THE RICHARD
C. RESCORLA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
E-MAIL rescorlamemorial@aol.com
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Rick Rescorla - Battle of the Ia Drang - Viet Nam - 1965
My husband, Rick Rescorla,
was one of the 3,000 Americans murdered by terrorists on 9/11/01. Rick was Vice
President of Security for Morgan-Stanley/Dean-Witter, the largest tenant in the
World Trade Center. His heroic actions on the day of the attack, along with his
extraordinary foresight and preparation, saved the lives of 2,700 people. His
story has been told on television and radio - in newspapers and magazines - and
in the book Heart Of A Soldier,
by Pulitzer Prize winner James B. Stewart. Rick is also on the cover of another
book, We Were Soldiers Once... And Young,
written by General Hal Moore and Joseph Galloway. You see, 9-11 was not the
first time Rick had distinguished himself. 9-11 was just the last heroic chapter
of his heroic life.
I am so very proud to have
had him in my life. I want so to have his legacy live on. Rick's
friends and I decided to establish The Richard C. Rescorla Memorial Foundation
in Rick's memory, to keep present the magnitude of Rick's life and to promote
the virtues Rick lived by – duty, honor, and courage.
To that end we commissioned a bronze statue of Rick, based on that iconic photo of him at the Ia Drang. This statue will be placed on permanent display at the new National Infantry Museum to be built at Ft. Benning, Georgia. This statue was unveiled April 1, 2006 at a wonderful ceremony at the old museum and is now in storage there while the new museum is being built.
Many people contributed their time, effort, and money to this project. To each of you, I extend my deep gratitude and enduring appreciation.
Susan Rescorla
THE STATUE UNVEILING CEREMONY WAS FABULOUS!
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
PICTURES ARE POSTED NOW ON THE STATUE PAGE.
WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT RICK'S STATUE WILL NOT BE ON PUBLIC DISPLAY UNTIL 2008 WHEN CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON THE NEW NATIONAL INFANTRY MUSEUM.
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THE MAN WHO PREDICTED 9/11
The History Channel
THE MAN WHO PREDICTED 9/11 tells the extraordinary story of Rick Rescorla - from his English childhood, to his heroics in Vietnam, to his work as Security Chief at the World Trade Center where he became convinced that an attack was imminent. His foresight and actions saved more than 2,700 lives on 9/11. It follows the dramatic timeline of what happened to Rick between 8:45 a.m. when the first plane hit Tower 1 and 9:58 a.m. when Tower 2 -- and 500,000 tons of steel and concrete -- collapsed on top of him. It features interviews with his biographer, Pulitzer Prize winning author James Stewart, his wife Susan, many of the men and women whose lives he saved that day, and footage of Rescorla making his predictions.
This show can be purchased on DVD from the History Channel Store
Go to: http://store.aetv.com/html/home/index.jhtml
WATCH RICK'S 1998 INTERVIEW ON THE NET
http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/content/voice_prophet
The Voice of the Prophet
A truly chilling example of foreshadowing, The Voice of the Prophet is an interview with Rick Rescorla, the head of security for the investment firm Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Filmed on the 44th floor of the World Trade Center in 1998, Rescorla details the future of warfare long before Osama bin Laden became America's Most Wanted.A retired Army colonel, veteran of combat in three wars and a survivor of the 1993 bombing of the twin towers (in which he saved the lives of hundreds of Morgan Stanley employees), Rescorla was killed in the WTC attacks of September 11, 2001. In this interview, Rescorla all but predicts the events that lead up to the September 11 attack and the war on terrorism that followed.
The Chase-Rescorla Scholarship banquet was a great success. Below is an article from the St. Augustine RECORD.
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Wife
of 9/11 hero visits
It's been a few years since Susan Rescorla last visited St. Augustine. In town recently for the Chase-Rescorla Scholarship Fund dinner, Susan took the opportunity to visit her friends, Pat and Dan Hill who reside on Anastasia Island. Her ties to St. Augustine go back to Feb. 20, 1999, the day she married Rick Rescorla on the grounds of the Castillo de San Marco. Rick's friends, Pat and Dan and Kathy and Fred McBee witnessed the marriage ceremony performed by Judge Richard Weinberg. Susan reminisced about the wedding and the dinner that took place afterward at Le Pavillon Restaurant. "It is a wonderful memory," she commented. Now a widow, Susan visited the Hills in St. Augustine three times after the death of Rick, and always to coincide with the wedding anniversary. "Pat, Dan, and I would return to Le Pavillon for dinner and there would always be a place setting and an empty chair for Rick," she said of the gathering. Rick Rescorla was head of security at the Morgan Stanley headquarters that was located in the World Trade Center. On Sept. 11, 2001, he lost his life after leading 2,700 employees to safety after the attack. The memory of the 9-11 tragedy remains vivid for many, especially Susan, who has been on a mission to honor her late husband and to keep the memory of 9-11 alive. "People forget so quickly," Susan said as she spoke from the Hills' living room. "Those of us who have lost loved ones or who were there on that horrific day, will never forget," she said, "but you'd be surprised how quickly the memory has faded for many." The friendship of Dan Hill and Rick Rescorla goes back several decades. Rescorla and Hill survived Vietnam, and both were awarded the highest commendations for their valor. The story of their friendship and adventures while serving together became the subject of the book, "Heart of a Soldier," by Pulitzer Prize award winning author James B. Stewart. Their friendship continued until Rick's death. In fact, Rick called Dan from the World Trade Center shortly after the 9-11 attack frantically trying to know more about what was being reported on television, since communication within the building was knocked out. In memory of Rick, Dan and Susan have worked with others to establish a memorial to Rick at the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Ga., where Rick attended Officer Candidate School. Both have taken their cause to the public to fund the memorial. Since Rick was British born, Susan has spent much time in England and Europe telling Rick's story, mainly to keep the memory of 9-11 and Rick alive. Dan's efforts have been closer to home. A bronze statue of Rick was dedicated two years ago at the museum. It will soon be moved to a new home at the U.S. Army Infantry Museum located just outside Fort Benning. That move required a new base for the statue. As funding was received, Dan made arrangements for a granite base which was made locally at Set In Stone. Engraving on the base is also being done locally by LDC, a laser art imaging company. The statue itself cost $75,000. The base and engraving is costing $12,500. "We still have about $2,500 more to raise," Dan noted. Susan's recent visit was at the invitation of the Chase-Rescorla Foundation which held its annual awards dinner on April 5 at the Renaissance Resort Hotel at World Golf Village. Nine local high school students were given college scholarships at the annual event. The foundation was established locally to honor Rick and a St. Augustine man, Leo C. Chase, who at the age of 21 as a U.S. Army private, was killed on Nov. 14, 1965, during the Battle at Landing Zone XRay in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam. Chase was a rifleman in Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Calvary. Ironically, Rescorla was in the same battle where he served as Platoon Leader B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Calvary. "It was an honor to be at the dinner which brought two deceased people together who fought the same battle and had never met," said Susan.
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