Twenty-four years. That is how long it has been since the world changed, yet somehow, when you read The Red Bandana by Tom Rinaldi, it feels like yesterday. It’s a slim book. You could probably finish it on a cross-country flight, but honestly, you probably won't because you'll be staring out the window trying to process what courage actually looks like.
Most people know the name Welles Crowther now. Or maybe they just know the image of that scrap of red cloth. But before Tom Rinaldi—the longtime ESPN reporter with that signature gravelly, empathetic voice—put pen to paper, the "Man in the Red Bandana" was just a ghost story told by survivors of the South Tower. He was a mythic figure who appeared through the smoke, guided people to the only working stairwell, and then went back up.
He always went back up.
The Kid from Nyack and the Piece of Cloth
Welles Crowther wasn't some superhuman solider. He was an equities trader at Sandler O'Neill & Partners. He worked on the 104th floor. He was 24 years old. When you look at his pictures, he looks like every other young guy in the early 2000s—bright-eyed, athletic, maybe a little bit over-eager to start his life in the city.
But he carried this bandana.
His dad, Jefferson Crowther, had given him one when he was a little kid. It became his "thing." He wore it under his lacrosse helmet at Boston College. He tucked it into his back pocket when he went to work in a suit and tie. It’s a tiny detail, right? A piece of fabric. But in Rinaldi’s hands, that bandana becomes the thread that connects a normal life to an extraordinary sacrifice.
Rinaldi spends a lot of time in the book establishing who Welles was before the towers. This matters. If we don't know that Welles was a volunteer firefighter in Nyack since he was a teenager, his actions on September 11th might seem impulsive. They weren't. They were the result of a lifetime of training his brain to run toward the things everyone else was running away from.
What Actually Happened on the 78th Floor Sky Lobby
This is where the book gets heavy. Rinaldi doesn't lean into gore, but he doesn't shy away from the suffocating reality of the South Tower after United Flight 175 hit.
The 78th floor was a slaughterhouse. Hundreds of people were waiting for elevators when the plane sliced through the building. Most died instantly. The survivors were blind, choking on jet fuel and dust, unable to see their own hands.
Then comes the voice.
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"I found the stairs," the man said. "Follow me."
Survivors like Ling Young and Judy Wein remember him clearly. He wasn't just directing traffic; he was carrying people. He had the red bandana wrapped around his nose and mouth to filter the smoke. He looked like a bandit or a hero from an old Western. He led a group down to the 61st floor—where the air was clearer—and then, instead of continuing to safety, he turned around.
He went back up for more.
Think about that for a second. The building is groaning. The heat is unimaginable. He’s already "safe" by most standards. But he went back up. Rinaldi notes that Welles is credited with saving at least a dozen people, though the real number is likely much higher.
How the Family Found Him
For months after 9/11, Allison and Jefferson Crowther didn't know what happened to their son. They knew he was gone, of course, but the "how" was a black hole.
The way they found out is the kind of stuff that makes you believe in fate, or at least in the power of local journalism. Allison was reading a New York Times article by Nick Spangler about the survivors of the South Tower. In the piece, Ling Young mentioned a man in a red bandana who saved her life.
Allison knew. She just knew.
She sent photos of Welles to the survivors. When Ling Young saw them, she didn't hesitate. That was him. That was the man.
Rinaldi’s writing style here is very "ESPN-feature-esque" in the best way. It’s punchy. It focuses on the emotional beats. He doesn't just tell you the facts; he makes you feel the weight of a mother finally knowing her son’s final moments weren't just spent in fear, but in service.
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Why the Book Version Matters More Than the Documentary
You might have seen the "SC Featured" segment or the short documentary narrated by Edward Burns. They’re great. But The Red Bandana by Tom Rinaldi adds layers that a 15-minute video can't touch.
It explores the "what ifs."
Welles had actually told his father recently that he was thinking about leaving the world of finance. He wanted to be a New York City Firefighter. He had the application on his desk. Rinaldi paints a portrait of a man who was caught between two worlds—the one he was "supposed" to be in (Wall Street) and the one his heart was in (the firehouse).
On 9/11, those two worlds collided. He died a firefighter, even if he didn't have the FDNY badge yet.
The Legacy of the Bandana
If you go to a Boston College football game today, you’ll see thousands of red bandanas. It’s become a symbol of selflessness in a world that feels increasingly selfish.
But there’s a nuance Rinaldi captures that often gets lost in the "hero" narrative. It’s the grief. This isn't just a rah-rah story about bravery. It’s a story about a family that had to learn to share their son with the world. Every time a stranger wears a red bandana to honor Welles, it’s a reminder that he’s gone.
The book also touches on the recovery of his body. It took months. He was found in a pocket of the South Tower lobby alongside members of the FDNY. He was exactly where he chose to be: with the people who were trying to help.
Common Misconceptions About Welles Crowther
People sometimes get the details mixed up because the story has become almost like a folk legend.
First, Welles wasn't an FDNY member at the time. He was a volunteer with Empire Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 in Nyack, but his day job was 100% finance. This makes the choice even more stark. He didn't have a legal obligation to stay.
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Second, the bandana wasn't a fashion choice. It was a functional tool. He used it to breathe. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most ordinary objects in our lives can become the most significant.
Third, the book isn't just a 9/11 book. It's a "how to live" book. Rinaldi spends a lot of time on the concept of the "civilian hero." We often think heroes are people with capes or specialized uniforms. Welles was just a guy with a piece of cloth in his pocket.
Actionable Takeaways from the Story
Reading about Welles Crowther shouldn't just be an exercise in sadness. It’s supposed to trigger something in you.
- Audit your "Bandana": What is the small thing you carry—a skill, a trait, a literal object—that you can use to help someone else when things get chaotic?
- The "Turn Back" Mentality: In your own life, when you reach safety or success, do you keep going for yourself, or do you turn back to help the people still on the "78th floor"?
- Preparation Meets Opportunity: Welles was ready because he had trained as a volunteer firefighter for years. He didn't become a leader in a vacuum.
- The Power of Storytelling: If you have a story of a loved one, tell it. If Allison Crowther hadn't been looking for answers and if Tom Rinaldi hadn't seen the value in a "sports-adjacent" story, this legacy might have stayed buried in the rubble.
Final Insights on Rinaldi's Work
Tom Rinaldi did something difficult here. He took a tragedy we’ve all seen from 30,000 feet and made it intimate. He moved the camera from the skyline into the stairwell.
The book doesn't offer a "conclusion" because how do you conclude a life cut short at 24? Instead, it offers a challenge. It asks you what you would do if the lights went out and the room filled with smoke.
If you’re looking for a deep dive into the logistics of 9/11, read The Looming Tower. But if you want to understand the human spirit and the strange, beautiful way that a simple red bandana can define a man's entire existence, read this.
Go get a copy. Give it to a young person who wasn't alive in 2001. They need to know that heroes aren't just in the movies. Sometimes they’re just guys in suits with a red handkerchief and a lot of heart.
To honor the legacy, many people now participate in the "Red Bandana Run" or support the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust, which provides scholarships and support for young people. It’s a way to keep the story moving forward, long after the last page of the book is turned.