Golden Hill Elementary students learn about 9/11, pay tribute to fallen hero

Golden Hill fifth graders learned about character through the story of a Nyack native who saved a dozen lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Teacher Noreen Meehan led a lesson discussing the Sept. 11 attacks last week with the students, puting the emphasis on Welles Crowther, often referred to as “The Man in the Red Bandana,” for the favorite accessory he wore throughout his life.

Crowther was a graduate of Boston College, a junior firefighter and an equities trader on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Following the attack on the South Tower, he put out fires, administered first aid and guided survivors to a nearby stairway, all while wearing his signature red bandana over his face. Survivor accounts suggest Crowther saved as many as 12 people before the South Tower collapsed. His body was recovered six months after the attacks, and he was posthumously named an FDNY firefighter.

Meehan said her presentation to students on Sept. 11 was meant to teach them about how to be a hero in a crisis.

“Through Welles Crowther’s story, students learned that character is revealed through our actions and the choices we make when no one is telling us what to do,” she said.

Students in the fifth grade at Golden Hill each received and wore their own red bandanas, in honor of Crowther. Leilani Caldwell, a fifth grade student, said she believes the red bandana symbolizes “courage and selflessness.” Classmate Blaize Thalassinos said he felt moved by the story of Crowther’s heroism. “I learned from today’s lesson that one person’s actions change someone’s life,” he said. Meehan hopes Crowther’s legacy inspires the students to make a difference in the world. “As fifth graders wore their red bandanas, they carried with them a powerful reminder: our actions show our character,” she said. “Be the person who makes a difference.”