Hero of the Week 43

Welcome back viewers!

This week we will honor a team of heroes.

They are...

The crew of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station!

The Pea Island Life-Saving Station was located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In the year 1880, it became the first and only lifesaving station to be operated by an African-American crew. The person chosen to be the keeper of the station was a former slave named, Richard Etheridge. And he and his crew would take part in a daring rescue that would make them heroes.

Etheridge had served in a colored unit in the Civil War. Upon his discharge from the military he joined the Life-Saving service. His skill as a surf man led to his assignment to the station on Pea Island. Due to his skin color, no white men agreed to work with Etheridge at the station (they felt that working under a former slave was too degrading). Therefore, his entire crew would be made up of African-American men. They were: Benjamin Bowser, Lewis Wescott, Dorman Pugh, Theodore Meekins, Stanley Wise, and William Irving. Although Etheridge and his crew frequently faced racism from the very same people that they were protecting, they continued to operate the lighthouse. Their defining moment would come on October 11, 1896.

On that day, a violent storm blew in along the eastern coast of the North Carolina. It was not long before the men on Pea Island noticed a distress flare. They then spotted a three-masted schooner (E.S. Newman) that had run aground about two miles offshore. Etheridge quickly prepared his crew for a rescue of the Newman's passengers and crew. They then launched a surfboat and paddled through the rough sea to the stricken schooner. Once they were there, they found they could not reach the vessel since it was not on dry land. Etheridge realized that there was no room for failure. He made the decision to tie his surfmen together and connected them to the shore by a long rope. The surf men then fought their way through the breaking waves as they went from the schooner to dry land at least ten times. They did this until all of the passengers and crew of the E.S. Newman had been safely evacuated from their ship. 

Despite their heroism, Richard Etheridge and his brave crew of surf men were never officially recognized for their actions. Never the less, the men remained dedicated to their duties at the Life-Saving Station on Pea Island. Richard Etheridge eventually died May 8, 1900 after serving twenty years at Pea Island. He was 58 years old. The station on Pea Island was decommissioned in 1947. For the next whole century, the brave rescue of the E.S. Newman by the men of Pea Island nearly faded into obscurity. It was not until 1996 (on the 100th anniversary of the rescue) that the United States Coast Guard finally recognized them. Richard Etheridge and his six crew members were all posthumously awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal.

Like many heroes before and after, the crew of the Pea Island Station went unrecognized for their heroism and service to our nation. To me the represent some of the best and most remarkable unsung heroes in American history. They lived in a country that did not see them as equal and found it in themselves to risk their lives to save others. It is because of people like them, that many others are alive today. They definitely deserve to always be remembered.

https://www.nps.gov/stateoftheparks/caha/culturalresources/lifesavingstation.cfm

https://blackthen.com/pea-island-life-saving-station-first-all-black-crew-in-the-country/

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2010/10/coast-guard-heroes-richard-etheridge/

Hero of the Week 42

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

Kurt Carlsen

Kurt Carlsen was born on February 20, 1914 in Denmark. He became a sea captain and was placed in command of the SS Flying Enterprise, a simple cargo freighter. It seemed like a pretty uneventful job to many people. However, one day proved to be unlike any other. It was one that would test Captain Carlsen in a way he never could have predicted.

On the night of Christmas in 1951, the Flying Enterprise was steaming from Germany to the New York City. All seemed well until the ship was caught in a terrible storm while off the coast of England. During the storm, the Flying Enterprise was struck by a massive rogue wave. The impact of the wave  caused the freighter to crack amidship. This crack along with the ship's own shifting cargo, caused it to list 45 degrees to port. By December 28, it became clear the ship was sinking. Carlsen quickly sent out an SOS.

Within hours, rescue ships responded and took off the 40 crew members and 10 passengers from the Flying Enterprise. To everyone's astonishment, Captain Carlsen refused to evacuate the stricken freighter. Instead he returned to his cabin and radioed to that he intended to stay aboard as long as the ship was still afloat. Despite knowing that the listing freighter could plunge beneath the sea at any moment, Captain Carlsen was determined to try and save his ship.

For the next two weeks, Captain Carlsen remained aboard the Flying Enterprise. He used a makeshift radio to maintain contact with rescue ships. His plan was to get a tug boat to tow the stricken ship into the British port of Falmouth in order to salvage the cargo. When Carlsen wasn't coordinating the salvage operation he scavenged for food and water throughout the listing ship (while it was being pounded by waves). He even continued to manage the ship's log. After about a week, Carlsen was joined by another sailor from a tug. The two then secured a tow line to the bow of the Flying Enterprise.

