President trump thank you very much. Please. Thank you. Great to be with you. And thank you all for being here. Today, its my honor to present an award reserved for those who perform exemplary deeds or acts of service for this great nation and its citizens, the president ial citizens medal. And its a big deal. Cheers and applause] this evening, we come together to pay tribute to a fallen hero who devoted his life to defending freedom and who made the supreme sacrifice to safe thers on september 11, 2001. Colonel richard. Richard was a great gentleman. Hes looking down proudly on this wonderful family. And congratulations. Its a big its a big evening. And its great to have you at the white house because theres no place like it. Thank you. Cheers and applause] were profoundly grateful to have with us ricks beloved family. Please join me in welcoming his wife susan. Thank you, susan. [applause] his son, trevor, and his daughter kim. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] thank you. Thank you. And to each of you we cannot understand what youve endured but we express the gratitude of 329 million americans. Its a lot of people. Rick was born in cornwall, england. As a boy he met american soldiers preparing for the Normandy Landing and dreamed of one day serving in uniform. Its a big thing for rick. Soon, he had his chance to join the british army. He spent six years fighting communism. Then flew to america. Und the recruiting center in times square, and joined the United States army. He wanted to continue his fight against communists in 1965. Rick, deployed to vietnam as a pla tune leader, he fought in yadrang valley. Facing overwhelming odds. Rick helped to beat back hundreds and hundreds of enemy hold solders. His commander, who was a great january by the way, said rick, was an extraordinary battlefield leader, quite simply the best platoon leader of infantry ive ever known in two wars. He saw plenty of actions. For his action in vietnam, rick received two bronze stars, a silver star, a purple harment. Heart. D the vietnam meeze medal of galantry. We are joined by six veterans who returned from there on a trip to honor him. Would you all please stand. Its great to have them. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] pretty good. Pretty good. Youre all looking good. Youre looking good. Thats great. Thats great. I see a medal of honor winner in our midst . Thats great. Stand up, please. Cheers and applause] and i know them all. Congratulations. Thank you for being here. Very nice. Youve earned our everlasting gratitude. When rick came home to america, e received a bachelors, a masters degree in literature and earned a lower degree in oklahoma. He taught at the university. He realized he would not be happy until he would protect others. Thats what he liked to. Do protect others. In 1984, rick became director of securities for dean whittaker securities which moved to the twin towers. Terrorists detonated a 1,200 bomb in World Trade Centers garage in the midst of danger and confusion, rick climbed on op of a desk, took command and directed the evacuation, helped a lot of people. That was a rough time. After that bombing, rick outlined potential atacts and told building officials that the next assault on the towers could come from the air. He understood what was happening. He did everything he could to prepare for the worst. In 1997 dean witter joined with Morgan Stanley and rick was promoted to executive Vice President for security for the largest tenant in the entire world, the world trade center. They 8, he met season and married within a year. That was good. Right . They were both very happy. That was a good move for both. On tuesday, september 11, 2001, rick got up early. Put on his blue pin striped suit and just before he left home in morristown, new jersey, he kissed susan and said ive never felt better in my life. I love you so. Its very nice. Its very nice. Rick arrived in his office before 7 30 a. M. A little more than an hour later, he heard an explosion and looked out the window to see the north tower consumed by flames. Bull horn in hand, rick told everyone to ignore the p. A. System that was instructing them to remain at their desks. He directed them to start marching down the stairs two by two, get out and start marching. Just do it. And they had practiced before because of him. They had practiced before. Rick ran up and down over 20 floors telling employees to keep moving, keep moving, get out. Keep moving. Many recall them saying today is a day to be proud. Tomorrow, the world will be looking at you. At 9 03 a. M. A plane crash into now the south tower. As terrified victims ran to escape the suffocating fumes, rick remained calm and resolute in his mission. When others told rick to run to safety, he responded as soon as ive got everybody in this building out. The south tower collapsed while rick was still inside. Through his extraordinary actions he helped to save 2,700 lives. That night, those 2,700 people went home to their loved ones. In the 18 years since they have raised families, sent their children to college, walked their sons and daughters down the aisle, held their grandchildren, thanks in great measure to one extraordinary american. Here with us today are 12 brave First Responders of 911 along with five veterans who fought in the war on terror and very, very successfully fought. Please stand, please. [applause] thank you. Thank you, fellas. Thank you. [applause] thank you very much. Great respect. I know the city well. Fantastic job. Ricks entire life paints a beautiful picture of Selfless Service and his legacy endures. Monuments and gardens have been built in his honor. A passenger train in england has been knave named after them and they gave me the most beautiful model. It will be in the oval office. Poems and songs have been written to memorialize this story. No one has done more to preserve ricks memory than his wife susan. 