RETIRED FLIGHT ATTENDANT WALKING FROM BOSTON TO NYC FOR 9/11 FLIGHT CREWS

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A retired Boston United Airlines flight attendant is planning to walk all the way from Logan Airport to New York City while pushing a beverage cart in honor of flight crews who were killed on 9/11, including those he knew personally.

Paul 'Paulie' Veneto told CBS Boston he scheduled a day off on September 11, 2001, the same day United Airlines Flight 175 was hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center.

Veneto said, like many others, he could only watch helplessly during the 9/11 attacks that left the world in disbelief.

“I went 18 miles yesterday and it didn’t bother me one bit. I got soaking wet and I didn’t care. Believe me, I’m ready,” Veneto said via CBS Boston. “That was my normal route, Flight 175. I used to fly Boston to LA all the time."

“When those crew members knew they weren’t going to make it, they still kept doing their job. It’s mind-boggling to me."

Now, Veneto is honoring those crew members through "Paulie's Push," as he plans to push an airline beverage cart from Logan Airport to New York City, with images of the flight numbers displayed on the cart.

“We’re supposed to recognize those people. And it’s just the way it happened, they weren’t recognized. So now it’s happening today. And I’m so grateful for that,” Veneto said.

Veneto said he's received support from many locals including Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray, who walked alongside him in Holliston on Monday (August 23).

The retired flight attendant said he's thought about honoring the 9/11 victims for five years and made it his mission to prepare for the long road ahead.

“Mentally I’m trained. Physically I’m trained. And people always ask about the tires- I got extra tires. I got another beverage cart. I studied. I did my homework,” said Veneto.

Veneto left Logan Airport on Saturday (August 21) and said he's mapped out his trip perfectly to reach Ground Zero by September 11.

For more information on Paulie's Push and to track his location, visit: https://www.pauliespush.com.