Despite the best efforts of Carlsen and the rescue tugs, it became clear that the Flying Enterprise could not be towed nor saved from its inevitable sinking. At 3 PM on January 10 of 1952,  Captain Carlsen and his companion jumped from the ship (now almost completely on its side) into the sea and were picked up by a tug. An hour later, the SS Flying Enterprise finally slipped beneath the waves.

Although Captain Carlsen had failed to save his ship, he found (to his astonishment) a hero's welcome awaiting him when he reached Falmouth. When he arrived in New York City, he was greeted with a parade on January 17. Captain Kurt Carlsen received the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Award from Congress. Within days he returned to his job to captain another ship (Flying Enterprise II). He continued to work as a sea captain for the rest of his life. He died on October 7, 1989.

The heroism of Captain Kurt Carlsen is a great example for all those who command vessels on the high seas. He showed an enormous amount of responsibility and dedication to his job even at the risk of his own life. He is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/opinion/the-captain-who-stayed-aboard.html

http://portsidenewyork.org/portsidetanke/2012/01/captain-who-stayed-with-his-ship.html

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19530605&id=MS9WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H-YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5990,1778702

Hero of the Week 41

Welcome back viewers

This week will honor two heroes who share a connection

They are...

Henry Breault and Sheppard Shreaves

Henry Breault was a US Navy sailor from Putnam, Connecticut. By 1923, he was serving on an American submarine called, O-5 as a Torpedo Man 2nd Class. Sheppard Shreaves was a dockworker and diver from Newport News, Virginia. By 1923, he was working at the Panama Canal. Neither of them could have every known that their fates would become intertwined by a terrible accident at the Panama Canal on October 28, 1923. It was an accident would turn both men into heroes.

Part I

Early in the morning the 28th of October, the O-5 (with a crew of 21) was heading south on Limon Bay, on the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. The sub was one of many ships that were on a routine transit between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At 6:24 AM disaster struck. Due to a series of miscommunications and maneuvering errors, the O-5 collided with a cargo ship called the, SS Abangarez. The collision tore a ten foot long by three feet wide gash in the hull of the O-5. As a result the sub rolled sharply to port then starboard before plunging bow first beneath the water. The sub was rapidly sinking. 

The crew of the O-5 immediately rushed topside in order to escape from the stricken ship. Henry Breault was one of the last ones out. However he realized that one of his shipmates (Chief Electrician's Mate Lawrence Brown) was asleep in the sub. Instead of jumping ship with the rest of the crew, Breault decided to go back into the stricken sub to try and rescue Brown. He quickly shut the deck hatch before heading below. 

He found Lawrence Brown in his bunk. Brown was awake but unaware of what was happening. Breault and Brown then tried to get to the escape hatch but found it blocked by water that was flooding into the sub. They then made their way to the torpedo room which was airtight. They quickly shut the door to the torpedo room and locked it. Moments later the O-5's battery shorted out plunging the sub into darkness. Although Henry Breault and Lawrence Brown had saved themselves from drowning, they were now trapped within a sunken ship 42 feet beneath the surface. Their only hope was for someone to rescue them from above.

Part II

The O-5 had sunk less than 1 minute after her collision with the Abangarez. Rescue ships quickly arrived and tried to save the crew in the water. The ships rescued 16 crew members from the water. They then realized that five men were missing. At 10 AM almost 4 hours after the O-5 sank, divers descended on the sub and began to hammer on the hull in order to check if there were men trapped inside. When they began to hammer on the torpedo room they got a response from Henry Breault and Lawrence Brown.

Hoping to save the two trapped men a major salvage operation was launched. The only way to rescue Breault and Brown, was to physically raise the massive submarine from the mud and out of the water using cranes and pontoons. Although the rescue team did not have any pontoons, they did have a massive crane barge, Ajax on the Pacific side of the canal. A plan was then made for rescuers to dive to the wreck, attach cables around the sub, and have the Ajax haul it to the surface. The man who would be in charge of this rescue operation was Sheppard Shreaves. 

