On the morning of September 11, 2001, through the smoke and chaos of that fateful day, a young man in a red bandana was seen directing survivors to safety and delivering first aid to those in need. His actions helped save the lives of at least  12 people who were trapped in the South Tower.The man, Welles Crowther, made the ultimate sacrifice that day while returning to the building to look for other survivors. With this year marking the 25th anniversary of his heroic actions, his legacy is being honored with the United States’ highest civilian honor.

Who Is Welles Crowther?

Born in Nyack, New York, two things were unmistakable about  Welles Crowther: his love for sports, playing ice hockey and lacrosse, and his beloved red bandana. Given to him at the age of six by his father, the bandana became synonymous with Crowther who took it everywhere he went. When Crowther was not playing lacrosse or hockey, he could be found at his local fire house where he followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a volunteer firefighter at the age of 16. After high school, Crowther went to play lacrosse at Boston College, where he would become one of the leaders on the team. 

Two-time U.S. Olympian Tyler Jewel, who played alongside Crowther at Boston College, described Welles as the ultimate teammate, a guy who personified the mantra, “There is no I in team.”

It was a fitting sentiment for someone whose high school senior quote was the same phrase.

Crowther graduated from Boston College with a degree in finance and went on to become an equities trader for the investment bank Sandler O’Neill + Partners, whose offices were located on the 104th floor of the South Tower.

The Hero

On the morning of September 11, when the plane struck the South Tower, Crowther truly showed the selflessness that his teammates raved about.

After calling his mom to let her know he was okay, he found other survivors who had been badly injured and began guiding them toward the stairs. Survivors descibed a man with a red bandana coming out of nowhere to help and recall him even carrying a woman on his back to safety.

He led the group down 17 flights of stairs before they were met by firefighters who escorted them the rest of the way out of the building. Instead of following the group to safety, Crowther went back up, where he continued to put out fires, administer aid, and help others escape.

Legacy

During those efforts, Crowther lost his life when the South Tower collapsed. However, the legacy of the man with the red bandana continues to inspire people today.

In the 2022-23 season, the Boston College Athletic department has honored Crowther with the Welles Crowther Patch Program. Each year, one student athlete from each sport, gets the honor of wearing a number 19 patch on their jersey, This player represents the motto “men and women for others” , a foundational Jesuit core value. 

Every year, since 2014, Boston College hosts the Red Bandana Game, a football game commemorating the heroic actions of Welles Crowther. This year, on the 25th anniversary of September 11, Boston College will take on Rutgers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 11, with the first 10,000 fans receiving a red bandana to honor Crowther.

On Tuesday, September 8, President Donald J. Trump awarded Crowther the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his heroic actions, the highest civilian honor in the United States. While accepting the award, Crowther’s mother, Alison, summed up her son’s legacy like this:

“Twenty-five years after September 11th, his life continues to remind us of something very simple: in moments when others need us, each of us has the power to choose courage, compassion, and service. That’s the real meaning of the red bandana: to be courageous, to find the good, and to be the good.”

As we move throughout our lives, we can honor the legacy of Welles Crowther every time we choose to find the good and be the good in the world.