Upper Nyack, NY – Welles Remy Crowther, the Rockland County native remembered as the “Man in the Red Bandana” for helping people escape the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, has been posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. President Donald Trump presented the award to Crowther’s mother, Alison Crowther, and sister, Paige Crowther Charbonneau, during a September 8 ceremony on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was held as the nation prepared to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Crowther grew up in Upper Nyack and became a volunteer firefighter with Empire Hook & Ladder Company No. 1. He later attended Boston College, where he played lacrosse, before beginning a career in finance. At the time of the attacks, Crowther was 24 years old and working as an equities trader on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
After United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower, Crowther made his way to the 78th-floor sky lobby, where many people had been seriously injured. Survivors later described a man wearing a red bandana over his nose and mouth who helped organize rescue efforts and directed people toward the tower’s only usable stairway. Crowther repeatedly returned to assist additional people rather than immediately leaving the building himself. He is credited with helping save as many as 18 people.
Crowther did not survive the collapse of the South Tower. His body was recovered months later in the lobby area of the building. His identity as the man described by survivors was established after his mother read accounts from people who had escaped and recognized their descriptions of the red bandana her son had carried since childhood.
The red bandana subsequently became a symbol associated with Crowther’s actions and legacy. His father had given him a red bandana when he was a child, and Crowther continued carrying one as an adult. His story has since been featured in books, documentaries, educational programs and commemorations, while Boston College has continued to honor its former student and athlete through events associated with the red bandana.
During the September 8 ceremony, Trump described Crowther’s repeated efforts to help people trapped inside the tower and presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to his family. Alison Crowther said that her son’s role changed when the attacks occurred, telling those gathered that he was no longer acting as an equities trader but as a firefighter. She said his legacy continues to represent courage, compassion and service to others.
The ceremony was part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Steel Across America” event. A 21-foot steel beam recovered from the South Tower and weighing nearly 17,000 pounds was displayed at the Ellipse. The beam had traveled more than 10,500 miles around the country as part of commemorations leading up to the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Approximately 150 first responders from New York, Washington and Pennsylvania were among those attending the event.
The recognition also followed efforts to formally honor Crowther at the federal level. Rep. Mike Lawler, whose congressional district includes much of Rockland County, had previously joined Crowther’s family and local firefighters in calling for him to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Lawler also introduced legislation seeking a Congressional Gold Medal for Crowther.
Twenty-five years after his death, Crowther remains closely connected to Rockland County, particularly Upper Nyack and the local firefighting community where he first learned the skills he would use during the World Trade Center rescue. The Presidential Medal of Freedom adds the nation’s highest civilian recognition to a legacy that has been commemorated locally and nationally for more than two decades.