Marc Dillard

This week we honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever on September 11, 2001. Especially those with Oklahoma ties. In addition to OCU and OU graduate Rick Rescorla (see my post earlier today), at least seven more Oklahomans lost their lives on 9/11. Army Major Ron Milam was from Muskogee and died in the Pentagon, where he was serving the Secretary of the Army. David Shelby Berry was from Oklahoma City and died in the World Trade Center. David was a graduate of Casady School, Yale University and the London School of Economics. He was working at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods. Jayesh “Jay” Shah was from Tulsa and died in the World Trade Center. Jay was a graduate of Tulsa Memorial High School and the University of Tulsa. He was working at eSpeed International. David Harlow Rice was from Oklahoma City and died in the World Trade Center. David was a graduate of Bishop McGuinness High School, Loyola University Chicago and the London School of Economics. He was working at Sandler O’Neill. Army Spc. Chin Sun Pak “Sunny” Wells was from Lawton and died in the Pentagon. Wayne Terrial Davis was from Edmond and died in the World Trade Center. Wayne was a graduate of Edmond Memorial High School and the University of Maryland. He spent eight years in the U.S. Army and was working for Callixa Corp. Navy Petty Officer Brian Anthony Moss was from Sperry and died in the Pentagon. (These seven are pictured top to bottom, left to right)

This week we honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever on September 11, 2001. Especially those with Oklahoma City ties. Rick Rescorla is a graduate of Oklahoma City University School of Law, where I serve as Dean. His portrait hangs in my office. Rick was born in Hayle, Cornwall, England. At age 16, Rick voluntarily enlisted in the British Army, training as a paratrooper. He served with an intelligence unit in Cyprus. He later served in the Metropolitan Police in London. In 1963, he moved to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. He earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. After Vietnam, Rick came to Oklahoma and spent nearly a decade getting his undergraduate degree and master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, followed by a J.D. from Oklahoma City University School of Law. By 1985, he was working corporate security at the World Trade Center in Manhattan for the company that would eventually become Morgan Stanley. Rick predicted the exact nature of the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, but was ignored. Between 1993 and 2001, he would regularly lead evacuation drills at Morgan Stanley, sometimes in tension with senior executives who resented the disturbances. On September 11, 2001, his office was on the 44th floor of the South Tower. Morgan Stanley occupied 22 floors in the South Tower. The North Tower was hit first. In the 17 minutes that passed before the South Tower was hit at the 77th floor, a P.A. announcement was made to workers in the South Tower that they were safe and should remain at their desks. Rick overruled the announcement and with his bullhorn in hand, led 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees out of the South Tower. During the evacuation, he called his best friend and said “The dumb sons of b****** told me not to evacuate. They said it's just Building One. I told them I'm getting my people the f*** out of here." As he directed the evacuation in the the stairwells, he sang a song to calm the nerves of the Morgan Stanley employees. He sang one based on the Welsh song "Men of Harlech”: 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! Rick was last seen on the 10th floor heading upwards to look for more Morgan Stanley employees. Fifty-six minutes after the South Tower impact, it collapsed, killing everyone still inside. Out of 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees, only 13 died that day, including Rick.