To the editor:
The tragic events of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 impacted the entire nation and we pledged to never forget. Unfortunately, recent news stories reveal the fact that many folks have in fact forgotten the sense of unity and pride that swept our nation in the aftermath of such tragedy.
I know that I will never forget as the tragic events of that day impacted me on a most personal level. Prior to my moving to the beautiful state of Maine in 2006, I lived and worked in Rockland County, N.Y. – just a few miles from New York City. I managed the Rockland County Fire Training Center.
On the evening of Monday, Sept. 10, 2001, the Thiells Fire Department, one of 26 volunteer fire departments in Rockland County, was conducting a self-contained breathing apparatus training session in our burn building.
We had completed the training exercise and we were refilling SCBA cylinders when one of the Thiells volunteer firefighters said “what a great drill, but I must hurry home and get some rest as I must be to work early tomorrow morning.” I said “why don’t you head home and we will finish filling the cylinders?”
That was the last time I spoke to New York Police Department Emergency Service Unit Sgt. John Coughlin. John is survived by his wife Patty and three daughters.
When I first joined the fire service as a member of the Monsey, N.Y. volunteer fire department, I developed a friendship with another volunteer firefighter from the Suffern, N.Y. fire department who was in many of the training classes I attended.
This friend and I both graduated college with degrees in fire science. We were both hired as instructors at the Rockland County Fire Training Center, went to each other’s children’s birthday parties, decided to go back to school together to obtain our master’s degrees, and did other things that best friends do.
My best friend lost his life on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. FDNY Firefighter Andrew Fredericks was assigned to Squad 18, which was first due to the World Trade Center. Andy had worked the night tour and had already been relieved when Squad 18 was dispatched to a report of a plane striking the World Trade Center. Andy realized that his help would be needed so he grabbed his gear and jumped aboard the rig. Andy’s last known location was the 43rd floor of the north tower. Andy is survived by his wife Michelle, daughter Hayley, and son Andrew Jr.
By the way, Andy Jr., a spitting image of his dad, recently joined the Suffern Fire Department, the same volunteer fire department where Andrew Fredericks began his firefighting career.
On that fateful Tuesday morning, Welles Remy Crowther was at work in his office on the 104th floor of #2 World Trade Center. Welles was an equities trader for Sandler O’Neill and Partners.
While he was in high school, at the age of 16, Welles joined Empire Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 in Upper Nyack, N.Y. as a junior volunteer firefighter, following in the footsteps of his father. When he turned 18, Welles completed his New York state firefighter training at the Rockland County Fire Training Center and became a full member of the company, fighting fires and dealing with emergency situations.
Through telephone calls, Welles was known to have been in his office at approximately 9 a.m. He was recovered on March 19, 2002 along with FDNY firefighters who had been operating near the command center in the lobby of the south tower. His final hour remained a mystery until an article published in The New York Times on May 26, 2002 mentioned eyewitness reports of a mysterious man in a red bandana on the 78th floor sky lobby of 2 World Trade Center when the second plane crashed into the south tower.
Eyewitnesses reported that after the plane hit into the sky lobby, a man suddenly appeared “out of nowhere.” He was wearing a red bandana to cover his nose and mouth, protecting against the smoke. This man organized a rescue effort on the floors high above where other rescuers were able to reach. He called for fire extinguishers; he found and directed dazed and confused victims to the only stairwell that was open for escape. He carried a woman down to the 61st floor before returning to the 78th floor to rescue more people. Eyewitnesses report that the man spoke calmly, with authority, and was obviously well-trained.
Welles Crowther re-entered the south tower at least three times and is directly responsible for saving at least 18 people’s lives, including those of Judy Wein and Ling Young. Knowing that her son always carried the red bandana that his father had given to him in his back right pocket, Welles’ mother Allison believed that the description of the mysterious man fit her son: his character, his training, and his likely location at the time. These survivors confirmed that Welles was the man who saved their lives.
Welles and the members of FDNY with whom he was recovered had been on their way back up the south tower with a Hurst Jaws of Life tool to free victims who were trapped by debris when the building collapsed. Now you know the story of the “the man in the red bandana.”
When we pause to reflect on the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, we can’t help but think about the 2,993 lives lost: 2,604 at the World Trade Center, including 343 members of FDNY, 23 NYPD officers, and 37 Port Authority Police Department officers; 246 souls on board the four planes that the terrorists used to carry out the attack; and 125 killed at the Pentagon.
However, those of us involved in the fire and emergency services must never forget that at the time of the attack, there were an estimated 17,400 civilians at the World Trade Center. Despite the viciousness of the murderers who carried out the attack, nearly 15,000 lives were saved through the efforts of the heroic rescuers.
While Sept. 11, 2001 will always be considered one of the darkest days of our nation’s history, we in the fire service must remember that it is also the date of the greatest and most heroic rescue operation ever conducted!
As firefighters and first responders, we know all too well the importance of training and preparation. Training is the very core of what we do. John Coughlin, Andrew Fredericks, and Welles Crowther are heroes. Each faced an impossible situation, but did not run away. They rushed in to help others in need because they had excellent training and they were prepared.
I certainly hope and pray that we never face another event like Sept. 11, 2001, but we can never ever stop training and preparing for the emergencies, small or large, that occur in our communities.
The most important thing that we can do to honor the legacy of John, Andy, Welles, and the many other heroes of Sept. 11 is to dedicate ourselves to training and preparation as they did. Having trained with each of them, I know that is exactly how they would like us to honor them. Thank you.
Walter Morris
Jefferson
