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Summary: Hero of Ia Drang also Hero of World Trade Center
Review: This ran in Army Times. In addition to being one of the under-reported stories of 9-11, it seems like a remarkable footnote to a remarkable book.'The bravest man I ever knew' After a lifetime in which he cheated it many times, death caught up with Rick Rescorla halfway up the south tower of the World Trade Center.
But like a good soldier, he didn't sell his life cheaply. Death took him only after he had cheated it again, helping to save 2,700 lives by relying on the instincts and the preparation that had served him well in battles on two continents. Rescorla was a retired Army Reserve colonel and the head of security for Morgan Stanley's Individual Investor Group at the World Trade Center. But many readers will be more familiar with him as Lt. Rick "Hard Core" Rescorla, one of the heroes of the 1965 battle of the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam. "Rick was the best combat leader I ever saw in Vietnam," said Pat Payne, the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment's reconnaissance platoon leader in Ia Drang. Featured in book Rescorla's role in that battle is recounted in detail in the book "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young," a searing account of the action by retired Lt. Gen. Harold "Hal" Moore and Joe Galloway. In 1965, Moore was a battalion commander in the center of the battle, and Galloway was a UPI reporter who covered the entire engagement. Even those only vaguely familiar with the book have seen Rescorla's image - he is the gaunt soldier on the cover with the 2-day old beard and the bayonet fixed to his M16. When Rescorla showed up for Basic Training at Benning in 1963, he'd already seen more adventure than most soldiers do in a lifetime. Born in Cornwall, England, he joined the British army's Paratroop Regiment as a teen-ager, then became a military intelligence warrant officer. He served in that position in Cyprus during the violence that wracked that island in the 1950s, then left the British Army for a London police job in Scotland Yard's famous "Flying Squad" of detectives. He left England for another military job, this time as a commando in the Rhodesian Colonial security force in Africa. From there he came to seek his fortune in the United States. After breezing through basic training, Rescorla was picked up for Officer Candidate School. Last year he was inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame. He graduated as a second lieutenant in 1965, just in time to ship out to Vietnam with the 1st Air Cavalry Division. In November of that year, still a British citizen, he would draw on all his youthful experience in the battle of the Ia Drang. Headed the 'Hard Corps' Ia Drang was the Army's first major battle in Vietnam, and one of its bloodiest. The battle claimed 305 American lives, soldiers who died in fierce combat with a North Vietnamese regiment that also took heavy losses. Rescorla commanded 1st Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, and was almost worshipped by his soldiers, who called themselves the "Hard Corps" after his nickname. But his courage and infectious optimism resonated beyond those under his immediate command. Payne remembers Rescorla "leaping off [a] chopper and strutting into our small very beat-up group of survivors" during the night. After placing his men to fill the gaps in Payne's line and pausing to speak quietly to each soldier, he walked toward Payne. "I was so amazed to see him walking around because we had all been crawling on our stomachs for eight hours," Payne said. Speaking in a low, confident voice, Rescorla complimented Payne on establishing good fields of fire. "Then he looked me in the eye and said, 'When the sun comes up we are going to kick some ass.' I will never forget his words or the look in his eye. He said it in a confident, matter-of-fact way. He was not boasting, it was resolve." Rescorla earned a Silver Star for his actions at Ia Drang, and, in Moore's words, "went on to establish himself as a living legend in the 7th Cav in Vietnam." But behind the swagger and the self-confidence, Rescorla hid a keen intellect, according to Dan Hill, a former captain who met Rescorla at basic and remained his best friend. This fine mind served Rescorla well when he left the Army in the late 1960s and put himself through college and law school, before going on to establish himself as a specialist in security for financial firms. His will to live came to the fore again three years ago, when he was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and given six months to live. Against the odds, he beat the disease into remission. As Morgan Stanley's security chief, Rescorla brought his belief in the "seven Ps" - proper prior planning and preparation prevents poor performance - to bear, to the immense good fortune of his co-workers. Morgan Stanley was the largest tenant in the south tower, with about 2,700 employees in 20 floors. But incredibly, only six, including Rescorla and two security folks who worked for him, still are missing. Everyone else made it out alive. Obsessed with preparation Those survivors owe their lives in no small part to Rescorla's quick thinking at a time of crisis, and his obsession with being prepared for every eventuality. "He'd take every possible contingency that could happen, and he'd come up with a plan for it," Hill said. When the first plane hit the north tower, the Port Authority told workers in the south tower to stay put. But Rescorla disagreed and immediately executed an evacuation plan he had made the employees rehearse twice a year. The plan worked, and when the second plane hit the south tower, almost all Morgan Stanley employees were on their way to safety. So was Rescorla, who made it to the ground floor, singing "God Bless America" to calm the nerves of the evacuees. But he insisted on going back upstairs to check for anyone left behind. He was probably still climbing when the building collapsed. His wife, Susan, and his two children likely will remember Rick Rescorla for his generosity of spirit and his dry English wit. But middle-aged veterans of a hellish battle long ago in the sun and the elephant grass are more likely to remember Rick Rescorla as Bill Lund, another second lieutenant in that battle, does: "This was the bravest man I ever knew."
Rating:
Summary: The real facts.
Review: As I began I thought a book written by a General would be one sided. I was really surprised, this book was written with all the fact that was there. To look back and see just how the degeneration of the faith,pride,and backing of the American public to this non declared war can make you cry. Many protesters should bow their heads and ask gods forgiveness for their actions during that period. may god bless each and every man that went and fought for his country, they were true patriots to the man. We should never forget them.
