During a Tuesday ceremony, President Donald Trump posthumously presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, honoring his extraordinary heroism in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In accepting the recognition, Crowther’s mother, Alison, pointed to the Upper Nyack, New York, volunteer firehouse where her son first learned the skills that would help him save lives.

“Welles… would not have been able to do what he did as effectively on 9/11 if it had not been for the training and experience he gained as a member of Empire Hook and Ladder Company Number One of Upper Nyack,” she said.

David “Trevor” Gottlieb, president of Empire Hook and Ladder Company Number One, told News Media that Crowther was shaped by the volunteer fire company’s deep-rooted culture of service, duty and selflessness.

“I joined in ’88, he was five years younger than me so probably ’93 is when he first started,” Gottlieb told News Media.

“I was still away in college. I came back and worked with him from ’93 on. Volunteer fire service is usually multi-generational, and Welles’ father, Jefferson, was an ex-captain. He was our treasurer, just, you know, part of the fabric of the company. Kid’s been coming down here since he could walk,” Gottlieb said.

In the 25 years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Crowther’s story has become something of a legend. Known as the “man in the red bandana,” Crowther carried a red bandana on his wallet while working as a stockbroker in the South Tower. When the attack struck, he immediately leapt to action, helping usher people to safety as the building burned around him.

“Welles Crowther was in the towers. He was working for a trading firm that day. And he assisted with the rescue of at least 18, I think was the final count they got. Eighteen civilians that he helped lead to safety and ultimately lost his life doing that,” Gottlieb said.

“I think what Welles’ impression he left upon us was anything’s possible. And when you’re faced with, you know, 108 floors and the chaos and the destruction all around you, when you sit back and rely on your training, on how you were brought up, I think that makes your job much easier,” he continued.

Gottlieb credited Crowther’s instinct to help people without hesitation to his upbringing at Empire Hook and Ladder.

“This fire company is stocked with great people. We have five generations, some of the families go back in this company. And it’s great to see the pride, the dedication, commitment to a community that exists when you have such a special place like this,” he said.

“I would lay my life down for any one of them. And I think they would do the same for me,” Gottlieb said of his firehouse family. “That’s something that’s kind of instilled in when you join here. And it’s perfected throughout years and multi-generations of that behavior,” he continued.

Crowther’s ultimate sacrifice was indicative not only of his upbringing in Empire Hook and Ladder, but of the spirit that inhabits all volunteer firefighters, Gottlieb argued.

“When you look at what happened that day, somebody made the decision to not run. They made the decision to stay and help. And they didn’t ask if you’re a Republican, a Democrat, a Muslim, a Jew, a Catholic,” he told News Media.

“You’re somebody who needs help. And the human spirit needs to continue that way. We have to focus on what brings us together, not what divides us,” Gottlieb said. “And I think that’s been kind of the driving force in the firehouse. For us to get more volunteers, we can’t be a polarizing organization. We can’t have sides. Our position is we’re here to help the community.”

“We are here to step up in the times that probably matter most and be part of something much bigger than ourselves,” he added. “And when you learn to set that aside and you learn to live with those kinds of principles, I think it makes this job much easier because you know that – know – the guy next to you, the girl next to has your back and I have their back.”

Gottlieb also pointed to two of Empire’s other fallen firefighters, Harry Wannamaker Jr. and Joe Stach Jr., who he said both lost their lives due to health complications related to 9/11.

“We should never forget. We should never forget the sacrifice that everybody made, in particular Welles. But there was 343 other firemen that died. And then, since that time, we’ve lost two more members in Empire related to 9/11 diseases, Harry Wanamaker Jr. and Joe Stach Jr. And it’s awful to see the scars that it leaves on families forever,” he said.

Gottlieb also urged people to follow in Crowther’s footsteps and volunteer for their local fire departments.

“Volunteer fire service is hurting for people right now. Everybody’s too busy to volunteer and I can’t describe to you the feeling, right? You get to drive fire trucks, you get to play with some pretty cool tools. I encourage everyone to do this, make time, help any way you can because your community will be better for it,” he said.

Rick Springfield has revealed that he believes he killed a man with a mortar bomb while performing for troops during the Vietnam War in 1968.

The 77-year-old Jessie’s Girl singer made the startling admission during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he reflected on his teenage years in a warzone and the traumatic memory he says has stayed with him for nearly 60 years.

Springfield explained that he and his band, MPD Limited, went to South Vietnam in 1968 to entertain American and allied servicemen, spending roughly four months in the country as the conflict raged around them.

“It was insane,” he said, recalling that he initially viewed the trip as a chance to earn money. “I thought, ‘Oh, great. We’ll make money, you know.’ And, of course, we didn’t make any money. We spent it all at the PX, and we weren’t making much money anyway.”

Springfield, who was 19 at the time, said the tour soon became perilous when he and his bandmates were caught up in an attack, forcing him into what he described as a split-second decision to throw mortar bombs.

He said: ‘We met these guys, and we really got along well, and we stayed overnight with them, and we all got in the bunkers, in the perimeter bunkers, and I stayed in the radio shack, and we got attacked, and I’m throwing mortars down the freaking tube of the radio shack.’

‘It was freaky. This is before – you couldn’t do any of this now.’

He added: ‘The hardest thing for me was that I had thrown a mortar down and it had hit somebody and they came in the next day and said, “Hey, you got one. You got one!” 

