Air Force One commander to visit Sarasota and share experiences from historic missions
Retired Air Force Col. Mark W. Tillman – Air Force One’s pilot and commander on 9/11 – will speak at 10 a.m. on Sept. 28 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall as part of a Tidewell Honors Veterans program sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Tidewell Foundation.
As the nation's 12th Presidential pilot, Tillman was pilot and commander of Air Force One from 2001-09. He was at the controls on Sept. 11, 2001, keeping the President out of harm’s way and connecting the flying Oval Office to the nation's first responders – a journey that began in Sarasota.
Tillman also was the first pilot to fly the Commander-in-Chief into a war zone in Baghdad, Iraq, for Thanksgiving dinner with the troops in 2003.
“Generations of Americans lost something on 9/11, from friends and loved ones to their innocence and security,” Tidewell Hospice president and CEO Jonathan Fleece said. “The role our nation’s service members have in protecting our way of life has come into even greater focus since that day, along with the unique forms of loss they and their families incur through their sacrifices made on our behalf.”
Since its inception in 2008, the Tidewell Honors Veterans program has served more than 21,000 veterans at no cost in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, providing specialized care that recognizes the unique challenges that may exist in military families. Tidewell Hospice is one of 216 hospices, and one of two in Florida, to achieve Level 5 certification in the national We Honor Veterans.
As part of its commitment, Tidewell Honors Veterans has invited local veterans organizations, Junior ROTC programs, and cadets from Sarasota Military Academy to attend the event.
The Tidewell Foundation received a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County through the Walter Haskins Fund in memory of Stacey K. Haskins in support of the event. The program is free with open seating and no reservations are required. Visit bit.ly/3LaU4AE to learn more.
“The Tidewell Foundation [is] honored to provide our region with an opportunity to remember and reflect," Tidewell Foundation president Debbie Mason said. "We are privileged to host Col. Tillman as he shares his remarkable perspective on our nation’s experience through 9/11 and beyond.”
Submitted by Ashley Parker
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Air Force One pilot and 9/11 hero to speak at Van Wezel on Sept. 28
