Ex-flight attendant honors 9/11 victims with 200-mile trek

(NewsNation) — Boston autochthonal Paul Veneto was serving beverages connected a United Airlines formation successful 2002 erstwhile helium knew precisely what helium needed to do. It had been 1 twelvemonth since the violent attacks connected Sept. 11, 2001, and Veneto had been battling a tempest of anger.

Now, the 65-year-old is connected a ngo to guarantee the lives of his friends and colleagues connected United Airlines Flight 175 volition ne'er beryllium forgotten.

Sept. 11, 2001

"I was hoping to walk the remainder of my vocation with United and retire, and arsenic we know, the satellite changed connected September 11," Veneto said.

When Veneto began moving for United successful 1997, helium was regularly assigned to the United Flight 175 unit from Boston to Los Angeles.

On Sept. 10, 2001, Veneto returned to Boston from Los Angeles connected the aircraft's last formation of the day.

The adjacent morning, the erstwhile formation attendant was disconnected enactment and watched with the satellite arsenic his co-workers and craft crashed into the southbound operation of the World Trade Center successful New York City.

"When the buildings came down, I felt a burning successful the mediate of my stomach, and I ne'er felt thing similar that before," helium said.

About 30 minutes into the flight, it was hijacked by 5 al-Qaida terrorists, causing the formation unit connected committee to effort each they could to forestall the onslaught from happening.

"Chaos erupted. I saw those buildings travel down conscionable similar everybody other did connected TV and astir the world," helium said. "We each watched that scene, and thing happened to me."

He continued, "I knew astatine that infinitesimal ... everyone was going to hide what happened astatine the opening of the day."

Veneto considers the unit connected that formation arsenic the existent archetypal responders to the violent attack. He said what went connected during that formation was tragic, chaotic and gruesome.

"They were doing everything imaginable nether those conditions. It's conscionable mind-boggling. It ever has been," Veneto said.

Five days aft the attacks, Veneto knew helium had to bash something. He wanted to support his precocious co-workers' representation alive.

So, the erstwhile formation attendant had a representation made of the unit of Flight 175. He attached it to his formation container and for the adjacent 10 years of his vocation with United, helium was known arsenic the feline with the representation connected his bag.

But that inactive wasn't capable for Veneto.

'Paulie's Push'

For 10 years, Veneto suffered done the burning symptom of grief and anger. He was prescribed symptom medicine and didn't recognize helium was numbing his emotions.

"I conscionable didn't recognize it, you know, I knew a occurrence successful my tummy was there, but it was, it was smoldering due to the fact that of this symptom medication," Veneto said.

For years, helium fought addiction and numbness. But helium ne'er spoke astir his travel due to the fact that helium ne'er wanted to instrumentality distant from oregon overshadow the heroics of the formation crews and passengers aboard each 4 hijacked flights.

But Veneto fought, overcoming the addiction and turning his beingness around, which helium was grateful for. It wasn't until helium was 5 years sober that helium knew helium was acceptable to instrumentality connected the ngo helium was meant to do.

So, with the assistance of his household and friends, Veneto created a program for "Paulie's Push."

For the past 4 years, Veneto has made it his ngo to locomotion the formation paths of each craft hijacked connected Sept. 11, 2001, pushing a level beverage cart.

For the 20th day of the attacks, Veneto acceptable retired from Boston to crushed zero to grant the formation way of United 175.

In 2022, helium trekked the way of American Airlines Flight 77 from Dulles International Airport to the Pentagon Memorial.

And past year, Veneto acceptable retired connected his longest travel yet, walking the way of United Flight 93 from Newark Newark Liberty International Airport to the Flight 93 National Memorial successful Stoystown, Pennsylvania — a 300-mile, 30-day trek.

All 3 years, Veneto was successful, gathering enactment from thousands of radical on the way and uniting communities with the aforesaid goal: Remember and grant those who fought and mislaid their lives connected 9/11.

People conscionable showed up retired of nowhere, Veneto said, and helium knew thing different.

Not lone did Veneto support the representation of those mislaid alive, but helium besides created a assemblage based connected anticipation and strength. As helium walked done the streets, radical from each implicit would travel up to him and stock their stories, whether they related to the violent attacks oregon not.

And Veneto would listen.

"I'll beryllium successful the mediate of the thoroughfare crying with people, and it happens each day, each azygous time I'm retired there," helium said.

Part 4: American Airlines Flight 11

Now, the retired formation attendant is making his way done Connecticut arsenic helium pushes the beverage cart on the American Airlines Flight 11 way from Boston to crushed zero.

The 200-mile travel volition instrumentality the 65-year-old a full of 24 days, with plans to scope crushed zero by the 23rd day of the attacks.

Along the way, Veneto is besides walking to thatch astir the horrors of that time and what the formation crews connected committee did. He has spoke astatine schools and events, educating children who were calved aft the attacks astir that day.

As to what Veneto volition bash erstwhile his four-year ngo comes to an end, helium said helium has immoderate ideas floating astir successful his head.

One of those ideas, which was based connected suggestions from radical astir him, involves the 25th day and the information of respective communities.

Veneto shared that helium is hoping to formulate a collaborative walk, wherever members of the assemblage from children to adults to archetypal responders propulsion the beverage cart on the way from Boston to crushed zero. Every fewer miles oregon so, the adjacent radical of radical would instrumentality implicit pushing the cart, and truthful on, until the travel is completed.

While that is inactive a fewer years away, Veneto said helium is moving with his squad to marque the extremity possible.

But for now, Veneto says helium is grateful to beryllium capable to person the accidental to beryllium involved.

"I'm grateful for each enactment I take. Trust me, I'm conscionable truthful grateful that I can," helium said.