By Martin Luttrell
For the second time in two years, retired United Airlines flight attendant Paul Veneto pushed a beverage cart along Route 16 on his route from Boston to the Ground Zero site in New York, where terrorists flew two airliners into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
The purpose of Paulie’s Push, as he explained today, is to honor the flight crews of the four hijacked airliners that crashed that day 25 years ago, and to invite the public to join him in pushing a cart and telling their own stories of the flight crews and passengers they knew who died in the attack.
Veneto was not on Los Angeles-bound United Airlines Flight 175 when it crashed into the South Tower, because he had the day off from work.
Today’s section of the journey held special significance for Mendon resident Steve Aubut, who joined Veneto in Milford to push a cart with him in honor of United flight attendant Amy Jarrett of North Smithfield, RI, who died on Flight 175.
Ms. Jarrett was Aubut’s classmate at Woonsocket’s Mount St. Charles Academy class of 1990.
“On the morning of 9/11, I was working at EMC in Hopkinton, and I remember hearing about the towers being hit by planes and not knowing what it was right away,” he said.
“I remember looking through the preliminary list of victims and seeing names I recognized. It said Amy Jarrett of North Smithfield, and I knew it was her. … It brings back memories. This is history, and I want to be a part of it.”
When Veneto and his support vehicle, escorted by Mendon police cars, entered the parking lot at New England Steak & Seafood, he was struck by the turnout of approximately 50 people and the large American flag hoisted over the entrance by Hiway Recovery of Upton.
He briefly choked up while addressing the gathering. “I came up with the idea of the beverage cart, but it’s the public — you people — that has made it what it is,” he said. “My mission was to get you all together. I want to invite everyone. This last push is everyone’s push.”
James Quirk, owner of New England Steak & Seafood, offered to help with the event after meeting Veneto during his initial 220-mile “push” through town in 2021. He recalled seeing a mention on social media that Veneto would be coming through Mendon, and found him pushing the 70-pound metal cart up Milford Street from the direction of the drive-in theater in near-100-degree weather.
After putting some bottles of cold water into a cooler, he pulled in front of Veneto and invited him to stop at the closed restaurant for a meal. There they talked for a while and Quirk recalls telling his new friend, “Paulie, we’re going to be friends for the rest of our lives.
“… This mission led to a life-long friendship. I support him as much as I can. I want to be involved as much as I can. I understand his passion, his survivor guilt. It’s so tough. Tragedy hits people in different ways. He’s used this to help people and bring people together.”
Since his initial push in 2021, Veneto has made a similar journey for each of the four airliners that were hijacked by terrorists, racking up more than 750 miles. Each route symbolized the flight paths of the four aircraft.
- In 2021 he pushed from Boston-Logan to Ground Zero in Manhattan for United Flight 175.
- In 2022 he pushed from Washington-Dulles to the Pentagon for American Flight 77.
- In 2023 he pushed from Newark-Liberty to the National Flight 93 Memorial in Stoystown/Shanksville.
- In 2024 he pushed from the Boston Public Garden 9/11 Contemplative Garden to Ground Zero for American 11.
Veneto said his daily distances vary between six and 18 miles, and that he stops to talk with well-wishers and is not deterred by hot or foul weather.
“No matter what the weather is, it doesn’t bother me,” said the 67-year-old Milton native. “I’ve pushed through two hurricanes. When I leave, the only thing I have to worry about is being at Ground Zero by Sept. 11.
Asked if he recalls any particularly memorable interactions with the public, Veneto shook his head and said there are too many to pick out only a few. Only a few days ago, when setting out in Boston with three Boston firefighters pushing carts with him, a young woman came running out of a store on Newbury Street shouting to him.
“She came running up, telling me about her mother who died in one of the planes; ‘My mother was on Flight 11!’” he recalled her saying. “A firefighter let her push his cart. That was really special to see someone push that beverage cart whose mother was on that airplane.
“I’m grateful to be able to do this, to see the excitement in people’s faces. There’s no better way to honor these people. It’s pretty special.”
You can follow Veneto’s progress on the Paulie’s Push website.
Photo top of page: Paul Veneto takes a break from pushing his beverage cart up the Rte. 16 hill by the Mendon Drive-In. (Martin Luttrell)
Photos below: Mendon resident Steve Aubut accompanies Paul Veneto up Rte. 16 in Mendon; Aubut amd New England Steak & Seafood owner James Quirk push carts with Veneto; Veneto meets his 2-month-old grandnephew, Frankie; Quirk and Veneto; the top of one of the beverage carts, which lists Veneto’s fellow crew members who perished aboard Flight 175. (Martin Luttrell)
