On May 22, 2026, during an event at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, President Donald Trump announced that he would posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther.
Crowther died on September 11, 2001, while helping people escape the South Tower of the World Trade Center after it was struck by a hijacked airplane. He was recognized for wearing a red bandana, which is now displayed at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Crowther's mother, Alison Crowther, was invited to the stage during the announcement.