A man named Rick Rescorla died under the collapse of the World Trade Towers.

You guys who have read Galloway & Moore's book, "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young" will remember his picture on the cover with a fixed bayonet and the fact that he was all thru the book. He was a Brit who joined the US Army as an infantry platoon leader because he felt so strongly about fighting Communism, and Vietnam was the only place he could do that. One of his trademarks was singing to his men to keep them calm and focused under fire.

Rescorla eventually became Director of Security for Morgan Stanley when the bastards tried to blow up the towers from the basement 8 years ago. He was the last person out of his tower, after ensuring that there was not a soul left in the building. At one point, when the mob turned uncontrollable, he got their attention by dropping his pants. C'mon.

After the first airplane hit te other tower on Sept 11, Rescorla first called home from Tower 2 and said he was going to see what he could do to help, then he called later and said something to the effect of, "... if this doesn't work, it's been a great run, kiddo..."

That's the last contact with him from the outside. Where was he? Morgan Stanley had about 3,500 people on those upper floors of the WTC, and it appears that they may have lost possibly 15 of them.

Others saw him, variously, on 66, on 70-something, on 10 and then back at one of the higher floors (sweating), and many reported that the last they saw of him, he was climbing the stairs, as they were streaming down, and he was singing "God Bless America" to try to keep everybody as calm as possible.

I was lucky to have met him once, but I am not qualified to tell you any more than the above about the man named Resorla. Here is more about him, written to his Cav and Ia Drang buddies, from one who knows:
=====================================================
Susan Rescorla has asked me to tell all you wonderful guys in the Cav
that she really appreciates your desire to attend Rick's memorial service.
She knows you loved him, and she knows he loved you. But there is a hitch -
Rick left firm instructions about this. He instructed that his service be
quiet and private - just family and a bagpiper. Susan, of course, is
honorbound to respect his wishes.

She would like to suggest that you play TAPS for Rick at your next
reunion..... and maybe sing a chorus of THE WILD COLONIAL BOY (I have
attached some verses to this song that you might consider using.).

Rick requested that no flowers be sent. Instead, he asked that donations
be sent in his memory to:

THE RAPTOR TRUST
1390 WHITE BRIDGE ROAD
MILLINGTON, NJ 07946

The Raptors is a refuge for endangered species of birds. If the birds
are healed, they are let go.  If they are too injured to fly, they remain
there for life.  The memorial to Rick is as he wanted.  A large cage will
house two injured American Eagles.  One is blind, found in Alaska, and the
other has only one wing and is from the Valdez oil incident.  A marble
memorial to Rick will be erected near this cage.

Eagles..... it figures.

God Bless you guys.
=====================================================
Eagles ... it sure does figure.

My check is in the mail.

Bob K--