[Fredslist] Fw: The Man in the Red Bandanna

[Fred Klein]

On this dire day we join in a father's 9/11 salute to his heroic fallen son. Please read below and consider donating to the Welles Crowther Foundation. The writer is Open House member Jefferson Crowther. 
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-----Original Message-----
From: "Crowther, Jefferson" <JCrowther at hvbank.com>

Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:47:29 
To: <fklein at legal.org>
Subject: The Man in the Red Bandanna


Please excuse these ramblings of a proud, old father who lost one the
brightest lights in his life.  This light was my dear, dear son, Welles
Remy Crowther, who at age 24 was killed when the South Tower of the
World Trade Center collapsed on him and so many other innocent victims
of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.  Welles was an equites
trader with Sandler-O'Neill and Partners working on the 104th floor of
WTC2.  He was also a volunteer firefighter and member of Empire Hook &
Ladder Co. #1 in Upper Nyack, NY. Somehow he made his way to the 78th
floor Sky Lobby after the plane had impacted his building, and there he
found a group of people who were afraid to move.  They had huddled
together and were waiting for the rescue workers to get to them.  They
felt if they moved around they might fall through a hole in the floor
and be lost as the visibility was almost nil due to the dust and smoke..
There were many injured people around them, screaming with pain, unable
to extract themselves from under the slabs of marble that lined the
hallways that had them trapped.  My son, Welles, wearing a red bandanna
(which he always carried in his back pocket) to protect himself from the
dust and smoke, found them and told them that he knew where the only
open stairway was and if they could walk they should get up now, help
those whom they could, but that there were people they could not help
and that they had to go right away.  His words as quoted to us by some
of the individuals who were there and survived were "follow me, I know
the way".  Welles made three trips from the 78th floor down to the 61st
floor where the lights were still on and the air was clearer.  He told
them to keep going down the stairs, but he kept going back up to escort
more people down.  In all we have confirmed three trips he made between
the floors before he went all the way down to the lobby.  He was in the
lobby ready to go back up with a fire lieutenant and two other
firefighters with the tools necessary to lift some of the heavy debris
in order to rescue more victims.  But the building did not stand and we
lost our beautiful son who cared more for others than for his own life.


There is so much more I could tell you about him, and you can read about
Welles at CrowtherTrust.org., a website for the Welles Remy Crowther
Charitable Trust, a charity we set up in his memory as a memorial to a
young man who saw his duty and did it.  You can also Google "the man in
the red bandanna".

 People tell us that we raised our son too well.  I respond that he was
born with the software installed.  The good Lord put Welles on this
earth knowing that he would have to call on him.  Unfortunately, it was
just 24 years into so promising a life.

But, we started The Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust to bring some
good out of a terrible tragedy.  Through it we have been able to work
with many other agencies by making grants and gifts to help young people
become exemplary adults, whether for educational, health related, or
recreational needs.  Again, I refer you to our website to find out more
about the incredible work we have accomplished.  And this proud, old
father thanks you for having read about a true civilian hero of 9/11/01.
May God bless America.  

Jefferson H. Crowther, Senior Vice President 
Hudson Valley Bank, Manhattan Legal Services Group
350 Park Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, New York  10022
212-400-6027


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