Fw: [Fredslist] The Man in the Red Bandanna

[fklein at legal.org]

From Jefferson. Please see below. 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Crowther, Jefferson" <JCrowther at hvbank.com>

Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:58:28 
To: <fklein at legal.org>
Subject: Re: [Fredslist] The Man in the Red Bandanna


Thank you all for your caring and thoughts.  It is what keeps me moving forward and trying hard to bring some good from a terrible evil.  May G_d bless America and all of you.  This is a difficult day for me and our family.  Jeff Crowther.

----- Original Message -----
From: fklein at legal.org <fklein at legal.org>
To: Crowther, Jefferson
Sent: Fri Sep 11 07:42:29 2009
Subject: Fw: [Fredslist] The Man in the Red Bandanna

More
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Dr. Dan Schaefer PhD" <dan at danschaeferphd.com>

Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:29:29 
To: <fklein at legal.org>
Subject: RE: [Fredslist] The Man in the Red Bandanna


Thank you!!!
Dr. Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: fredslist-bounces at gothamnetworking.com [mailto:fredslist-bounces at gothamnetworking.com] On Behalf Of fklein at legal.org
Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 6:05 AM
To: Freds List
Subject: [Fredslist] The Man in the Red Bandanna

On this 8th horrible anniversary of that dire day we honor one of our own with the words of his dear dad Jefferson Crowther (Open House). Please see below. 
------Original Message------
From: Jefferson Crowther
To: Fred Klein
Sent: Sep 11, 2008 2:47 PM
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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