The Red Bandanna

1. Who gives Welles a red bandanna?

A) his father, Jeff

B) his lacrosse coach

C) his first girlfriend

D) his mother, Alison

2. When does Welles carry his bandanna?

A) while at the fire department

B) everywhere he goes

C) while at school sporting events

D) on school test days

3. Why do bullies pick on Welles?

A) He won’t wear plaid shirts.

B) He’s short for his age.

C) He has a potty mouth.

D) He has a birth-defect limp.

4. On his first alarm as a volunteer firefighter, what blazing building does he help extinguish? (short answer)

5. Welles is trying to get a date with a beautiful girl in high school when his fire alarm goes off. What does Welles do?

A) He takes her with him to the fire station.

B) He leaves abruptly and rushes to the call.

C) He ignores it and later gets demoted.

D) He keeps talking until she turns him down.

6. When Welles gets passed over for team captain, what does the coach tell him?

A) He first needs to improve his playing skills.

B) He has to stop yelling at his teammates.

C) He’s a good teammate but not leadership material.

D) He’s a leader by example but can do much more.

7. In college, what sport does Welles play?

A) varsity lacrosse

B) varsity hockey

C) JV football

D) skateboarding

8. One night, when the grass freezes next to his dorm, what does Welles do? (short answer)

9. After college, Welles gets a job in what field?

A) fire fighting

B) investment banking

C) retail sales

D) coaching

10. At his job, Welles sometimes waves his bandanna. What does he say?

A) “With this, everything is possible.”

B) “This is where the magic comes from.”

C) “Always loyal, always a winner.”

D) “If we believe it, we can do it all.”

11. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Alison gets a strong premonition. What is it?

A) “You’re going to die today.”

B) “You’re going to lose someone.”

C) “Your son needs you right now.”

D) “Your son will die today.”      

12. On September 11, 2001, where is Welles working?

A) Engine Co. 82, FDNY Manhattan

B) Port Authority 8th Ave. bus terminal

C) South Tower, World Trade Center

D) North Tower, World Trade Center

13. When the North Tower is struck, what does the Port Authority first say to workers in the South Tower?

A) immediate evacuation required

B) both Towers are under attack

C) no immediate need to evacuate

D) evacuate at your discretion

14. When the South Tower is struck, what is the escape route for people on the top floors?

A) an undamaged stairwell in the corner of the building

B) an undamaged elevator shaft in the corner of the building

C) a path through rubble up to the heliport on the roof

D) a rope ladder for climbing down past the damaged floors

15. Where is Ling Young when she sees the young man with the red bandanna?

A) on the 104th floor searching for a way down

B) in the freight elevator heading for the basement

C) directing people down the stairwell at the 61st floor

D) lying injured on the 78th floor transfer lobby

16. What does the young man say to a group that includes Ling Young? (short answer)

17. After the young man sets an injured woman down on a stairway at the 61st floor, what does he do?

A) He goes back up the stairs.

B) He continues down the stairs.

C) He administers first aid.

D) He calls for help on his phone.

18. Why does Alison finally stop searching for Welles? (short answer)

19. After the memorial service for Welles, Alison finds what outside?

A) the American flag at half mast

B) rain on a strangely empty street

C) Welles’s sister sobbing uncontrollably

D) a crowd of firefighters in dress uniform

20. How does the search for Welles’s body end?

A) He’s found at the main lobby next to FDNY personnel.

B) He’s found at the 61st floor level of the building rubble.

C) He’s found in the ruins of the northwest stairway.

D) He’s never found, despite months of searching.

21. Alison locates two women who were in the South Tower and saw something mysterious. What was it? (short answer)

22. What do Alison and Jeff do to honor Welles?

A) commission a statue of Welles with a red bandanna

B) establish an eternal flame at the Nyack cemetery

C) purchase land for a lacrosse field named for Welles

D) establish a charitable trust in Welles’s name

23. What tradition involving Welles begins within the sports community?

A) players wear red bandannas

B) players wear Welles’s number 19

C) coaches say, “Win it for Welles.”

D) coaches say, “What would Welles do?”

24. When cleaning out his apartment, what do Welles’s parents find?

A) a box filled with red bandannas intended as gifts

B) an application to join New York Fire Department

C) a letter to them saying how much he loves them

D) a passbook with $2 million from his investment work

25. Who signs a red bandanna for Alison in 2011? (short answer)

26. What media event in 2011 causes awareness of Welles to skyrocket?

A) a song by Sting commemorates Welles’s heroism

B) an ESPN documentary honors Welles’s heroism on 911

C) a new TV series about heroes opens with Welles’s story

D) a telethon fundraiser for 911 survivors features Welles’s story

27. What 2014 event at Boston College commemorates Welles?

A) The lacrosse team comes from behind to win the championship.

B) The hockey rink includes the image of a giant red bandanna.

C) A statue of Welles is erected at the entrance to the lacrosse field.

D) The unranked Boston team defeats football powerhouse USC.

28. What does Welles’s father still do every day with respect to Welles?

A) He prays for the victims of 911.

B) He weeps over his son’s death.

C) He mails bandannas to well-wishers.

D) He faces New York City at 9:59 a.m.