Shreaves ("Shep") quickly put on a diving suit and took a team down to the sub at 11 AM. From there, they began the painstaking process of digging a tunnel (using a fire hose) under the O-5's bow before wrapping a cable around it. He later described the conditions in an interview, "The O-5 lay upright in several feet of soft, oozing mud, and I began water jetting a trench under the bow. Sluicing through the ooze was easy; too easy, for it could cave in and bury me. Swirling black mud engulfed me, I worked solely by feel and instinct. I had to be careful that I didn't dredge too much from under the bow for fear the O-5 would crush down on me. Once in a while, I'd rap the hull with the nozzle to let the boys know someone was working to bring them out. Their raps were returned weaker each time" The Ajax arrived at the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal at about 10:30 PM.

By the time the tunnel was through, it was about 11 PM. Shep then attached a 4-inch-diameter steel cable around the O-5's bow. The cable was then hooked to the Ajax which began to haul the sub out of the mud. Unfortunately the weight of water-logged sub coupled with the suction of the mud caused the cable to snap under the strain. Despite the setback, Shep and his crew immediately began to dig another tunnel and attach a second cable to the bow of the sub. At 2 AM of October 29, the Ajax again attempted to pull the O-5 to the surface. And again, the cable snapped.

For a third time, Shep and his team began to dig a tunnel under the O-5. By 12:30 PM, they had attached a third cable around the bow of the sub. This time however, Shep decided to alleviate some of the strain on the cable by releasing compressed air into the engineroom of the O-5 to unflood the compartment and lighten the boat. Once again, the Ajax attempted to pull the O-5 to the surface. Little by little, the Ajax continued to haul the sub for what seemed like an eternity. Until finally, the bow of the O-5 broke the surface of the water. 

Epilogue

Rescuers then quickly opened the hatch to the torpedo room. Henry Breault and Lawrence Brown emerged from the sub and were helped to the dock. The two men had been trapped beneath the sea for nearly 31 hours. They were rushed to a decompression chamber and later a hospital. Both men made full recoveries. The three missing crew members were confirmed to have drowned during the O-5's sinking. The submarine was later stripped and sold for scrap on December 12, 1924.

Henry Breault was hailed as a hero for going back to save Lawrence Brown during the sinking. On March 8, 1924 he received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Calvin Coolidge. He was the first submariner and to date the only enlisted submariner to receive the medal for heroism onboard a submarine. Breault would serve in the US Navy for another 20 years. He died from a heart condition on December 5th, 1941.

From the time of his first descent to the final haul of the O-5 from the depths, Sheppard Shreaves had spent nearly 24 hours in the water. For his dedication and hard work in saving Henry Breault and Lawrence Brown, Shreaves was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal. It was personally presented to him at a banquet hosted Henry Breault. He would go on to make more than 1,000 dives in his lifetime. He retired and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida after working at the Panama Canal for more than 32 years. He died in January of 1968.

Throughout history, there have been many incidents that have produced people who have done heroic deeds. But very rarely has there ever been an incident where a hero was saved by another hero. The connection between Henry Breault and Sheppard Shreaves was one of those incidents. Both of these men put their lives on the line to save another. When Breault realized that one of his shipmates had been left behind, he chose to reenter a sinking ship to save him and became trapped in the process. When Sheppard Shreaves arrived on the scene, he worked day and night in hard conditions to save to men from a terrible fate. The way I see it, both of these men are people who should be held in high regard.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/submariner-ever-receive-medal-honor-locked-inside-sinking-submarine.html

http://militaryhonors.sid-hill.us/history/o5-pcr.htm

http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2016/10/21/torpedoman-2nd-class-henry-breault/

http://www.onenewengland.com/article.php?id=120

http://www.panamahistorybits.com/htmfiles/2015-08-15P.pdf

Hero of the Week 40

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

Irena Sendler

Irena Sendler was born on February 15, 1910 in the town of Otwock about 15 miles southeast of Warsaw, Poland. Although she was a Roman Catholic, most of the residents in Otwock were Jewish. As a result, she grew up with many Jewish friends. She was greatly influenced by her parents who were quite friendly with the community and raised her value for all her neighbors regardless of their differences. As a young woman, her values would be put to the ultimate test.

