Posted on 11/04/2002 10:08:39 AM PST by Jakarta ex-pat
A Cornwall-born man who saved thousands of lives in the World Trade Center has been refused a gallantry medal by the UK Government.
Rick Rescorla, originally from Hayle, led colleagues at Morgan Stanley bank to safety, singing Cornish songs to keep their spirits up.
But the government's Ceremonial Secretariat said Mr Rescorla had mainly helped non-UK citizens and an award could set a precedent.
St Ives MP Andrew George has written to US president George Bush to plead for an American posthumous award.
Mr Rescorla took charge of much of the evacuation of the World Trade Center's south tower.
It is estimated he helped save up to 2,700 people, but the 62-year-old former soldier's body has never been found.
Mr George said he and Mr Rescorla's family in Hayle were not happy with the decision.
He said: "The award nominations unit [the Ceremonial Secretariat] has responded by saying although they'd like to give an award, they don't believe they can.
"To say we are disappointed is an understatement."
The Ceremonial Secretariat said: Gallantry awards can be given to non-UK citizens who save or attempt to save the life of a UK citizen either in the UK or abroad.
"In this case Rick Rescorla is eligible but the people he helped to rescue were not exclusively UK citizens.
"If we allowed an award to be given to him then we would set a precedent which would attract recommendations with very tenuous links with the UK."
Mr George said he has written to George Bush.
He said: "As well as writing to the Vietnam's Veterans Association to seek a posthumous award in the US, I have written to the president for a Presidential Medal."
Mr Rescorla's cousin, John Daniels, said: "They should make an exception in this case."
Obviously he was an American citizen as he fought for America in Vietnam, but above all he was Cornish."
Any chance Freepers could help?
Gee, we'd hate to encourage Englishmen to save the lives of more non-British subjects. Sorry! Their lives just aren't worth as much as ours, dear chap.
Its a pity the perpetrators were not so discriminate as this UK beaurocracy wants to be, perhaps Mr. Rescorla might still be here today.
http://www.lzxray.com/18.htm
So much for globalism.
Godspeed Rick Rescorla.
Seems simple enough . . . Did he save the life of a UK citizen or not?
You don't give the Flying Cross to an airline pilot, even though he may conduct himself in some extremely worthy manner. The Medal of Honor is not given to non-military personnel, even though many say that some firemen would qualify otherwise.
I don't think the Brits should have to change their standards in order to keep up with the flavor of the week. Rescorla clearly deserves recognition, but they can do that without changing the rules. What's next, nominating The Sopranos for an Oscar?
A Rick Rescorla... -BTTT-
Where in the rules does it say that the medal can't be given if you accidentally save a few foreigners in the process of saving fellow Brits?
Such as aviator Charles Lindburgh or those firemen responding to the Jap sneak bombing at Pearl Harbor? Yes, when an undeclared war comes suddenly to former, maybe even non-military personnel who react with the habits of a soldier, maybe it is appropriate to so award the MOH in such circumstances. If not, then we're not really in a *War on Terror,* just an excuse for some of George Bush's business partners to use the military to rid themselves of a few problems in oil-producing country and secure some more pipeline routes.
But Rick Rescola lived a soldier's life, and he died like one.
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