Trump to Posthumously Honor 9/11 Hero Welles Crowther

During a rally in New York, President Trump announced plans to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Remy Crowther, known as “The Man in the Red Bandana.” Crowther is remembered for his bravery on September 11, 2001, as he helped guide victims to safety from the South Tower before his own life was lost.

This announcement came on Friday while Trump was in Rockland County with U.S. Representative Mike Lawler, who urged the president to recognize Crowther’s heroism as the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaches.

At just 24 years old, Crowther, a stock trader and volunteer firefighter, became an iconic figure of American bravery after survivors recounted being led to safety by a man with a red bandana over his face.

“At the request of Bruce, Mike, and all our great statesmen, we posthumously award Mr. Wells the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump declared to a receptive audience in Rockland County.

The president emphasized that this medal is one of the highest honors, second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor. He congratulated Crowther’s mother for raising such a courageous son. “He saved those people and became a legend in a way,” Trump said. “What he did was extraordinary.”

Alison Crowther, Wells’ mother, was present and expressed that it’s heartwarming that her son’s legacy continues to inspire so many. She has shared Wells’ story far and wide, even traveling to places like Jordan, and noted how children are often moved by it.

Wells, who worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower, was in his office when the North Tower was struck. He left a voicemail for his mother assuring her he was fine, but tragically, his body was later discovered among the debris.

According to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, Crowther made multiple trips to the Sky Lobby to rescue others until the building’s collapse, reportedly saving up to 18 lives. He covered his face with a red bandana during these efforts, a personal item he kept on his desk.

This emblematic red bandana is now displayed at the 9/11 Museum in New York. The Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which aids first responders and 9/11 victims’ families, shares that Crowther always had a red bandana nearby. He once said, “I’m going to change the world with this red bandana,” likely inspired by his father’s advice to wear it during tough times.

One survivor who was rescued by Crowther remarked on his extraordinary compassion, noting that “People could live 100 years and not have the compassion or the wherewithal to do what he did.”