On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. By the month of October, they were full control of the country. Almost immediately, the Nazis began to persecute Poland's Jewish population. Those in the city of Warsaw were one of the Nazi's main targets. In November 1940, as many as 400,000 Jews were forced to move into a 1.3 mile complex called a ghetto. Once they were inside, the Nazis walled up the ghetto and sealed it off from the outside world. The conditions in the Warsaw ghetto were deplorable. Its inhabitants suffered from lack of food and medical supplies. This coupled with very poor hygienic conditions and occasional abuse from the Nazi guards caused thousands to die on a daily basis. 

At the time, Irena was working as a Senior Administrator for the Warsaw Social Welfare Department (a humanitarian organization). After seeing the eviction of Warsaw's Jews into the ghetto and hearing of the terrible conditions, she decided to do what she could to help them. As an employee of the WSWD, she was granted a special permit that allowed her to enter the ghetto under the pretext of conducting sanitary inspections. Upon entering, she witnessed the horrible treatment of the Jews firsthand. She then resolved to do everything in her power to help them. In the Fall of 1942, Irena joined Zegota. This wan an underground network made up of Poles who were dedicated to helping Jews in Warsaw. Their main method was to smuggle people out of the ghetto and to secret hiding places in or outside the city. 

At first, Irena and other members of Zegota smuggled out orphans living on the ghetto's streets. Later, she would meet with Jewish parents and asked them to let her get their children out and placed with a Polish family. Although many of the parents were reluctant to do this they relented when Irena promised them, that their children would be returned to them when the war was over. Irena always wrote detailed lists (which she kept in a jar) of the hidden children and their locations so that the families could be reunited. For the next year, Irena smuggled at least 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto. 

Unfortunately, the Gestapo became suspicious of her activities and arrested her on October 18, 1943. She was then imprisoned in a notorious prison (the Pawiak) for several days. Despite being severely beaten and tortured (she never fully recovered from her injuries) she refused to give the Gestapo any information. As a result she was sentenced to be executed. Luckily, Irena's guards received a bribe from members of Zegota. On the day of her execution, they simply left her in the woods and listed her as executed. Irena spent the remainder of the war in hiding.

At the end of World War II, Irena worked to track down the hidden children and reunite them with their families. Sadly most of children's the parents and extended family had all been murdered at death camps like Treblinka. Of the more than 400,000 people who had been imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto (including 80,00 children) just over 1 percent survived the war. 

In 1965, Irena Sendler was recognized and honored by Israel as one of the Righteous among the Nations. She became an honorary citizen in 1991. For the rest of her life, Irena Sendler lived in Warsaw where she worked in education. She was often visited by many of the children that she had rescued. Despite being hailed an international hero, Irena never thought of herself that way and often lamented for not being able to save more people than she had. Irena Sendler passed away on May 12, 2008. She was 98 years old.

Irena Sendler was one of the bravest and most remarkable individuals in history. In one of the greatest tragedies in human history, she was one of the few who saw the horror and chose to take action. She displayed great courage and compassion for those in need. As a direct result of her actions, more than 2,500 people survived the Holocaust. I believe that she should be recognized as one of the greatest heroes in history.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/irena-sendler

http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/righteous-women/sendler.asp

http://www.auschwitz.dk/sendler.htm

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-379-egota

https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/939081/jewish/Irena-Sendler.htm

Hero of the Week 39

Welcome back viewer!

This week's hero is...

Lori Piestewa

Lori Piestewa was born on December 14, 1979 in Tuba City, Arizona. She grew up on the Navajo Indian Reservation (she was of Hopi descent). Many in her family had served in the military (her father was a veteran of Vietnem). After 9/11, Lori decided to follow her family's legacy and enlisted in the US military. She was assigned to the 507th Army Maintenance Company as as a Private First Class and was deployed to Iraq in early 2003. 

On March 23, 2003, Lori and the 507th were part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Their mission that day was to eliminate resistance in the city of Nasiriyah. The 507th, was one of the last companies of a long column of vehicles that was patrolling the city. Unfortunately, a small part of the convoy (the 507th included) took a wrong turn and became lost in Nasiriyah. While trying to get out the convoy drove directly into a deadly ambush. Lori (who was the driver of a vehicle) attempted to drive out of the ambush zone. However, an RPG struck the vehicle and caused it to crash, knocking Lori unconscious with severe wounds to her head. Her comrades in the vehicle attempted to continue fighting but were quickly surrounded and overwhelmed. Eleven American soldiers were killed in the ambush as Nasiriyah. Lori was taken prisoner along with six others (including her close friend, Jessica Lynch).

