Trump Honors 9/11 Hero Welles Crowther With Medal of Freedom

Nearly a quarter-century after the September 11 attacks, the United States has formally recognized Welles Crowther — a 24-year-old equity trader and volunteer firefighter who, rather than flee the collapsing South Tower, turned back into the smoke to guide 18 strangers to safety. President Trump awarded Crowther the Medal of Freedom in September 2026, placing his name among those whose actions are understood to have shaped the nation's moral fabric. His emblem, a red bandanna worn against the ash and darkness, has become one of the enduring symbols of ordinary courage meeting extraordinary cat