The Red Bandana

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."

Boston College, a school dear to my heart many years after I left it, teaches all of its students 'Ever to Excel'. That we can all be some wonder in this world by birth, hard work, or by being in a place the moment the world calls for it. A fellow Eagle, Welles Crowther, fulfilled all three of Shakespeare's instances of 'greatness' carrying with him confidence and leadership, a finely tuned education and experience in the classroom and on the field, and a moment that broke all of our hearts 18 years ago.

While sitting at his desk in the South Tower of the World Trade Center, when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed through the North Tower, Welles would cover his face with a red bandana - the same style his father told him to carry around with him in his youth – and began rescuing survivors. It was neither job, nor duty, that bound him to service that day. Simply put, it was honor and personal courage that drove him to perform herculean tasks that even Homer would be proud to point to and ‘This is what I meant by Ever to Excel.’ Welles went down and back up… down and back up again… down and to the NYFD gathering on the ground floor. At 9:59 AM, the tower fell.

We lost Welles, plus countless other heroes that moment, that day, and the two decades to come.

I’m honored to wear The Red Bandana in and around LinkedIn in memory of Welles, and all my brothers and sisters lost since September 11th, 2001. I encourage you to take a few minutes watch the video from ESPN to learn more about Welles and his family, and how we can each be a little bit better every day.

Ever To Excel.