[Fredslist] The Man in the Red Bandana

[fklein at legal.org]

On the 10th anniversary of his heroism we salute Welles Remy Crowther. Please see below. 
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-----Original Message-----
From: Joanne Klein <jok33 at optonline.net>
Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:16:23 
To: fred klein<fklein at legal.org>
Subject: The Man in the Red Bandana

	

									




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'The Man in the Red Bandana
By Jefferson H. Crowther

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.

Attached Files:




For more information, visit http://www.WellesatCrowtherTrust.org

		
  	




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