Stories From Main Street: 14 Years After 9/11, Legacy Of 'Man In The Red Bandana' Lives On
NYACK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- At the opening of the National September 11 Museum, President Barack Obama praised the heroic sacrifice of Welles Crowther, also known as the "Man in the Red Bandana."
"And after the planes hit, he put on that bandana and spent his final moments saving others," Obama said at the dedication in May 2014.
Crowther, a 24-year-old volunteer firefighter from Rockland County, was seen, his face covered by the bandana, carrying and leading people to safety in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Attorney Matthew Weiss was so moved by Crowther's valor and sacrifice that he has spent four years making a documentary about him, titled "Man in Red Bandana."
"His story is such an extraordinary one of giving, of courage and of selflessness that I just felt the world could benefit by learning from that," Weiss told WCBS 880's Sean Adams.
Crowther always carried a red bandana with him.
"I just thought it was unbelievable that a piece of fabric could change the perspective on loss and could create a legacy," Weiss said.
It's a legacy that Crowther's parents, Jeff and Allison Crowther, carry on through scholarships and school curriculum.
"And the lessons are leadership, caring for others, team, the power of one, bridging divides, forgiveness and carpe diem," Allison Crowther explained.
"I just hope people gain a better understanding of what went on that day and maybe a better understanding of the good things people did that day," she added.
The Crowthers' Red Bandana Project is global. Allison Crowther has even traveled to Amman, Jordan, to speak with academic, business and religious leaders from five Arab countries.
"Part of the mission of this meeting was to try to find programs or understand how to teach their young people about peace and understanding and cooperating with others," she said. "So that's why they brought me in to talk about the Red Bandana Project.
"I always say Welles set the bar really high," she said. "So we just have to keep honoring that with whatever we do."