Air Force One Commander to Share Experiences From Historic Missions

September 7 – Sarasota

Tidewell Hospice and its Honors Veterans Program, in partnership with Tidewell Foundation, are bringing retired Air Force Col. Mark W. Tillman to our community for a presentation honoring America’s veterans. Col. Tillman, Air Force One’s pilot and commander the day of the attack on 9/11, will speak at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, 2022 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The free event is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

As the nation’s 12th Presidential pilot, Col. Tillman was pilot and commander of Air Force One from 2001-2009. 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.

Another historic highlight in his 30-year career, Col. Tillman 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. Col. Tillman orchestrated and executed the covert operation with flawless success. His planning, done in secrecy, allowed for a complete surprise to the entire world.

Since its inception in 2008, the Tidewell Honors Veterans program has served more than 21,000 veterans in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, providing specialized care that recognizes the unique challenges that may exist in military families — all at no cost to them. Tidewell Hospice is one of 216 hospices, and one of two in Florida, to achieve Level 5 certification in the national We Honor Veterans, a national program focused on fostering respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment for veterans in hospice care. The program receives 100 percent of its funding from generous donations to the Tidewell Foundation.

Tidewell Honors Veterans also respectfully celebrates veterans and their service to our country. Volunteer veterans conduct pinning ceremonies across the Tidewell Foundation’s service area to thank veterans for their service. As part of this commitment, Tidewell Honors Veterans has invited local veterans organizations, Junior ROTC programs, and cadets from Sarasota Military Academy to attend the event and hear Col. Tillman’s story.

“Generations of Americans lost something on 9/11, from friends and loved ones to their innocence and security,” said Tidewell Hospice President and CEO Jonathan Fleece. “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. Tidewell Hospice and our Honors Veterans Program proudly serve these veterans and families with distinction, meeting their special medical, psychological and emotional needs.”

“The Tidewell Foundation and Tidewell Hospice Honors Veterans program are honored to provide our region with an opportunity to remember and reflect on those losses. We are privileged to host Col. Tillman as he shares his remarkable perspective on our nation’s experience through 9/11 and beyond,” said Debbie Mason, Tidewell Foundation president.

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 requires no tickets or reservations. Visit tidewellfoundation.org/news-and-events/events/colonel-tillman-speaker-event to learn more.