The U.S. Coast Guard accepted delivery of its 62nd Fast Response Cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz, on Feb. 26 in Key West, Florida.
Danz was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and joined the New York City Police Department in 1987 while continuing to serve in the Coast Guard Reserve as a Port Security Specialist 2nd Class.
He responded to the World Trade Center as part of the massive emergency response on Sept. 11, 2001, and was killed when it collapsed.
"Vincent Danz exemplified selfless service as a New York firefighter and Coast Guard reservist,” said said Capt. Jessica Worst, commander, Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, in a release. “This cutter will honor his legacy by protecting lives, combating illicit activity, and ensuring maritime security of our coasts, across Micronesia and beyond."
Danz was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds.
Each FRC is named after an enlisted member of the Coast Guard who performed extraordinary service in the line of duty.
"It's an honor, and we're all incredibly proud to carry on the legacy of heroes like Vincent Danz,” said Petty Officer David Somera, the engineering petty officer and native of Guam. “This third time I’ve been part of such a commissioning crew, and there's a deeper appreciation for what it takes to bring a cutter to life. You start with this perfectly new ship, and it's our job as the first crew to turn it from a steel vessel into a living, breathing part of the Coast Guard. It's more than the mechanics; we’re building a team and a home that will serve and protect the people of Guam and the Pacific."
Vincent Danz joins the Myrtle Hazard, Oliver Henry, and Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143), commissioned in 2021 in Guam, the Coast Guard said. A total of 61 FRCs are in service: 13 in Florida; seven in Puerto Rico; six each in Bahrain and Massachusetts; five in Alaska; four in California; three each in Hawaii, Guam, Texas, New Jersey, and Mississippi; and two each in North Carolina and Oregon.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.