September 11, 2001. For those of us who were old enough at the time to understand what was happening, we sat speechless, dumfounded and heartbroken at what we were witnessing.
In the days, weeks and months after that day, stories surfaced about those men and women who, in a time of utter disaster and fear, performed amazing selfless acts of heroism by helping others. There were the first responders who ran into the buildings knowingly towards indescribable horror and danger to help those in need. And there were also regular, every day people who put helping others first. They helped their coworkers and strangers in a time when they needed it most. Helping those trapped and injured to find ways out of the buildings that were raging infernos and would ultimately collapse.
One such story is about a man who was known by those he helped as “the man in the red bandana.”
From accounts pieced together from various people who made it out of the South Tower, there was a man who helped and assisted upwards of 18 people to get out of the building before it collapsed. These people did not know the name or identity of the man who had helped them. But each of their individual stories described a man who carried or led them to a stairway that led to safety while he stayed behind to find someone else to help. This man had a single distinguishing feature that stood out in the dark smoke, fire and dust swirling all around: he wore a red bandana around his nose and mouth to help filter the heavily polluted air he was breathing.
The man in the red bandana continued to help as many people as he could, putting strangers before himself. Unfortunately, like so many others, he did not make it out of the South Tower before it collapsed.
Ultimately, the man was identified as a 24 year old named Welles Crowther. On September 11, 2001, he was working as an equities trader on the 104th floor of the South Tower when the plane hit the North Tower. He had started to evacuate from the South Tower when the South Tower was hit. He was essentially in the epicenter of the chaos and horror that ensued. Instead of continuing to evacuate himself to safety, Welles stayed behind to begin the process of helping others to safety, putting others before himself.
How the man was ultimately identified as Welles Crowther was the red bandanna. When Welles was a young boy, his dad had given him a red bandana. From that point on, Welles always carried a red bandana in his back pocket. At 18, Welles became a volunteer firefighter and always had a red bandana with him under his turnout gear. Welles had graduated from Boston College in 1999 and, while at BC, was on the lacrosse team. Welles always wore a red bandana under his helmet.
When Welles’ mother heard survivors’ stories about being helped by a man in a red bandana, she provided them with pictures of Welles. Sure enough, it had been Welles who had helped them.
Welles died, like so many others that day, giving his life for others. Boston College is a university established by an order of Roman Catholic priests known as Jesuits. A central principle on which the Jesuits are founded is to “put others first.” It’s safe to say Welles carried this principles in his heart.
Like Welles, I graduated from Boston College, although six years before he did. And before BC, I attended a Jesuit high school for four years. So I’ve had eight years of Jesuit teaching and influence. And while I am someone who is no longer a practicing Catholic or very religious, I consider myself to be spiritual, and the mantra of helping others is a concept that resonates deeply with me. Especially when I think about September 11, the sacrifices made by Welles and so many others, how best to live our lives and how to “never forget” loved ones who have been killed or passed away.
To me, the best way to “never forget” our loved ones is to honor their memories. How do we honor them? With how we live our day-to-day lives. We do this by being the best versions of ourselves possible. By doing for others. But going through this life with the intent that we want to make it and ourselves better.
This equates to never forgetting and honoring those we’ve lost because we have an opportunity to do something they no longer can do. We get the chance to live our lives to the best and fullest way possible. We get the chance to have a positive impact on those around us. We get the chance to stand up for those who need help, to remain firm in our principles, to earn the love and respect of our family and friends.
We may not all be placed in a situation in which we are called upon to rescue people in a life or death situation. But in little ways each day, we can choose to come together, work together, and help one another to make this world a better, safer, more positive place. One small act of kindness at a time. For your family, for your friends, for your acquaintances, for strangers. Even for those people with whom you may not get along. On September 11, the first responders and people like Welles didn't first analyze if they knew or liked a person before helping them. They just did it. No question. No hesitation.
And so can we. It isn’t always easy. We don’t always make the correct decision. That’s okay, as long as we try. As long as we do something. And that is how we never forget and how we honor those we’ve lost. That is how we can practice doing for others and practice life like the man in the red bandana.
Be well, stay safe and never forget.
PS - If you’d like to watch a short documentary on Welles and his actions on 9/11, check out this video here: