What if there was a man who predicted the 1993 car bombing on the World Trade Centers and whose recommendations for enhanced parking security to prevent it were ignored?
What if there was a man who predicted another terrorist attack on the WTCs by aircraft and who strongly advised his firm to leave the WTC for a less attractive target, but his advice was ignored? What if there was a man who then compelled his firm to conduct unscheduled, surprise evacuation drills, much to the criticism of many firm senior officials who resented the intrusion into their busy days.
What if such a man on 9/11 saw the first tower hit, and then hearing Port Authority officials get on the PA for the now notorious announcement that everyone should stay in place, ignored official orders and initiated the evacuation drills for the 22 floors his firm occupied? Drills employees executed with the efficiency his training provided them.
What if, after getting almost all his company’s over 2,200 employees out, he ignored the requests of friends to evacuate himself and returned to the endangered building, believing there were a few more who might need to be saved? What if shortly before the tower collapsed on him he talked to his on his cell phone and said:
“Stop crying. I have to get these people out safely. If something should happen to me, I want you to know I’ve never been happier. You made my life.”
As it turns out, there is no “what if” to this at all. All of this, every word of it, actually happened. The man’s name is Rick Rescorla and we can all only hope that when our time comes that we face it with the courage and love for his fellow man that he did.
God bless Rick Rescorla and God bless a nation that produces people like him.
