A 9/11 Remembrance

His is not a household name.

One of his more notable photographs shows a man, proud of his uniform but with an impishness to his smile nonetheless, taking on the camera, on eyebrow quizzically raised, thus:

This is Rick Rescorla, born in Cornwall, England. Grew up not knowing he was poor, but knowing he was loved. Witnessed at 16 the arrival of US troops as part of World War II D-Day preparations. Knew then that he would embark on a lifetime of service, first in the British, then in the US military, as a platoon-leading lieutenant in Vietnam. His second, possibly more famous, portrait is from that time:

During danger, he would keeps his men’s spirits up by singing Cornish battle songs.

After active service, Rick studied first English, then law in Oklahoma and went on to teach for three years at the University of South Carolina before landing a job as Security Director at Dean Witter in the World Trade Center. Several years into his career (and despite his ignored prophetic warnings), in 1993 a truck bomb detonated in the WTC parking structure, killing six.

After this disaster, Rick consulted with his old friend, counterterrorism expert Dan Hill. The two men agreed the next attack would likely be from the air. Rick began drilling Dean Witter (and, after the merger, Morgan Stanley) personnel in orderly evacuation of the 22 floors of the South Tower they occupied.

No doubt plenty of eyes rolled as people grumbled through the drills. No doubt many executives winced and complained at the loss of productivity — though, to their credit, Morgan Stanley’s senior leadership supported Rick’s efforts.

Then 9/11.

Ignoring a “stay in place” order from the Port Authority (after all, only the North Tower had been hit), Rick initiated this real-time, high-stakes exercise. Once again, he sang Cornish battle songs as he herded Morgan Stanley employees to safety. He phoned his wife of three years, telling her to stop crying, there were people he needed to save.

Ever the platoon leader. Get them all out. Last man to leave.

Morgan Stanley employed around 2,700 employees in the South Tower. Only thirteen lost their lives. Among these were Rick, two of his lieutenants and a security guard.

He was last seen going back in to help others.

His body was never found.

In business continuity, we’re often tasked with exercising drills in the face of skepticism. Like Rick and Dan, we think the unthinkable. My BC training and analysis led me to pinpoint a single geographic point where a well-placed device or ill-fated accident could cripple the operations of a major company. For this type of thinking, we are often met with the derisive cry, “Yeah, but it’ll never happen here!” The honest answer is, “Yes. You’re probably right. But possibly you are wrong. And I have to plan for wrong.”

Nassim Nicholas Taleb defined what appear to be outrageously speculative and unlikely events, that nonetheless come true, as “black swans.” Was 9/11 a black swan? Not really, he argues. Not to the terrorists who meticulously planned it. To which I would add, not to Rick or Dan, either.

Knowing what he knew and drawing on his years of experience, Rick injected the business continuity evacuation drill procedures deep into the muscle memory of Morgan Stanley employees. The time might never come. But sadly and alarmingly, when it did, far less precious time was wasted trying to decide what to do and who’s in charge and how to communicate and where to go and how, ultimately, to get on the streets of the city, grieving but safe. Shocked, but able to live another day.

I started this remembrance by saying Rick Rescorla is hardly a household name. But to 2,700 survivors and their families and friends, he is so much more than that.

Live on, platoon leader, soldier. Live on, you brave, brave man.

Men of Cornwall stop your dreaming;

Can't you see their spearpoints gleaming?

See their warriors' pennants streaming

To this battlefield.

Men of Cornwall stand ye steady;

It cannot be ever said ye

for the battle were not ready;

Stand and never yield!

=======================================

Some Sources

Basic biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla