel Rescorla’s tale of bravery began long before that.  Born and raised in Cornwall, England, he  began his military career when he left school at the age of 16 by joining the British paratroopers and serving as an intelligence officer. By 24 years old, he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was preparing to deploy to Vietnam. He would return with a Silver Star for his bravery and leadership during the battles of LZ X-Ray and LZ Albany.