On April 13, 2003, Coalition forces located and rescued the POWs from the 507th Company. Sadly, Pfc. Lori Piestewa had died of her wounds not long after her capture. She was 23 years old. Lori was one of the first Americans to be killed in the Invasion of Iraq and the first woman of Native descent to be KIA. She was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Prisoner of War Medal. In the aftermath of the ambush at Nasiriyah, most of the news media was centered on Jessica Lynch and Shoshana Johnson (the first female African-American POW). However, very little attention was given to Lori Piestewa despite being credited as the real hero by Lynch. Even today, she has been largely forgotten by the American public. 

To me, Lori Piestewa represents most of the people who have served in our military. She was a brave and strong-willed woman gave her life for her country and received very little in return. Like many before her, she has passed into history without much recognition from those she died to protect. I hope that someday, she will get the major recognition that she very much deserves. 

http://www.oshadavidson.com/Piestewa.htm

https://www.army.mil/americanindians/piestewa.html

https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/remembering-lori-ann-piestewa-hopi-woman-warrior/

Hero of the Week 38

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

Abbie Burgess

Abbie Burgess was born on August 1, 1939 in Rockwell, Maine. She grew up in Rockwell until she and her family moved to the Matinicus Rock lighthouse at Penobscot Bay after her father had found work as the keeper of the lighthouse there. Adjusting to life on Mantinicus Rock was far from easy for Abbie and her family. The work around the lighthouse was very tedious and the weather was usually very harsh. However, nothing could have prepared anyone for what would happen in January of 1856.

That month, Abbie's father (Samuel) left the lighthouse to retrieve supplies from Rockwell. Samuel left Abbie in charge of the lighthouse (as her mother was sick at the time). As the days past, a large storm approached the bay. For the next couple of days, the storm battered the lighthouse. Soon the waves began to break over and flood the island. In desperation to save her family, Abbie quickly got her mother and younger siblings out of their house and walk to the lighthouse. Once her family was inside, Abbie immediately went to the storehouse to get food and water (she also grabbed her pet chickens as well). After this she locked the door to the lighthouse. 

Despite his best efforts, Abbie's father could not return to Matanicus Rock as the violent storm made any landing impossible. By January 19, Matanicus Rock was almost completely underwater with only the lighthouse tower remaining above sea-level. For the next four weeks, Abbie Burgess and her family remained in the lighthouse waiting out the storm and the foul weather that followed.  During this time, Abbie cared for her family and kept the light in the tower burning. She described the experience many years later. 

"The new dwelling was flooded and the windows had to be secured to prevent the violence of the sray from breaking them in. As the tide came, the sea rose higher and higher, till the only endurable places were the light-towers. If they stood we were saved, otherwise our fate was only too certain. But for some reason, I know not why, I had no misgivings, and went on with my work as usual. For four weeks, owing to rough weather, no landing could be effected on the Rock. During this time we were without the assistance of any male member of our family. Though at times greatly exhausted with my labors, not once did the lights fail. Under God I was able to perform all my accustomed duties as well as my father's."

Abbie's father eventually returned with a rescue party to find his family alive and well. The family would continue to live at the lighthouse for another 5 years until Samuel Burgess lost his position due to political reasons. After that Abbie's family returned to Rockwell. However Abbie stayed behind at the lighthouse as an assistant the new keeper (a man named, John Grant) in operating the light. She eventually fell in love and married one of Grant's sons (Isaac Grant). Abbie and Isaac (who was also an assistant keeper) remained at Matanicus Rock until they were reassigned to the Whitehead Light in 1875. They worked there with their four sons for the next 15 years until they retired in 1890. Abbie Burgess died in Portland on June 6, 1892 at the age of 53.

Abbie Burgess is one of the most exemplary figures that I have ever read about. She was someone who dedicated her life to serving her fellow citizens and her duty. She had great responsibility placed on her at a very young age and still came through. I believe that she is one of the greatest heroes in American history!

http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/abbie-burgess-16-year-old-heroine-matinicus-rock-lighthouse/

http://maineanencyclopedia.com/grant-abbie-burgess/

http://www.newenglandlighthouses.net/matinicus-rock-light-history.html

Hero of the Week 37

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

Gertrude Ederle

Gertrude Ederle was born on October 23, 1905 in New York City. She became an avid swimmer very early in her life. When she was a teenager she left school and joined the Women's Swimming Association. In 1924, Ederle competed in the Summer Olympics in Paris. There she won one gold and two bronze medals. However, her biggest accomplishment would occur just about a year later. This would be when she took the challenge of trying to swim across the English Channel. 

