In honor and memory of the crew of United Flight 93: Captain Jason Dahl; First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr.; Flight Attendant Lorraine Bay; Flight Attendant Sandra Bradshaw; Flight Attendant Wanda Green; Flight Attendant CeeCee Lyles; and Flight Attendant Deborah Welsh.
In honor and memory of the crew of United Flight 93: Captain Jason Dahl; First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr.; Flight Attendant Lorraine Bay; Flight Attendant Sandra Bradshaw; Flight Attendant Wanda Green; Flight Attendant CeeCee Lyles; and Flight Attendant Deborah Welsh.
30 days. 300 miles. The longest push is underway now...
In 2021 retired flight attendant Paul “Paulie” Veneto pushed an airline beverage cart from Boston-Logan International Airport to Ground Zero to honor and remember the flight crews of 9/11, including his own colleagues on United Flight 175. He believed that, in the enormity of everything that happened that day, the ‘first, first responders’, as he often calls them, had not received the recognition that they deserved. His drive and determination, as well as his personal battles with opiate addiction in the wake of that day, inspired a following across the country and around the world. When the Push was over, he knew that the movement needed to continue, and he (and his team) decided that a Push to honor each of the four flights that perished on September 11 were in order. In 2022 Paulie pushed his cart from Washington-Dulles International Airport to the Pentagon National Memorial in honor of American Flight 77. Later that year travel website/blog ‘The Points Guy’ bestowed upon Paulie its 2022 ‘Hero in Travel’ Award.
In August 2023 Paulie began the farthest Push yet: Newark Liberty International Airport to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania. It will be a journey of 30 days and 30 nights, and of 300 miles. Follow Paulie’s journey below, or on our social media accounts, as he honors the heroics of the flight crew of 9/11, and those aboard United Flight 93. To watch his progress in real time, visit our live link.
Saturday, August 12 - Quincy Sendoff
On Saturday, August 12 Paulie and his friends since seventh grade, Stevie and Dennis - who, coincidentally, are also Team Paulie members - attended their high school reunion in Quincy, MA. The Quincy Police Department and Quincy Fire Department were waiting for them after the event, and a team of police motorcycles and a fire truck escorted them through the streets of Quincy to the Star Market, where friends and family were waiting to see them off on their trip to Newark.
Quincy has always come out for Paulie, and he and the entire team appreciates it!!
Sunday, August 13 - West Orange Memorial
On Sunday Paulie and members of his team visited the Essex County Eagle Rock 9/11 Memorial.
The memorial to those who died on 9/11 was dedicated by Essex County officials in October 2002. Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., who joined us at the memorial, told Paulie about how he came down to Eagle Rock Reservation on September 11, 2001 and, noticing that hundreds of people were gathering, coming in from all over to watch in horror as the towers burned on the horizon, he knew that this place, with its sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, would be the most fitting location for the nation’s first 9/11 memorial.
They built it, and thousands of people visit it every year. Many come for an annual ceremony to mark the anniversary of 9/11, as well. We’ll be recording a video that they’ll play at that this year…
The memorial to the flight crews that we visited would be added years later. That came about due to the efforts of Pauie’s friend and fellow flight attendant Deborah Calimano. Deborah attended memorial services at the site every year and, like Pauie, wanted to do more to remember. In 2009 a chance encounter with her county sheriff on a flight she was working lead to a conversation about her vision; that was followed by a meeting with Mr. DiVincenzo. He agreed that her cause was a noble one, and offered Essex County’s memorial grounds to host the memorial to the flight crews Deborah had envisioned. A pilot’s hat donated by the CEO of her then-airline would serve as the model for the sculpture - and that would become the memorial that we visited on Sunday.
What a wonderful tribute to the flight crews!! If you live in the Essex County area, or plan to visit, this memorial is a must-see. Thank you to Deborah for being such a gracious host during our time in West Orange, and to Joe for giving us a tour of the site and sharing its story with Paulie and the team.
Monday, August 14 - EWR Sendoff
On Monday Paulie and his team officially began Paulie’s Push 3: Flight 93, with a sendoff ceremony at Newark-Liberty International Airport. The team at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey put together a ceremony, and officials from their organization, and Paulie, were invited to speak. The event was open to the public and included a number of airport and aviation employees, friends and fans of Paulie’s efforts, and members of the media. It was a moving ceremony, and a number of attendees stayed well past the end to listen to Paulie talk about his experiences on previous Pushes.
Then EWR officials treated Paulie and his crew to an escort around what seemed to Paulie to be the entire airport - he was pushing the car the whole time.
A very special moment was when a huge United Jet pulled up next to us and stopped, engines running, and the pilot held up a sign. We couldn’t read it, but we expect it was a message of encouragement!
You’ll also see photos of the Port Authority Police cadets lined up at attention. They stood like that throughout the entire ceremony. Paulie was later told that it was their first day on the job. He hopes they’ll never forget their first day, just like he’ll never forget the first day of this Push.
Our team wants to express gratitude to the teams at Port Authority New York & New Jersey, Newark-Liberty International Airport, the Port Authority Police, United Airlines, and everyone else who came out to see Paulie off - airport employees, airline employees, and civilians alike.
It was the perfect way to begin this Push - but, as Paulie says, it was much more than that. We can’t thank them enough.
Everyone All At Once?!
This was the first time that all six members of Paulie’s team were at the same location at the same time, so of course Paulie was excited to finally get a team photo. The RV is filled with photos from some of Paulie’s favorite moments from the Push to Ground Zero, the Push to the Pentagon, and the Points Guy awards ceremony, but with team members coming from France, upstate New York, Maine, etc. we’ve never had the opportunity to pose for a photo with everyone in it. The steps of iconic Building One at EWR presented the perfect backdrop. The photo below includes everyone who’ll make Paulie’s Push 3: The Pentagon run.
