President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Welles Crowther, known as the "man in the red bandana," for his heroism during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Crowther's mother, Allison, and sister, Paige, accepted the nation's highest civilian honor during a ceremony on the Ellipse.
Crowther, then 24, was an equities trader who also served as a volunteer firefighter. He is credited with saving the lives of more than a dozen people in the South Tower of the World Trade Center after it was struck by United Airlines Flight 175. Survivors recalled being guided to safety by a man with a red bandana covering his face. His remains were found with those of firefighters and emergency workers in what was believed to be a makeshift command post.
During the ceremony, President Trump stated that the award was "in honor of his incredible bravery and all of the other countless unknown acts of heroism that day." He also announced that a new Coast Guard fast cutter would be named after Jeffrey Palazzo, a firefighter and Coast Guard reservist who died with 10 other members of FDNY's Rescue Squad Five.
The ceremony was part of the "Steel Across America" tour, organized by The Tunnel to Towers Foundation. A 16,900-pound steel beam recovered from the wreckage of the South Tower was on display.
The president is scheduled to mark the anniversary of the attacks at the Pentagon, while Vice President JD Vance is slated to attend a remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan.