ICYMI: 9/11 Special - Leadership, Heroism & Sacrifice
“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” —Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl
Good morning, coaches!
I wanted to re-share this post from earlier this week since nothing else I could send out is more important than this.
Today is a special edition in honor of those lost on 9/11 and in my opinion, the best edition I have sent to date. I urge you to spend time reading, listening to, and watching everything. Ignore the next few editions until you get through this — you will learn stories of what being a true leader is, what it means to serve a purpose greater than yourself, how hard times bring us together, and why sports play such an integral role in society.
Today we have an article on a real hero, a podcast with the man who killed Osama Bin Laden, data on how NYC came together after the tragedy, and how baseball and George Bush came together to find something to rally the country.
If you have any feedback or content you think could be helpful for other coaches, feel free to reach out or leave a comment.
Please share this edition with someone today below.
Here we go!
ARTICLES
The Real Heroes Are Dead: This is a long read, but maybe the best article I’ve ever read on being a true hero, leader, and man of honor. It’s about Rick Rescorla, who joined the U.S. Army to serve in Vietnam and later became the VP in charge of security at Morgan Stanley (who had a large office at the Trade Center). His actions saved thousands of lives on 9/11 and the heroism is difficult to put into words. Bill Sweet does a twitter-thread every year on 9/11 with his story if you want to read it here (it is shorter).
He added that the Port Authority was telling him not to evacuate and to order people to stay at their desks. “What’d you say?” Hill asked. “I said, ‘Piss off, you son of a bitch,’ “ Rescorla replied. “Everything above where that plane hit is going to collapse, and it’s going to take the whole building with it. I’m getting my people the fuck out of here.” Then he said, “I got to go.”
Susan learned that at some point he had used his cell phone to report that all Morgan Stanley employees were out of the building. But one of the last to leave, Bob Sloss, told her that, just ten minutes before the building collapsed, he had seen Rescorla on the tenth floor. When Sloss reached him, he told Rescorla to get out himself. “I will as soon as I make sure everyone else is out,” Rescorla replied. Then he began climbing back up into the building.
“You see, for Rick Rescorla, this was a natural death. People like Rick, they don’t die old men. They aren’t destined for that and it isn’t right for them to do so. It just isn’t right, by God, for them to become feeble, old, and helpless sons of bitches. There are certain men born in this world, and they’re supposed to die setting an example for the rest of the weak bastards we’re surrounded with.”
PODCASTS
Note: if you want to listen to one of these podcasts, click the link at the end of the description to play it on the app of your choice. You may need to scroll back within your app to the date the episode released. If you are listening on a computer, I suggest using Overcast.
Ed Mylett Show: Robert O’Neill — The Man Who Killed Bin Laden. I listen to over 30 hours of podcasts every week and have been doing so for a few years, and this is by far the best episode I have ever listened to. O’Neill tells the story of the night his team killed Osama Bin Laden, and it is truly worth every second. The courage, grit, and teamwork O’Neill talks about is incredible. Guys who dove on people they thought were suicide bombers to absorb most of the bomb and protect the guys they served with. Guys napping on the helicopter ride to Bin Laden’s compound. It is a great example of people who are willing to sacrifice themselves - literally - for a greater purpose. [June 19, 2018–1 hour, 3 minutes] iTunes Podcast | Overcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Website Link
I had one of my guys say, “I’m not nervous, we do this every night. We fly somewhere, we fuck with some people, we fly back. This is just a longer flight.”
The best way to put it in perspective was we're not going after Bin Laden for fame, we are not going after Bin Laden for money, we are going for the single Mom who dropped her kids off on at an elementary school on a brilliant Tuesday morning and 45 minutes later she jumped to her death from of a skyskraper because that was a better alternative than 2,500 degrees fahrenheit.
Guys have been in combat so much, we realize you've got to get rid of the noise, get rid of the stuff that doesn't matter. Like getting shot down - you worrying about that will not stop it, so knock it off. So guys fell asleep - guys fell asleep on the (helicopter) ride to Bin Laden's house.
When I left for that [mission], she [his daughter] was 7 and I wrote her a letter. But I didn't write it to the 7 year old; I wrote it to the 27 year old — I'm really sorry I missed your wedding, I know you looked beautiful, thanks for taking care of your sisters.
MISCELLANEOUS
On NYC After The 9/11 Attacks (via Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging):
“The last time the United States experienced that kind of unity was — briefly — after the terrorist attacks of September 11. There were no rampage shootings for the next two years. The effect was particularly pronounced in New York City, where rates of violent crime, suicide, and psychiatric disturbances dropped immediately. In many countries, antisocial behavior is known to decline during wartime. New York’s suicide rate dropped by around 20 percent in the six months following the attacks, the murder rate dropped by 40 percent, and pharmacists saw no increase in the number of first-time patients filling prescriptions for anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication. Furthermore, veterans who were being treated for PTSD at the VA experienced a significant drop in their symptoms in the months after the September 11 attacks.”
DOCUMENTARY
30 for 30 Shorts: First Pitch: When the MLB season restarted after the 9/11 attacks, the NY Yankees played a key role in helping the city of New York recover. For those who don’t know, President George Bush was a life-long baseball fan and his first dream was to be commissioner of the MLB. When the Yankees made the World Series and had their first home game in the Bronx, President Bush decided he would step out and throw the first pitch without a bullet-proof vest against the wishes of the secret service. As you and your teams start to play again, think about the impact you will have on fans and people who have been dealing with hardships and just want a few hours of relief. Politics aside, I don’t think any of you will make it through this without goosebumps.
You don’t give up until the final strike. Maybe Americans believe until the last moment they can still win.