Coast Guard announces naming of new cutters after FDNY, NYPD, USCG Reserve 9/11 heroes

Adm. Karl Schultz, Coast Guard commandant, announced Nov. 12, in New York City flanked by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill and FDNY Chief of Department John Sudnik, that two new cutters will be named in honor of Port Security Specialist 2nd Class Vincent Danz and Machinery Technician 1st Class Jeffrey Palazzo.

Palazzo served as a Coast Guard Reservist and FDNY firefighter at Rescue 5 in Staten Island. He perished while assisting others at the scene of the 9/11 attacks. Danz served as a Coast Guard Reservist, as well as an NYPD officer at the Emergency Services Unit in the Bronx. He was providing aid to victims on 9/11 when he perished during the World Trade Center collapse. 

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hightower.

NEW YORK — The Coast Guard announced yesterday that two of its new Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) will be named in honor of two extraordinary public servants who served in the Coast Guard and also served in the New York City Fire Department and New York City Police Department, respectively, with both losing their lives responding on 9/11.

Adm. Karl Schultz, Coast Guard commandant, made the announcement in New York City's Battery Park flanked by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill and FDNY Chief of Department John Sudnik, that the new cutters will be named in honor of Port Security Specialist 2nd Class Vincent Danz and Machinery Technician 1st Class Jeffrey Palazzo.

Palazzo served as a Coast Guard Reservist and FDNY firefighter at Rescue 5 in Staten Island. He perished while assisting others at the scene of the 9/11 attacks. Danz served as a Coast Guard Reservist, as well as an NYPD officer at the Emergency Services Unit in the Bronx. He was providing aid to victims on 9/11 when he perished during the World Trade Center collapse.

“We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity to honor these brave men whose service and sacrifice spanned three great first-responder organizations,” said Adm. Karl Schultz. “Their broad military and public service to both the Nation and City of New York demonstrated their incredible dedication and character. When the call came, they answered. We are certain that the men and women who serve aboard Coast Guard Cutter Vincent Danz and Coast Guard Cutter Jeffrey Palazzo in the future will proudly carry on their sense of honor, respect, and devotion to duty.”

Adm. Karl Schultz, Coast Guard commandant, is joined on stage by Lisa Palazzo and Angela Danz-Donahue, during a ceremony naming two new cutters after their late husbands.

Adm. Karl Schultz, Coast Guard commandant, announced Nov. 12, in New York City flanked by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill and FDNY Chief of Department John Sudnik, that two new cutters will be named in honor of Port Security Specialist 2nd Class Vincent Danz and Machinery Technician 1st Class Jeffrey Palazzo.

Palazzo served as a Coast Guard Reservist and FDNY firefighter at Rescue 5 in Staten Island. He perished while assisting others at the scene of the 9/11 attacks. Danz served as a Coast Guard Reservist, as well as an NYPD officer at the Emergency Services Unit in the Bronx. He was providing aid to victims on 9/11 when he perished during the World Trade Center collapse. 

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hightower.

“On the day we needed them most, our city’s brave first responders ran toward danger without hesitation,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Officer Vincent Danz and Firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo lived and died in service to our city and our country, and I join the U.S. Coast Guard, NYPD and FDNY in remembering the sacrifices they made to keep us safe. They were heroes, plain and simple, and their spirit will live on through these vessels as they continue to protect our city and nation from harm.”

Firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo bravely served our city and his country, proudly wearing the uniforms of the FDNY and United States Coast Guard,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro. “We will never forget his bravery and the sacrifice he made working to rescue those trapped at the World Trade Center. His legacy will live on through the Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutter that will bear his name and rescue New Yorkers from danger for years to come.”

“Eighteen years ago, New York City Police Officer Vincent Danz was a portrait of courage amid the devastation of the World Trade Center attacks,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “His public service on September 11th was exceptional, and yet reflective of the great character of our 36,000-member police force and its dedication to duty. As we think about Vincent’s life, let us always honor – and never forget – his sacrifice for his colleagues, our fellow New Yorkers and our country. To Vincent’s family, we thank you for sharing such a virtuous man with a grateful city. Let this Coast Guard vessel forever be a beacon to anyone in distress and a reminder of our collective mission as first responders to always keep one another safe.”

The new cutters are scheduled for delivery starting in 2023. FRCs are the mainstay of the Coast Guard’s coastal patrol fleet, providing multi-mission capabilities and interagency interoperability. FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment; over-the-horizon cutter boat deployment to reach vessels of interest; and improved habitability and sea-keeping. They are replacing the 1980s-era Island-Class 110-foot patrol boats.

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Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley returns home after 40-day, 5,000-mile patrol

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) returned to their homeport in Kodiak, Oct. 20, 2019, following a 40-day deployment throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Since departing Kodiak in September, the crew patrolled 5,000 miles and conducted 13 at-sea boardings. 

U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo by Ensign Richard Zogby.

KODIAK, Alaska — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) returned to their homeport in Kodiak Sunday, following a 40-day deployment throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

Since departing Kodiak in September, the crew patrolled 5,000 miles and conducted 13 at-sea boardings.

The crew also conducted law enforcement operations during the opening of the 2019 Red King Crab season and participated in several search and rescue cases. Most notably, Alex Haley’s onboard helicopter crew medically evacuated a crewmember from fishing vessel Alaska Victory after he was exposed to a release of toxic ammonia refrigerant Sept. 28.

A crewmember aboard a 26-foot over-the-horizon boat prepares to come alongside Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 30) while underway in the Bering Sea. Alex Haley’s crew returned to their homeport in Kodiak, Oct. 20, 2019, following a 40-day deployment throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Since departing Kodiak in September, the crew patrolled 5,000 miles and conducted 13 at-sea boardings.

U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo by Ensign Richard Zogby

Midway through the patrol, Alex Haley visited the remote community of St. Paul, Alaska, where crewmembers conducted a clean-up of a local lakefront and met with community elders. These events helped strengthen one of the many outstanding partnerships between the U. S. Coast Guard and local Alaskan communities.

“This patrol is my first aboard Alex Haley and my first in the Bering Sea,” said Cmdr. Benjamin Golightly, Alex Haley’s commanding officer. “After a long period in homeport, which included major dockside repairs, the crew did an outstanding job transitioning back into the demanding routine of operations at sea.”

“The opportunity to patrol the Bering Sea during the highly visible Red King Crab season was tremendously rewarding anduniquely challenging,” continued Golightly. “Between the rapid operational pace of fisheries boardings, the notorious unpredictability of the weather, and the fact that search and rescue cases can occur at any time, there was no shortage of challenges to be met by the crew. However, through their perseverance, high spirits, and unwavering dedication to service, Alex Haley's crewmembers exemplified professionalism and operational excellence in all they did. The product of their efforts can clearly be seen in the success we had this patrol.”

A small boat from Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) underway following a fisheries law enforcement and safety boarding in the Bering Sea. The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) returned to their homeport in Kodiak, Oct. 20, 2019, following a 40-day deployment throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Since departing Kodiak in September, the crew patrolled 5,000 miles and conducted 13 at-sea boardings. U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo by Ensign Richard Zogby.

Alex Haley is a 282-foot Medium Endurance Cutter that has been homeported in Kodiak since 1999, routinely operating throughout the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, and Pacific Ocean. The cutter’s ability to operate in extreme weather conditions provides the mission flexibility necessary to perform search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement, and vessel safety inspections across Alaska. These operations occur under the tactical control of the 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau, which encompasses the entire state of Alaska, as well as the coastal and offshore waters seaward over several thousands of miles.

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