While the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 just passed, Fairfield University joined other citizens of the United States in honoring the victims who tragically lost their lives. A mass was hosted in the Egan Chapel at 12:30 p.m. on the actual date and a flag was draped over the Barone Campus Center windows for the student body to see. The University also has a piece of a steel beam from the Twin Towers as part of a monument dedicated to the victims of 9/11 who attended Fairfield University.
In addition to this, a man named Paulie Veneto was joined by the Fairfield University staff and part of the Fairfield town community to honor the members and workers aboard United Flight 175 that hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center after being hijacked by al-Qaeda members on its way from Boston Logan International Airport.
Veneto was a United Airlines flight attendant for many years, where he developed close relationships with his colleagues who unfortunately passed: Captain John Ogonowski, First Officer Thomas McGuinness, Barbara Arestegui, Jeffrey Collman, Sara Low, Karen Martin, Kathleen Nicosia, Betty Ong, Jean Roger, Dianne Snyder and Amy Sweeney. In order to honor those who passed away on 9/11, he developed Paulie’s Push (@pauliespush on Instagram), a charity organization dedicated to honoring the victims of 9/11, specifically those on United Airlines Flight 175.
Veneto himself embarks on a journey every year, pushing a beverage cart from Boston Logan International Airport all the way to Ground Zero in New York, NY to pay tribute to his fellow flight attendants. This walk is roughly 220 miles and serves the purpose of remembering the lives of Veneto’s amazing colleagues and everyone who had passed. Veneto first started this tradition in 2020, saying “I want to honor the lives of the first responders, colleagues, their families and their loved ones. Veneto states, “I truly felt like there was nothing I could do, so I just started walking.”
Fairfield University’s Bookstore in town is exactly in the path of Veneto’s journey to Ground Zero and on Sept. 4, 2024, many members of the Fairfield University staff and the town community joined Veneto in walking from the Bookstore to the new Fairfield University offices, located at 1720 Post Road, just 57 miles from Ground Zero. In walking alongside him, they were able to learn about his story and his wonderful friends and colleagues. His journey also involves stops in many major towns and cities, including nearby Westport and Norwalk, where Veneto takes the time to share the stories of many lost loved ones and educate younger generations about the tragedy that occurred on 9/11.
He states that his “coming through your towns had a much wider significance,” where people “shared stories of grieving, stories of healing and even one or two stories that left me scratching my head.”
These journeys touched the hearts of many, as Veneto recalls, and he “came to realize that something about [his] pushing the beverage cart to Ground Zero sparked something in everyone.”
Veneto believes it is vital to remember this event and discuss all citizens who lost their lives. This is important to the Fairfield University community because 15 Fairfield alumni passed away on 9/11. These alumni consist of Michael R. Andrews ‘89, Jonathan N. Cappello ‘00, Christopher J. Dunne ‘95, Steven M. Hague ‘91, H. Joseph Heller ‘86, Michael G. Jacobs ‘69, Michael P. Lunden ‘86, Francis N. McGuinn ‘74, Patrick J. McGuire ‘82, William E. Micciulli ‘93, Marc A. Murolo ‘95, Christopher T. Orgieleweiz ‘87, Johanna L. Sigmund ‘98 and Christopher P. Slattery ‘92. Participating in the walk alongside Veneto is one way the Fairfield community carries on the memory of these past students. Those who wish to visit this monument can do so just outside of the Alumni Building, located across from McAuliffe Hall. There is an additional plaque located in the lower level of the Barone Campus Center.
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