BOSTON, Mass.- A Boston College graduate remembered nationwide as “The Man in the Red Bandana” for his actions during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Welles Crowther will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor for guiding people to safety inside the South Tower of the World Trade Center during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Speaking at a rally in New York, Donald Trump praised Crowther’s actions and acknowledged his mother, Alison Crowther.
“Boy, what bravery,” Trump said during the announcement.
Crowther, a native of Nyack, graduated with honors from Boston College, where he also played on the school’s lacrosse team. He later worked as an equities trader in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Following the attacks, survivors described being led through smoke and flames by a man wearing a red bandana over his face. The accounts later identified Crowther as the person credited with helping save as many as 18 lives before the tower collapsed during the September 11 attacks.
Crowther’s story later became nationally recognized, earning him the nickname “The Man in the Red Bandana.” Boston College has memorialized him through its campus Sept. 11 memorial, and his legacy continues to be commemorated across New England and the United States.