‘And that was… it still has a place… hard place to land in me, you know. 

‘And that’s really the kind of the one thing I brought back with me that I couldn’t really find a place for that to land. And still… it still seems like you know years ago, another guy, another place.’

Springfield said he still finds it ‘hard to face’ that ‘I was responsible for the end of a you know a life even though it’s distant and it’s war and I didn’t really have anything to do with it and didn’t really know what I was doing.

‘But you know as a kid and playing, like I said John Wayne, but it was pretty heavy when you know, when I think about the reality of it.’

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Springfield for further comment and has yet to hear back.

The Vietnam War informally began in the early 1950s and formally began in 1965 after the United States deployed troops to the Southeast Asian nation to fight in the conflict against North Vietnam and in support of South Vietnam. 

Its objective was to prevent the country from becoming communist. 

The US withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam became a communist nation in 1975. The conflict claimed at least three million lives, including 58,000 Americans. 

Springfield was born Richard Lewis Springthorpe in Australia. 

He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971.

Then he started his solo career with his debut single, Speak to the Sky, which reached the top ten in Australia in mid-1971.

His biggest hit came in 1981 with the catchy pop tune Jessie’s Girl. 

The former Zoot guitarist, who has been married to the mother of his two children, Barbara Porter, since 1984,

Even with her star power, the celebrated freshman is still being asked to earn every minute.

As the American women continue to overpower the field at the FIBA World Cup, Caitlin Clark’s place in the rotation has become a talking point, with some fans questioning why one of basketball’s biggest names is still coming off the bench for an undefeated Team USA squad.

Clark again made her impact as a reserve Thursday, logging 19 minutes and 31 seconds while finishing with 10 points and nine assists in the United States’ commanding 108-56 quarterfinal victory over Hungary.

Team USA coach Kara Lawson indicated the current lineup has earned its spot, even as she left open the possibility of adjustments. “Our starting group’s done a pretty good job of getting us off to good starts,” Lawson said Wednesday when asked about Clark potentially moving into the starting five. “Rotationally from game to game we could change things, but I like where we are right now.”

The discussion around Clark’s role reflects the larger balancing act facing Team USA: weighing her immense popularity and rising profile in the sport against the chemistry, hierarchy and roster structure required to chase a world championship.

Lawson has opted for veterans for her starting backcourt, with 28-year-old Jackie Young, 32-year-old Kahleah Copper and 33-year-old Chelsea Gray all starting.

That has left Clark, 24, and other young stars like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese in reserve roles.

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A coach deferring to her veteran players isn’t a novel idea in sports and we’ve seen how some of the world’s best players — think Jayson Tatum for Team USA in 2024 — can get lost in the shuffle.

There are vocal Clark supporters, though, who question why she isn’t one of the starting five.

However, even in a reserve role, Clark is getting significant run and is leading the team with her 21.5 minutes per game average and has paced the team in three of the four games.

She played a team-high 25:19 in the 94-61 win over China on Sept. 4, logged 18:30 in Team USA’s 55-52 triumph over Italy on Sept. 6 in its tightest game to date, tallied a team-best 21:54 in the 105-64 throttling of Czechia on Sept. 7 and her 20-plus minutes Thursday in the one-sided affair again led the team.

In the Italy win, in which Clark logged her fewest minutes, she went 0-for-6 in a one-point effort.

Clark hasn’t indicated that the lack of a starting role bothers her, and she’s averaging 8.5 points, 7.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds per contest.

“This is such a privilege and honor to be here,” Clark said after scoring 14 points and tallying 11 assists in her first game with the national team in the win over China. “I don’t worry about all that [pressure]. I’m just excited to go play basketball. I remain confident in what I can do.” 

Clark and Team USA will face the winner of Thursday’s Australia-Spain clash in the semifinals Saturday, and with a win would battle France, Belgium or Germany in Sunday’s final.

A World War II-era aircraft crashed Wednesday evening while trying to land at a Pennsylvania airport, flipping over on the runway and leaving the pilot trapped inside before police and an airport employee pulled him to safety, officials said.

Officers with the Limerick Township Police Department were called to Heritage Field Airport at about 7:17 p.m., where they found the small plane overturned on the runway. The pilot, who was the only person aboard, was stuck inside the aircraft, according to authorities.

Police said officers and an airport employee worked quickly to free the pilot from his parachute before removing him from the wrecked plane.

“We got reports the pilot was trapped in the plane. On our arrival, they were pulling him out. So there was no extrication needed by the fire department,” Limerick Township Fire Chief Ken Shuler told FOX29 Philadelphia.

The pilot was conscious and able to stand but had visible cuts, police said. He was treated at the scene by Freedom Valley Medical Rescue and taken to a hospital.

The pilot was transported to Reading Trauma Center and was alert and talking after the crash, according to FOX29. No further update on his condition was available.

The single-engine plane had taken off from Pottstown and was headed to Quakertown, the station reported, citing Limerick Township officials. It had been in the air for about nine minutes.

The crash caused a fuel leak, according to the outlet, and firefighters remained at the airport to address the spill and watch for a possible fire.

Heritage Field Airport, formerly Pottstown Municipal Airport, serves private and recreational aircraft. The airport remained closed Wednesday night while crews handled the fuel leak and removed the plane.

Police said they notified the Federal Aviation Administration’s Eastern Region Operations Center after the crash.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and police said aviation authorities are investigating.