In early August of 1925, Ederle began her swim. However, after she swam 23 miles for more than 8 hours, she suffered a case of bad luck. During the swim, Ederle paused while facedown in the water. Fearing she was drowning, her coach ordered another swimmer to retrieve Gertrude from the water. As a result, her first attempt to cross the channel ended in failure. Despite this setback, she was not deterred from another attempt to swim across the channel.

A little after 7 AM on August 6, 1925, Gertrude Ederle once again, waded into the channel and began her long swim across. Despite very choppy seas, Ederle continued to swim nonstop all the way across the channel. During her swim, she kept herself focused by swimming to a tune in her head (it was called "Let me call you Sweetheart") to the rhythm of her stroke. After swimming for more than 14 hours Gertrude Ederle finally made it ashore on the English coast. Although the English Channel is only about 21 miles long the rough seas caused her to swam an estimated 35 miles. Her time of 14 hours and 31 minutes was a world record that stood for the next 25 years. 

Upon her return to the United States, Gertrude Ederle received a hero's welcome. However, unknown to many Gertrude had been suffering from a major hearing problem since she was a child. Her time spent in the English Channel caused her hearing problem to get even worse. This caused to try and avoid the spotlight. In 1933, she suffered a bad fall that severely injured her back. As a direct result, here professional career as a competitive swimmer came to an end. To make matters worse, by now her hearing was almost gone.

Despite her competitive career being over, Gertrude Ederle eventually returned to the water. She got a job as a swim instructor at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965. From that point on she lived a modest and quiet life until her death on November 30, 2003. She was 98 years old. Gertrude Ederle was a very remarkable woman. While growing up she made many accomplishments while secretly dealing with a number of challenges. I believe that she is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/01/sports/gertrude-ederle-the-first-woman-to-swim-across-the-english-channel-dies-at-98.html

https://www.biography.com/people/gertrude-ederle-9284131

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gertrude-Ederle

Hero of the Week 36

Welcome back viewers!

This week's hero is...

Rick Rescorla

Rick Rescorla was born on May 27th, 1939. Throughout his early life, Rescorla dedicated much of his life to serving in the United States Army. He served in the battle of the Ia Drang Valley during the Vietnam War. For his service and valor he received the bronze star and purple heart. Although he displayed incredible courage in Vietnam, it was what he did on 9/11 that turned him into a legend.

Following his retirement from the army, Rescorla became employed as a security director for Morgan Stanley, a financial services firm located in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He was present during the 1993 terror attack on the twin towers and helped to coordinate its evacuation. In the aftermath of the 1993 attack, Rescorla made major improvements to the trade center incase for the need of future evacuation. Unlike many, Rescorla believed that there would be a second attack on the trade center in the years to come. He was proven right on September 11, 2001.

When American Flight 11 flew into the North Tower, Rescorla immediately assumed the worst and ordered the evacuation of Morgan Stanley's employees. Using a bullhorn and a walkie-talkie, he directed people to the staircase and organized an orderly evacuation out of the tower. Minutes after he did this, United Flight 175 struck the South Tower. This caused Rescorla to step up the evacuation. For the next 50 minutes Rescorla successfully evacuated a total of 2,700 people from the South Tower. Despite being urged to evacuate himself, he refused to do so until he made sure everyone else was out. He was last seen on the 10th floor heading up to check for more people. The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 AM killing all who were still inside. Rick Rescorla's body was never found. He was 62 years old.

The heroism of Rick Rescorla was truly remarkable. He put his life on the line multiple times for his countrymen during his military service and his civilian life. Instead of living a relaxing life of retirement after serving in the Army, he continued to dedicate his life to protecting those around him. And on a day that became the worst in American history, he gave his life to save them. I believe that he is one of the greatest heroes in the world.

https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Rick-Rescorla-Saved-2-687-Lives-on-September-11

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2001/10/28/a-tower-of-courage/c53e8244-3754-440f-84f8-51f841aff6c8/?utm_term=.928a732c24d3

https://www.thayerleaderdevelopment.com/blog/2017/leadership-on-9-11-the-story-of-rick-rescorla-and-morgan-stanley