Welles R. Crowther

Welles R. Crowther (Google images )

There are many different characteristics that a hero must have.  When I think of a hero I think of somebody who is willing to give up their life for others.  Somebody who has determination to save others, a person with no greed or selfishness.  In my book to be considered a hero you must have bravery and pure kindness in your heart.  If you are a hero you should be able to fight through shock, disbelief, and stand on your own two feet with no self pity and be thankful for what you have.  There are many people that can be considered a hero but the last trait you must have is courage and do what you need to do and not sit and wait, go to others and help them instead of waiting for them to help you.  One of my favorite heroes is Welles R. Crowther because he had those characteristics.  When he was still alive.

It was the saddest day in the history of the United States, thousands lost their lives but many were saved because of Welles.  Welles played Lacrosse at Boston college and later took a job in the World Trade Center South Tower.  It was a time of need when the U.S.A. was attacked, a day that everyone knows about, the attacks of 9/11.  It was September 11, 2001 at 8:46 a.m. when all of the sudden a plane flew in to the North Tower of the World Trade Center, 17 minutes later at 9:03 a.m. the South Tower of the World Trade Center was hit by another commercial plane.  Welles Crowther took action, he was on the 104th floor of the South tower when the second plane hit.  Welles ran up the steps leading people out of the building to safety of Emergency firefighters and medical responders.  He wore a red bandana around his mouth to keep smoke out of his body.  Instead of staying in safety and following the people away he returned up the steps multiple times to lead others out.  He died around 9:59 when the South Tower collapsed and he went down with it.

Welles showed that he cared enough about others to return up those steps again and again.  He could have kept his life and let the others die but he sacrificed his life to save many others.  Although it put his family through extreme amounts of sorrow and disbelief they found out what he had done for others in an article written by someone Welles had saved.  On that one day Judy Ween wrote an article stating that a man in a red bandana had come up the steps and had escorted them out of the building, Welles had worn that bandana every day since he was a kid.  Welles' parents showed Judy a picture of Welles and she confirmed that Welles was the hero that had saved Judy's life.  Welles had showed the bravery, courage, and complete unselfishness by saving so many peoples lives.  He is a true hero to me and many others.

Any person that can give their own life for a stranger is a true hero and would make the ultimate risk for others.  That is what Welles did and that is why he and other 9/11 heroes are considered true heroes.  You should do all in your heart to help others every day and put in all of your effort and people will thank you beyond belief but don't do something great just to be a hero do something great to make a great difference in somebody's life.  That is why Welles is my hero and he is an inspiration to many others and me.