(NEW YORK) — Bollinger Shipyards on Friday joined senior U.S. Coast Guard officials, distinguished guests, and the family of Vincent Danz at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City for the commissioning ceremony of USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC-1162), a Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC).
“On Sept. 11, 2001, our nation witnessed acts of extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Among those who answered the call was Vincent Danz, a Coast Guard reservist, a New York City Police Department officer, and an American hero,” said Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “It is an incredible honor to have built this vessel in his name. The USCGC Vincent Danz will carry on his legacy, sailing our waters, protecting lives, securing our homeland, and serving as a lasting reminder of his courage and sacrifice. The entire Bollinger team is deeply proud to see this cutter enter service today.”
Vincent Danz served as a port security specialist 2nd class in the Coast Guard Reserve and as an officer in the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit in the Bronx. On Sept. 11, 2001, Danz was providing aid to victims at the World Trade Center when he perished during the collapse. His service to this nation as a Coast Guard reservist and to New York City as a law enforcement officer exemplifies a lifetime of dedication and selflessness.
In March 2025, Bollinger hosted a 9/11 steel transfer ceremony at its Lockport, La., facility, receiving two pieces of steel from the debris of the World Trade Center. Steel sourced from ground zero was treated and transported in the same manner as human remains, with four retired Coast Guard port security chiefs escorting the steel from New York to Louisiana. Upon arrival, the Spirit of Louisiana fire truck transported the steel to the shipyard, underscoring the deep bond between first responders and this vessel’s legacy. Bollinger incorporated the steel into memorial plaques affixed to two Bollinger-built Sentinel-class FRCs: USCGC Vincent Danz and USCGC Jeffrey Palazzo (WPC-1163).
The 154-foot Sentinel-class fast response cutter is among the most capable patrol vessels in the Coast Guard fleet. Featuring a flank speed of 28 knots, a state-of-the-art C4ISR suite (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), and a stern-launch-and-recovery ramp for a 26-foot over-the-horizon interceptor cutter boat, the FRC is an operational game-changer.
– Bollinger Shipyards