Rating: 
Summary: A Story of Valor and Courage
Review: This is a gripping piece of work that vividly demonstrates the valor, courage, and sacrifice of professional soldiers and draftees in the face of a determined foe. The book is not just for the military history buff. While Gen. Moore and Joe Galloway created a book that appeals to the miltary history fan, this book goes beyond being just another war story. It tells the story of everyday Americans who fought and died for each other without question, for to do less meant certain death. You'll read it more than once.
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Summary: Gut-wrenching
Review: This IS the definitive non-fiction book to come out of the Vietnam War. COL Moore does a fine job with this tribute to the men under his command who fought so desparately in a WAR that many have tried to forget. May the world never forget what they did there. Not only is this a great, detailed account of squad-level infantry combat, it goes beyond other accounts in that it gives insight into the enemy's side of the story. The Vietnamese commander adds his perspective and frustrations about the battle into certain areas of the story. What a tragedy this was, and how sad it was to lose so many needlessly in the Tall Grass. There are plenty of heroes in here, if it's heroes you're looking for. There's even occasional humor, albeit morbid. How can one forget the guy who pressed his body close to the ground while under a hail of enemy gunfire, but then jumped up and danced around when a centipede crawled onto him? If you're planning on being an infantry officer, add this to your required reading list. We can't repeat the mistakes of the past, nor we can afford to not learn from the experience of the men in this battle. God bless all chopper pilots!
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Summary: May the movie do this book justice
Review: I first heard about this book when reading Mel Gibson would star in a movie based upon it. I decided to read it and am very glad I did. The battle of the Ia Drang valley is told graphically and well. The heroism of the soldiers there is astonishing. Many soldiers in the battle were veterans of WWII and Korea and state in interviews that this battle was the most vicious fighting they had ever seen. The battle scenes are retold by the soldiers who fought there, and as harrowing as these passages are, I was able to read them with fascination and admiration for the soldiers while not becoming overly emotional. But as some other reviewers have stated, the emotional part of the book is what happens to the families back home. It is reading through these heart-wrenching passages, that I too, broke down in tears reading about the feelings of loved ones who lost family members there. Lt Gen Moore and Joseph Galloway are to be commended for writing a wonderful book about some very brave soldiers who fought as valiantly in those few days in November of 1965 as any American soldiers have ever fought in any war in the service of their country. I salute them all. The director of the upcoming movie has written an open letter to the men of the 7th Cav telling them he will respect their valor in his depiction of them. I hold him to his word. Many Hollywood movies have portrayed Vietnam soldiers in very demeaning or cynical ways. May this movie be a rare exception.
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Summary: Grant that peace may be in our days.
Review: War is a terrible waste. Beautiful lives horribly cut off. In that sense, "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" is a very disturbing read. When encountering graphic descriptions of combat, at Ia Drang, I imagined every soldier killed or maimed could have been one or both of my boys (in reality they had not been born during the Vietnam era). The heart break of the surviving spouse, child, parent is poignantly told. We should all be continually praying for peace. But, it is also a story of brave and honorable men. If war does come, I hope our soldiers are of the caliber of Moore and the 7th Cavalry. For those of you that served in Vietnam, thank you and God bless you. For those that made the ultimate sacrifice, "Their bodies were buried in peace, and their name lives to all generations" (Sirach 44.14). Thank you Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway for writing "We Were Soldiers Once and Young".
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Summary: Important
Review: A story of war is a canvas for the depiction of human qualities and capabilities. The stakes are not just victory or defeat but life or death. Also, most of the persons involved don't want to be there -- at least that was true as to the average American serviceman in Vietnam. A war-story about Vietnam, then, is a story with very high stakes told about people who usually didn't want to be there and about what they did in a deadly confrontation. This is a subject of inherent drama and worth. We Were Soldiers Once is written by the American field commander in the battle of Ia Drang. The author extensively quotes servicemen who fought in that battle, and their remembrances are vital to this book. At times the book is quite moving, as when the author visits the grave of one of his officers who died in the battle of Ia Drang. At other times, it depicts awesome courage and resourcefulness.
Vietnam was a tragedy. Because of the ultimate futility of it and its exorbitant human cost to both America and Vietnam, it's a shame it happened at all. However, it happened, and Americans who fought and sometimes died in that war deserve to have their stories told. This book tells a piece of the overall story and tells it well.
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Summary: A Wonderful Tribute and Shocking Book
Review: This is not an easy book to read. That isn't a statement on the writing style or the way the book is organized. I found this a difficult book to read because of its content. Several times, more than I could count, I stopped reading and found myself staring off into space as the impact of what I had just read was beginning to sink in. Bravery and nobility, even in the face of such horror and violence, all in a day's work. I was humbled by the almost nonchalant way in which these men spoke about their role in the battles at LZ X-ray and Albany. I have't cried in reading a book in a long time but I could not hold back tears when reading the chapter at the end in which the wives and children back in the States told their own tales of how the battle impacted their lives. This book made me feel so very proud of all of our men and women who went to Vietnam, fought for our country, risked everything, and in far too many cases, never came back home.
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Summary: A Must Read!
Review: This is perhaps the best book that I have ever read. I could not put it down. The author replays what happened in the Ia Drang Valley, minute by minute as told by the soldiers who fought there...on both sides. This is definitely going to become a classic. What I like about the book is the author tells the story the way it was, without the sideline drama. You definitely feel as though you are transported back into the steaming jungles of the Ia Drang Valley. I would recommend this book to anyone that appreciates military history. This is a must read.
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Summary: One of the best books about Vietnam
Review: If ever you wanted to feel what it must have like to be in Vietnam during that awful war. READ this book. It is so realistic that you could hear the bullets zing by your face. After reading this book, my esteem and respect, now has no bounds for the combat vets of that conflict. Let us hope that our collective memory for the fallen never fades away. They deserve to honoured and revered, just like our respect for the World War 2 & Korean vets.
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