Remembering a Hero, 15 Years After 9/11

The article, "Remembering a Hero, 15 Years After 9/11", posted on the Wall Street Journal and written by Peggy Noonan, is an article about a heroic and brave man named Welles Crowther. Welles was 24 years old. 2 years after he graduated from Boston College, he started as a junior associate on the trading desk. On the 104th floor of the south World Trade Center was where he worked. Welles was in the building when the first plane came in and ripped through floors 78-84 trapping the people on them and the ones above. He called his mother Alison and left a voicemail saying, "I want you to know that I am OK." Welles did something that not many other people would have done in this situation, instead of running for his own life, he ran for other peoples'. This was something very brave and heroic. As a connection to his father, Welles kept a red bandana in the pocket of his jacket that he was going to use to change the world.

Welles found the one stairwell that had been clear. Welles found people that had been injured on the higher floors and carried them down the stairs to the lower ones where they could escape on their own. Instead of escaping, Welles kept going back up to save more people. The fire department credits Welles with saving 5 lives. Welles' family hoped and prayed that he would make it home, but he never did. Welles could have left the building and saved his own life, but he saved others along with the firefighters in the building who had come to rescue people. Welles was found with a red handkerchief covering his mouth and nose. This was the one he was going to save the world with. Welles Crowther may not have saved the world with this, but he did do something so heroic and brave during the attacks on the twin towers on 9/11 and is still remembered 15 years after for what he did.

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