Coast Guard Commissions 62nd Fast Response Cutter Honoring 9/11 Hero

The Coast Guard commissioned its newest fast response cutter, the Vincent Danz, for official entry into its service fleet during a ceremony in New York City, May 22.

The cutter’s namesake, Vincent Danz, was serving in the New York City Police Department’s emergency services unit when he responded to the 9/11 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center.

Danz was killed in the collapse of the South Tower while attempting to rescue victims.

He was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds. He was a Marine Corps veteran and joined the New York City Police Department in 1987, while continuing to serve in the Coast Guard Reserve.

The cutter is the 62nd fast response cutter in the service, and the fourth to be homeported in Guam, joining the Myrtle Hazard, Oliver Henry and Frederick Hatch. Since their 2021 commissioning, Guam’s fast response cutter crews have distinguished themselves across the region, most recently responding to the impacts of Super Typhoon Sinlaku on communities in the Marianas in April.

Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thomas Allan presided over the ceremony. Members of the Danz family were also in attendance, including Angela Donohue, Vincent Danz’s widow and the cutter’s sponsor.

“Vincent Danz’s legacy will live on not only through his family and his brothers and sisters in the NYPD, but through the Coast Guard crew who will breathe life into this cutter today,” Allan said. “The Coast Guard Cutter Vincent Danz will perform the Coast Guard’s vital work across Oceania — projecting U.S. presence, countering illicit maritime activity and strengthening our international partnerships.”

The crew will primarily serve U.S. and mutual interests in Oceania, with an emphasis on the Micronesia and Melanesian subregions. It will conduct maritime security operations, combat illegal activity, support search-and-rescue missions and strengthen partnerships with Pacific Island nations and allies.

As a Coast Guard reservist, Danz understood the meaning of service to country and community. His courage in the face of unimaginable danger and his dedication to saving others made him a hero not only to New York City but to the nation. The newly commissioned cutter honors his memory and the legacy of all first responders who gave their lives on 9/11.