President Donald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, the heroic ‘man in the red bandana’ whose bravery on 9/11 saved numerous lives, during the Tunnel to Towers’ ‘Steel Across America’ event. Trump recounted Crowther’s extraordinary actions, describing how the 24-year-old volunteer firefighter, armed with a red bandana gifted by his firefighter father, navigated the devastation of the South Tower after the attacks. Despite the imminent danger and the loss of stairwells, Crowther descended from the 78th floor, where people were trapped and dying, to find a single, precarious opening. He repeatedly made perilous trips up and down, extinguishing fires, guiding survivors, and physically carrying those unable to walk, saving an estimated 18 lives before ultimately perishing when the tower collapsed. Trump emphasized Crowther’s profound impact, quoting his youthful declaration, ‘with this red bandana, I’m going to change the world,’ and highlighted the countless unknown acts of heroism from that tragic day, culminating in this highest civilian honor bestowed upon Crowther and his grieving family.
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