There were lots of heroes 11 years ago today, but this one man deserves some recognition for his actions.

[Tiberius]

Rick Rescorla, director of security at Morgan Stanley:

Rescorla, with his old American friend from Rhodesia, Dan Hill, reasoned that the World Trade Center was still a target for terrorists and that the next attack could be a plane crashing into one of the towers. He recommended to his superiors at Morgan Stanley that the company leave Manhattan. Office space and labor costs were lower in New Jersey, and the firm's employees and equipment would be safer in a proposed four-story building. However, this recommendation was not followed as the company's lease at the World Trade Center did not terminate until 2006. At Rescorla's insistence, all employees, including senior executives, then practiced emergency evacuations every three months.

At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 struck World Trade Center Tower 1. Rescorla, following his evacuation plans, ignored building officials' advice to stay put and began the orderly evacuation of Morgan Stanley's 2,700 employees on twenty floors of World Trade Center Tower 2, and 1,000 employees in WTC 5. Rescorla reminded everyone to "...be proud to be an American ...everyone will be talking about you tomorrow", and sang God Bless America and other military songs over his bullhorn to help evacuees stay calm as they left the building.

Rescorla had most of Morgan Stanley’s 2,700 employees as well as people working on other floors of WTC 2 safely out of the buildings by the time United Airlines Flight 175 hit WTC 2 at 9:03 a.m. After leading many of his fellow employees to safety, Rescorla returned to the building to rescue others still inside. When one of his colleagues told him he too had to evacuate the World Trade Center, Rescorla replied, "As soon as I make sure everyone else is out".

According to Stephan Newhouse, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Rescorla was seen as high as the 72nd floor evacuating people, clearing the floors and working his way down. He was last seen heading up the stairs of the tenth floor of the collapsing WTC 2. His remains were not recovered. As a result of Rescorla's actions, all but 13 of Morgan Stanley's 2,700 WTC employees survived.

[Welsh cake]

Who were the idiotic building officials that cost people their lives anyway? This unlucky man was one of those told to go back to his office.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEwY8uZ4BAI

Thinking about it, wasn't it those same imbeciles who set up antennae farms on top of the doomed towers that prevented the NYPD from using the Helipads?

[Shell B]

Wow. I had never heard of him. What an amazing person.

[Tiberius]

Who were the idiotic building officials that cost people their lives anyway? This unlucky man was one of those told to go back to his office.

Not so idiotic. When Tower 1 was hit, the people in Tower 2 were told to remain in their offices. After all, at the time people thought it was a tragic accident and didn't expect either the second plane, or for the first tower to collapse. Evacuating both towers would be a mess of confusion, especially with possible falling debris.

[Shell B]

Evacuating the towers was a mess of confusion. Of course, I wouldn't have told people where to go or what to do. If you feel unsafe and want to leave a building, go. No one should be able to tell you to compromise your sense of safety.

[Annik]

I saw this on Reddit earlier this morning. Brave guy who obviously cared a lot about his company and staff.

[Puddleglum]

What pissed me off was those rescued by the incredibly brave actions of Firefightrers, police, medics and heros like this man were seen 'thanking god'. God was nowhere to be fucking seen.