9 11, susan, you have really helped to lift up an entire nation and we want to really thank you. And you have been so incredible. And this evening is a very special one. This is a very special house. Its a very special home. And its a very special country. So to susan, trevor, kim and everyone one of ricks family members who are here, our debt to joup beyond measure. We could never reverse the horrors of that day. We could never replace the lives we lost. But on behalf of our entire nation, i pledge that we will forever and always remember this incredible American Hero colonel rick rescorrola. We will never ever forget. Now, it is my privilege to ask susan to come on stage to step president ial medal on behalf of her great husband. [applause] would the military aide please come forward and read the citation . Thank you. Hank you, susan. Richard ciro riscolla. At the cost of his own he saved the lives of 2,700 people on the 2001. G of september 11st, he ignored advice to shelter people in place. He did not join the evacuation. He continued working save lives until the tower collapse killing him and hundreds more. The United States is proud to honor rick whose valiant and selfless sacrifice for his fellow americans on one of our nations darkest days will never e forgotten. [applause] good evening, President Trump and all of you this day of november the 7th, in the year of our lord 2019. And thank you so much for meeting with ricks family and i so privately before the ceremony. Today is a day to honor a proud american. 18 years is a long time. And i thank our president for honoring rick with the president ial citizen medal. I had asked myself, and why now . Because this was to be. Its all about the journey which has revealed so much more. Of all the accolades, all the tributes both here and in the United Kingdom 60 or more and over the years and each one so unique, and all of the people along the journey who have touched my life, each is so memorable because i was able to learn more about this incredible man in death than in the short time we had together on earth. Thank god we were blessed bay deeply meaningful time together. Mr. President , we have about 200 people here who are all great women and men. Andly be honoring them at the gala event at the plaza event hotel this evening. I know rick would have wanted to be here today. And we both salute you all. And now on this incredible day, we are gathered here at the white house with the president of the United States, donald trump, in the country we love, with the flag we salute with so much respect and looking out on you all, each one of you is so special. On that fatal day, september 11, 2001, rick was seen rescuing the people out of the building. And he and the three men followed the firemen going further up in the south tower. Theres a recorder of them talking to one another. Leave no man behind was the core of the seventh cavalry. And i know rick was think about his men. So many call med and asked me did rick make it out or to tell me what rick was saying to them as he was bringing them out to say. He was singing corny songs and sometimes even whispering in eir ears get the hell out, get out. Anyway, today is the day to be proud to be an american because the world is still looking at us, and all of you leer contributed to keeping ricks work and story alive so it will be in the forefront of the american memory. But before i say the last statement, i would like to tell you something about what rick said to me. On our first date, he said to me what, are you about . I said what do you mean, rick. He said, well, when i was a very young man i declared what i wanted to be. I knew if i stayed on that path, at the end o my life that i would have done exactly what i could. Thats exactly what rick did. Thank you, mr. President , and god bless america. [applause] [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats as the president departs. Cheers and applause] heres a look at our primetime schedule on the cspan networks. Starting at 8 00 on cspan, remarks from Vice President mike pence in new hampshire. On cspan2, a hearing examining a 2006 law that creates oil and gas revenue sharing. On cspan 3, its American History tv with programs on past president ial impeachment proceedings. Cspans washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up, friday morning, duncan woods describes efforts to battle mexican drug cartels. Family king families director talks about priorities and its recent endorsement of elizabeth warren. And David Mcintosh on his Organization Strategy for campaign 2020 and its defense of President Trump in the itch peachment inquiry. Watch washington journal live friday, join the discussion. Tomorrow, secretary of Veterans Affairs robert wilke on whats being done to insure the care of veterans. Hell be speak at the National Press club on cspan 3. Also, friday, cspans campaign 2020 coverage continues with former Vice President joe biden holding a Campaign Rally with voters and supporters in new hampshire. You can watch that live at 1 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. And President Trump will visit atlanta where he plans to launch his Campaign Black voices for trump coalition. Watch the president s comments live on friday at 3 00 p. M. Eastern, also on cspan. Sunday night on book tv at 9 00 eastern on after words, former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich on his latest book trump vs. China. I dont think the chinese have any great planning certainly in next 20 to 25 years to try to take us on in a traditional sense. But i do think theyre trying to build the kind of cyber capabilities. And i think this is part of where huawei is a National Asset for them. I think theyre trying to have a keepbility in space both of hich have global implications. Pamela newkirk talks about diversity, ink. The ability to see past fiction of africanamericans of atin x people, the centuries old demeaning images of people and how that has as much to do with the lack of diversity. Watch book tv, every weekend on cspan2. Watch the c span Networks Live next week as the House Intelligence Committee holds its rst public impeachment hearings. Starting on cspan 3. Top diplomat William Taylor and george kent will testify. And then on friday at 11 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan2, former u. S. Sador to ukraine maurn marine will follow. Follow and listen live with the free cspan radio app. Joining us this morning our nick lars, the Deputy Director with the Heritage Foundation and friends of the earth eric pickett to talk about the decision by the Trump Administration to fwrall the paris climate agreement. Accord. The process will take one
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