09/11/2026
As we remember 9/11 and the families effected. We wanted to share stories of a few heroes who shined their light on the darkest of times.
Here are four extraordinary stories of heroism from September 11, 2001:
Rick Rescorla saved nearly 2,700 people through rigorous preparation. As the head of corporate security for Morgan Stanley in the South Tower, the Vietnam War veteran correctly predicted that terrorists would target the World Trade Center again after the 1993 bombing. He implemented strict, surprise evacuation drills for years. On 9/11, despite announcements telling employees to stay at their desks, Rescorla ignored orders and successfully evacuated thousands of people while singing motivational songs to keep them calm. He was last seen heading back up the stairs to look for stragglers before the tower collapsed.
Welles Crowther, "The Man in the Red Bandana," rescued at least 18 people. A 24-year-old equities trader and volunteer firefighter, Crowther used a red handkerchief given to him by his father to shield his face from smoke. He repeatedly braved suffocating air on the South Tower's 78th floor to guide blinded and injured survivors to the only working staircase. He carried a woman down 17 flights of stairs, dropped her off safely, and immediately went back up to save more. He died alongside first responders when the tower collapsed, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Jason Thomas unburied survivors using his bare hands, a flashlight, and a shovel. An ex-U.S. Marine, Thomas was at home when he heard about the attacks. He immediately put his military uniform back on, drove to Manhattan, and rushed into the unstable, burning debris of Ground Zero. Working alongside another ex-Marine, Dave Karnes, Thomas managed to locate and dig out two transit police officers who were trapped 20 feet under the rubble.
More than 300 search-and-rescue dogs tirelessly hunted for survivors. In the hours and days following the collapses, highly trained canines worked grueling 14-hour shifts over the hazardous, hot wreckage. A German Shepherd named Trakr successfully located the very last living survivor, Genelle Guzman-McMillan, who had been pinned beneath massive chunks of concrete and steel for 27 hours.
