09/23/2021 - Dark Tower - Never Forget- Rick Rescorla
AO: Dark Tower
When: 09/23/2021
PAX:
Number of Pax: 15
Pax Names: Augustus Gloop, Bassmaster, Big Gong, Bjorn, Blinky, Bush Push, Glenn, Gordon's, Harbaugh, Serena, Skilling, Sparkler, Stuffed Crust, Wide Right,
DR Names:
Number of FNGS: 0
FNG Names:
QIC: Smokey
Introduction
Less than 2 weeks ago, we all agreed to Never Forget 9/11. Tomorrow at Dark Tower, we honor that promise.
While I give you a zero Burpee pledge, I also promise we will put in more than enough work to honor one of the unsung heroes of 9/11.
Show up to honor him.
Show up to push yourself.
Show up and do the work.
0500
Clear morning in the low 50s. Beautiful day to honor a legend.
I rolled in at about 8 till. PAX were already out stretching and mumbling with more streaming in. We circled up at 0458 and began.
Warm-O-Rama
Mosey at a gentlemen’s pace, working in high knees, butt kickers, and arm circles. 45 seconds to stretch OYO.
Turned on the tunes, grabbed the coupons, and moseyed to the covered bridge.
The Thang
Thang 1 @ the covered bridge:
-50 Toes 2 Beam (hang on a beam, bring your toes to touch your hands)
-50 Coupon swings
-40 Toes 2 Beam, 40 Coupon swings, 30 T2B, 30 CS’, 20 T2B, 20 CS’, 10 T2B, 10 CS’
OYO coupon curls, overhead presses, or whatever strikes your fancy while waiting for the 6.
Grab coupons and mosey to the Free Speech Pavilion.
Thang 2 @ the Free Speech Pavilion:
-50 Step up’s (on a bench or picnic table) with the coupon
-50 Dive Bomber Push-ups
-40 Step up’s, 40 Dive bombers, 30 Steps, 30 dives, 20, 20, 10, 10.
Called it at 0555 and moseyed to the 9/11 memorial for CoT.
Circle of Trust
Prayers for Bush Push’s neighbor. Prayers of thanksgiving for Glenn’s return and family’s health.
CoR & NoR
CoT:
-At the bridge I asked if anyone knew who Rick Rescorla was. Silence. Bush Push then said he had heard the name and said he was the “security guy” related to 9/11. I was impressed.
-At the Pavilion I shared that Rescorla was British soldier who came over to America and joined the Army, fighting in the battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam. We all know the battle- the subject of the book & movie We Were Soldiers. Rescorla’s image is on the original cover of the book. He was awarded a Silver Star for his actions in that battle.
-After the Army, Rescorla joined Morgan Stanley as the head of security. When he joined in the early 90’s, he did a threat assessment of their offices, the 44th-46th floors of the South Tower of the WTC. He told the Port Authority it was a soft target and if he were attacking the building, he would put a large bomb near a load bearing pillar at the base of the tower. The Port Authority told him to stay in his lane and they would handle security.
-Several months later…the 1993 vehicle bomb happened. Rescorla convinced his bosses to allow him to prepare their employees for a disaster. They agreed and Rescorla conducted two mandatory full scale evacuations for Morgan Stanley employees per year. Employees started bringing tennis shoes for the long walks down the stairs, because they didn’t know when “the guy with the megaphone” would make them go all the way down using the stairs.
-Fast forward to 2001. When the first plane hit the North Tower, announcements came over the loudspeakers that everything was under control and employees should remain at their desks. Rescorla would have none of it. He grabbed his megaphone and ordered Morgan Stanley employees to evacuate. When the second plane hit the south tower, some of Rescorla’s employees had to change stairwells when the one they were in began filling with smoke.
-Rescorla and 2,687 of his fellow employees got out of the South Tower on 9/11. The count was off by 6. Rescorla was last scene alive in the stairwell of the south tower, 10th floor, going up.
-We can all take lessons from Rescorla. We all have to work within constraints out of our control, but can always work to stack the deck in our favor. When we know what the right thing to do is- do it. Prepare. For the day will come.
Closed with a prayer of thanksgiving, asking God to be with all those spoken and unspoken prayers, and asking him to allow us to be his hands in this world.
Naked Man Moleskin
I read about Rescorla in the book The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes- and Why, by Amanda Ripley. You can also google a pretty good feature piece on him from the New Yorker titled The Real Heroes Are Dead from 2/3/2002. Dude was a HIM, no question.
Outstanding crew at the BD today. It was great to see Glenn out again! He’s a minor celebrity in the BD community.
My apologies for the ripped up hands today. I’ve done the toes to bar workout on a pull up bar before, but underestimated the difference the square beam would have.
The Step up workout was a little training session for the Chad 1000 on 11/11. If you haven’t listened to the Jocko Podcast with Chad’s wife and the Go Ruck guy, give it a listen. It inspired me to commit to the Chad 1000 this year.
Thanks to all those who came out today!
-Smokey