The morning of Sept. 11, 2001, flight attendant Paul “Paulie” Veneto watched in horror as United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center’s South Tower. He had worked the same route a few days before without incident.
“It was a just a fluke that I didn’t end up on that plane,” said Veneto, who had that day off, but regularly worked Flight 175, which flew daily from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport.
“I realized that was my crew on the plane,” said Veneto, who started working for the airline in 1997.
Veneto reconstructed the scene over and over again in his head, imaging the fear his nine colleagues, most of whom he considered dear friends, must have felt in those final moments.
“It was an insane situation that they were under, and they were still comforting people and doing everything they could in those conditions,” Veneto said, adding that chilling voice recordings showed the stress the flight crews were under, and how they maintained a sense of calm amid the chaos.
Paul Veneto holds a composite of photos in Boston, showing flight crew and attendants who lost their lives when United Flight 175 was flown into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP)
As the days following the attacks unfolded, Veneto felt that his co-workers were not properly recognized for their bravery in responding to the horrific hijackings.
In addition to Flight 175, there were 11 crew members on American Airlines Flight 11 that struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower; six crew members on American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon; and seven crew members on United Airlines Flight 93 that slammed into a field near Shanksville, Pa.
“I knew deep down in my soul that people were going to forget about these crew members,” said Veneto, 62. “I understand why because of the enormity of the day, but the first, first responders on 9/11 were the flight crews. For 20 years, nobody has recognized these guys as heroes.”
In total, almost 3,000 people were killed that day and about 6,000 were injured.
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Riddled with unshakable grief over the loss of his colleagues, “my life really spiraled,” Veneto said. “I had major survivor’s guilt. I was angry, I wanted revenge, and I knew I couldn’t get it. I felt like I was never going to get relief from that feeling.”
He said he became dependent on drugs to numb the pain. Just one week after the attacks, he was prescribed a muscle relaxant for a backache. It fueled a 15-year-long opioid addiction.
“It got worse and worse,” Veneto said. “I didn’t think I was going to survive it. It was the darkest place I’ve ever been.”
“It really ate away at him,” echoed Veneto’s sister, Annette Rago, 69. “He thought about his co-workers and talked about them all the time.”
As his drug addiction intensified, “we were afraid we would find him dead somewhere,” Rago said.
Going against his family’s wishes, Veneto continued working as a flight attendant with United Airlines for a full decade after the attacks. He taped a picture of the Flight 175 crew to his luggage, which he brought on every flight.
At first, “every time I got on an airplane, I was waiting for it to happen again,” Veneto said, explaining that the only reason he was able to maintain his composure was because the drugs dulled his anxiety.
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“I had this anger in me that I’ve never experienced because of what they did to my friends. I wasn’t going to let them take my career from me, too,” he said. “I was single and didn’t have any kids. I was lonely, and I needed to be around other crew members because they understood.”
Plus, being a flight attendant was Veneto’s passion.
“I would have done the job for no money, that’s how much I enjoyed it,” he said. “I loved interacting with passengers. I didn’t feel completely comfortable unless I was on an airplane.”
Over the years, his drug dependence deepened, and after various interventions, Veneto went into treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse in August 2011. He had multiple relapses but has been sober for nearly six years.
The Sept. 11 date is significant to Veneto for another reason: It is also the anniversary of his sobriety. His first sober day was Sept. 11, 2015.
“It was a just a fluke that I didn’t end up on that plane,” said Veneto, who had that day off, but regularly worked Flight 175, which flew daily from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport.
“I realized that was my crew on the plane,” said Veneto, who started working for the airline in 1997.
Veneto reconstructed the scene over and over again in his head, imaging the fear his nine colleagues, most of whom he considered dear friends, must have felt in those final moments.
“It was an insane situation that they were under, and they were still comforting people and doing everything they could in those conditions,” Veneto said, adding that chilling voice recordings showed the stress the flight crews were under, and how they maintained a sense of calm amid the chaos.
Paul Veneto holds a composite of photos in Boston, showing flight crew and attendants who lost their lives when United Flight 175 was flown into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP)
As the days following the attacks unfolded, Veneto felt that his co-workers were not properly recognized for their bravery in responding to the horrific hijackings.
In addition to Flight 175, there were 11 crew members on American Airlines Flight 11 that struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower; six crew members on American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon; and seven crew members on United Airlines Flight 93 that slammed into a field near Shanksville, Pa.
“I knew deep down in my soul that people were going to forget about these crew members,” said Veneto, 62. “I understand why because of the enormity of the day, but the first, first responders on 9/11 were the flight crews. For 20 years, nobody has recognized these guys as heroes.”
In total, almost 3,000 people were killed that day and about 6,000 were injured.
A father nearly killed his son in a gruesome crime. One of the detectives on the scene later adopted the child.
Riddled with unshakable grief over the loss of his colleagues, “my life really spiraled,” Veneto said. “I had major survivor’s guilt. I was angry, I wanted revenge, and I knew I couldn’t get it. I felt like I was never going to get relief from that feeling.”
He said he became dependent on drugs to numb the pain. Just one week after the attacks, he was prescribed a muscle relaxant for a backache. It fueled a 15-year-long opioid addiction.
“It got worse and worse,” Veneto said. “I didn’t think I was going to survive it. It was the darkest place I’ve ever been.”
“It really ate away at him,” echoed Veneto’s sister, Annette Rago, 69. “He thought about his co-workers and talked about them all the time.”
As his drug addiction intensified, “we were afraid we would find him dead somewhere,” Rago said.
Going against his family’s wishes, Veneto continued working as a flight attendant with United Airlines for a full decade after the attacks. He taped a picture of the Flight 175 crew to his luggage, which he brought on every flight.
At first, “every time I got on an airplane, I was waiting for it to happen again,” Veneto said, explaining that the only reason he was able to maintain his composure was because the drugs dulled his anxiety.
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“I had this anger in me that I’ve never experienced because of what they did to my friends. I wasn’t going to let them take my career from me, too,” he said. “I was single and didn’t have any kids. I was lonely, and I needed to be around other crew members because they understood.”
Plus, being a flight attendant was Veneto’s passion.
“I would have done the job for no money, that’s how much I enjoyed it,” he said. “I loved interacting with passengers. I didn’t feel completely comfortable unless I was on an airplane.”
Over the years, his drug dependence deepened, and after various interventions, Veneto went into treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse in August 2011. He had multiple relapses but has been sober for nearly six years.
The Sept. 11 date is significant to Veneto for another reason: It is also the anniversary of his sobriety. His first sober day was Sept. 11, 2015.