Retired flight attendant rolls a beverage cart from Boston to Ground Zero to pay tribute to 9/11 victims
Throughout his career, Paulie Veneto enjoyed pushing a beverage cart along the aisles of planes, a job he cherished deeply.
"I would have gladly done that job for free because the connections I formed with passengers and the camaraderie with my fellow crew members were truly remarkable," Veneto shared with TPG. "I never had any desire to pilot a plane; what I adored was meeting people from all corners of the globe."
Like many, Veneto could never have foreseen or prepared for the events of September 11, 2001. He also never imagined he would commemorate the 20th anniversary of that fateful day by pushing a beverage cart 240 miles from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to the site of the World Trade Center collapse in New York City — but that's precisely what he accomplished.
PAULIE'S PUSHWhen Veneto embarked on the inaugural Paulie's Push, his goal was to honor the "first, first responders" of 9/11: the flight crews who did everything possible to mitigate the impact of the horrific terrorist attacks.
"American Flight 11 was the first plane hijacked that morning, and from the recordings we've all listened to, it's clear that these crew members were indeed the 'first, first responders' on September 11," Veneto stated in a press release for this year's event. "They were transmitting critical information to ground control under unimaginable conditions. If I can help raise awareness about their actions that morning, that's the least I can do."
Veneto believed that more recognition was necessary for the bravery shown by the crew members who perished that day.
"Flight attendants didn't receive the same acknowledgment as other first responders, and it's no one's fault," Veneto explained. He recognizes that the scale of the tragedy made it challenging to honor everyone involved in the efforts to avert the disaster.
As a flight attendant, Veneto frequently flew United Airlines Flight 175 — the Boston-to-Los Angeles route that was hijacked and crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Thus, he was uniquely positioned to advocate for the recognition these flight attendants deserved. For his dedication to honoring the flight crews and their families, Veneto was awarded a "Hero in Travel" accolade at the 2022 TPG Awards.
PAULIE'S PUSHThis year marks the fourth edition of Paulie's Push. In 2022, Veneto pushed his cart for 35 miles from Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., all the way to the Pentagon. Last year, he undertook a 300-mile trek from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania.
This year, Veneto will once again follow the route from Boston to ground zero. He will be pushing his beverage cart 210 miles from the Boston Public Garden 9/11 Memorial to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at ground zero in New York City. This year's journey honors American Flight 11 and completes the tribute to the four flights hijacked on 9/11.
He began this year's push on August 18 and is set to reach ground zero on September 11. Along the way, he will stop for various speaking engagements. You can make donations and track Paulie's Push through real-time map updates available on his website.
PAULIE'S PUSHIt goes without saying that pushing a beverage cart was far from the most significant aspect of Veneto's career as a flight attendant. Like all flight attendants, his foremost duty was ensuring the safety of everyone on board his aircraft.
Even now, during his annual push, the cart serves merely as a symbol of Veneto's main goal: to pay tribute to his fallen crew members and raise awareness of the bravery they exhibited in the face of unimaginable peril.
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