The Long Blue Line (Fall 2020)

his life on 9/11 as a member of the New York Police
Department Emergency Services Unit (see sidebar).
Coast Guard Commandant ADM Karl Schultz made
the announcement in Battery Park flanked by New
York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner
James O’Neill and FDNY Chief of Department John
Sudnik.
“We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity to
honor these brave men whose service and sacrifice
spanned three great first-responder organizations,”
said 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.”
“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.”
At that ceremony, Matthew Palazzo, a high school
senior who was considering college options,
spoke to a Coast Guard recruiter. What started
as information gathering turned into genuine
interest. He finished basic training at Cape May
on September 4, 2020, just a week shy of the 19th
anniversary of 9/11.
The 17-year old Matthew is now carrying on Jeff’s
tradition of service aboard the USCGC POLAR STAR.
ABOVE: Matthew Palazzo, son of Jeffery
Palazzo, poses for a Coast Guard photo.
(U.S. Coast Guard photo)
A Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutter will be named for Vincent Danz, who
joined the police department after serving in the United States Marine Corps.
Danz was also a member of Coast Guard Reserve. In the NYPD, he served in the
Emergency Services Unit in the Bronx. He was providing aid to victims on 9/11
during the World Trade Center collapse.
“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 NYPD
Commissioner James O’Neill at the ceremony announcing the naming of the cutter.
“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. 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 Sentinel Class FRC is a key component of the Coast Guard’s offshore fleet
that is capable of deploying independently to conduct missions that include port,
waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national
defense. They are replacing the 1980s-era Island Class 110-foot patrol boats.
THE LONG BLUE LINE FALL 2020
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