Family honors 9/11 hero Welles Crowther, known as 'the Man in the Red Bandana'
NEW YORK (WABC) -- As the Empire Hook and Ladder Company in Nyack readied their truck for 9/11 ceremonies, right in front sits a red bandana in memory of Welles Crowther.
Crowther, 24, was a volunteer firefighter who used a red bandana to save lives on September 11, 2001.
He found a stairway and guided people down -- and went back up multiple times to lead more people to safety.
"He set an example, he did something that anyone else might not have done," said Trevor Gottlieb with the Nyack Fire Department.
Welles was known for always wanting to be a firefighter and always carrying a red bandana given to him by his father - even while playing lacrosse at Boston College.
RELATED | Complete Eyewitness News coverage of 9/11
After graduation he worked as an equities trader on the 104th floor of the South Tower.
When the planes hit, his firefighting instincts took over, as recounted at the opening of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
"Survivors recounted how a young man wearing a red handkerchief had led them to safety," former President Barack Obama said at the time.
Alison Crowther put the pieces together about her son's heroics after reading a newspaper account of how an unidentified man wearing a red bandana led 18 people to safety.
"All of that never surprised us, we were just so, in that scene, joyful, that we were able to know what he did and that he was trapped and suffering like so many other people that day," Crowther said.
Welles had discussed leaving finance and joining the FDNY. In 2006 he was posthumously named a member of the department.
One of the survivors he helped save spoke to ESPN.
"Without him I wouldn't be here, he saved my life," Judy Wein said.
Congressman Mike Lawler announced he is pushing for President Donald Trump to award Crowther with a posthumous Medal of Freedom in recognition of his heroic actions.
Beyond the firehouse and beyond the Boston College campus, Crowther's impact is being felt by middle and high school students across the country.
The foundation that bears his name has developed a curriculum that teaches concepts including leadership, forgiveness and the power of one.
"It's really such a beautiful, positive thing in the face of the horror of losing Welles and all the other people on 9/11 in the terrible attacks," Crowther said.
Crowther said her focus is using her son's legacy to bring good into the world.
"To keep doing the right thing, to honor Welles' memory, to help other people find strength and courage or mission in life, this is what I see in the young people when I got to schools and talk," she said.
And her inspiring message is being delivered with the help of a memorable symbol.
Click here to learn more about the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust.
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