Trump Honors 9/11 Hero Welles Crowther With Posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom

‘Man in the Red Bandana’ Credited With Saving as Many as 18 People During World Trade Center Attacks

President Donald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 9/11 hero Welles Crowther on Tuesday, recognizing the 24-year-old who sacrificed his life while helping others escape the World Trade Center. Crowther became known around the country as the “man in the red bandana” after survivors described the mysterious rescuer who repeatedly guided people to safety. His mother, Alison, and sister, Paige, accepted the nation’s highest civilian honor on his behalf.

Crowther was working as an equities trader on the 104th floor of the South Tower when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the building on Sept. 11, 2001. Rather than focusing solely on his own escape, the former Boston College lacrosse player and volunteer firefighter began helping injured and trapped workers. He used his trademark red bandana to cover his mouth and nose as smoke filled the tower.

Survivors later recalled a man wearing the red bandana appearing amid the devastation and directing them toward the only usable stairway. Crowther made repeated trips through the damaged building, helping people who could walk and carrying or assisting those who could not. His actions have been credited with saving as many as 18 people before the South Tower collapsed.

Trump praised Crowther’s extraordinary courage during Tuesday’s ceremony on the Ellipse near the White House. The president said Crowther continued saving lives until his final moments and presented the award in recognition of both his bravery and the countless acts of heroism carried out on 9/11. A massive steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center stood near the stage during the ceremony.

Crowther’s identity as the “man in the red bandana” was not immediately known after the attacks. Months later, survivor accounts described being rescued by a young man whose face was covered with a red bandana. Alison Crowther recognized the detail immediately because her son had carried red bandanas since childhood, a tradition inspired by his firefighter father.

Crowther’s remains were recovered alongside firefighters and other emergency personnel at what authorities believed had become a makeshift command post inside the South Tower. Evidence later suggested that even after helping survivors escape, he had chosen to remain with rescuers and continue searching for people who were trapped. Crowther was eventually named an honorary New York City firefighter in recognition of his actions.

Tuesday’s ceremony also honored the enormous sacrifice made by first responders on September 11. The attacks claimed the lives of 343 FDNY members, 37 Port Authority Police Department officers and 23 NYPD officers. Trump also announced that a new Coast Guard fast response cutter would be named for Jeffrey Palazzo, an FDNY firefighter and Coast Guard reservist who was killed while responding to the attacks.

The tribute comes as the United States prepares to commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11. Crowther’s story has endured as one of the most remarkable examples of courage to emerge from that day, with his red bandana becoming a lasting symbol of selflessness and sacrifice. Twenty-five years later, the Presidential Medal of Freedom ensures that his heroism and the lives he saved will continue to be remembered.