The Coast Guard will commission a new ship named after Jeffrey Palazzo, a firefighter killed on September 11, 2001. This vessel will honor a man who died when the Twin Towers collapsed in New York City. Vice President JD Vance will stand at Ground Zero with Palazzo's son during the 25th anniversary ceremony. The ship will be based in Guam after its commissioning in New York on Saturday.
Jeffrey Palazzo was a reservist with the Coast Guard at Station Rockaway when he responded to the attacks. He died alongside ten other members of his rescue company known as the "Staten Island 11." His son, Matthew Palazzo, joined the Coast Guard in 2020 and now serves as a machinery technician second class. Matthew never knew his father but followed him into the service.
On that morning, Coast Guard Lt. Michael Day ordered the largest boatlift in history to save lives. He called out over the radio for help as chaos reigned around the World Trade Center. "All available boats. This is the United States Coast Guard," Day said as he directed the rescue effort, according to the Daily Wire. Ferries, fishing boats, and private yachts rushed to the water to evacuate people from Lower Manhattan.
Day admitted later that he broke more rules that day than he enforced in his entire career. The evacuation effort moved more people than the famous Dunkirk operation during World War II. Hundreds of civilian boats answered the call to rescue neighbors trapped by smoke and ash. This massive effort saved countless lives when official communications had failed completely.
President Donald Trump will lead a separate commemoration at the Pentagon on Friday to honor the victims and first responders. He watched the attacks unfold from his office in New York City as a real-estate developer. "I have a window that looks directly at the World Trade Center, and I saw this huge explosion," Trump recalled in a phone interview, according to Fox News. He was with a group of people who could not believe what they were seeing.
White House press secretary Anna Kelly stated that the President will remember those killed by evil terrorists. She remarked that Trump has discussed his personal memories of viewing the terrible September 11, 2001 attacks. "As a proud New Yorker, President Trump has spoken about his own experiences watching the horrific events of September 11, 2001," Kelly said. To guarantee representation at all three locations, other administration officials will assemble in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The 343 FDNY members who died that day represent the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow Americans. The new ship stands as a permanent reminder of their bravery and dedication to duty. Matthew Palazzo will stand with former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama at the site. This gathering shows that the nation still remembers the heroes who gave their lives to save others.
A 21-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center recently traveled to the White House for display. This beam serves as a moving memorial that has visited 21 states leading up to the anniversary. The Coast Guard ceremony in New York will finalize the naming of the Jeffrey Palazzo cutter. The vessel joins the Vincent Danz cutter in honoring two first responders who died on September 11, 2001.