[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21813]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING VINCENT DANZ AND OTHER HEROES OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the second year 
anniversary of the most brutal acts of terrorism to ever take place on 
our Nation's soil. On September 11, 2001, let us not forget that 
families were torn apart and our way of life threatened as over 3,000 
innocent lives were tragically lost in devastation at the Pentagon, 
World Trade Center and in Pennsylvania.
  Let us also remember that September 11 was as much a day of loss and 
sorrow as it was a day of unprecedented heroism that poignantly 
demonstrated core American values of compassion, patriotism and service 
to country.
  On that faithful morning, heroes were born as hundreds of our Nations 
first responders, firefighters, police officers, and other emergency 
personnel, selflessly and bravely lost their own lives to secure the 
lives and safety of others.
  A good friend of mine and a resident of Long Island, Police Officer 
Vincent Danz, was one such hero of September 11. Vinnie Danz was among 
the first to respond on September 11 after a hijacked airliner crashed 
into the World Trade Center. Officer Danz, a member of the New York 
Elite Emergency Service Unit, spent his final moments helping the 
remaining occupants of the North Tower escape before it collapsed at 
10:29 a.m.
  For those who knew Vinnie Danz, it was not at all surprising that he 
spent his last breath courageously filling his oath to protect and 
serve innocent civilians. As a 14-year veteran of the New York City 
Police Department, he had previously earned 17 decorations. Throughout 
his life, Vinnie not only dutifully answered the call to serve the 
residents of New York, but also his country. He was enlisted in the 
United States Marine Corps and at the time of his death was a marine 
safety technician with the Coast Guard Reserves.
  Friends of Vinnie remember him as an avid Mets and Rangers fan, a 
straight-laced cop who loved to kid around, and most of all a loving 
father and husband. On September 11, Vinnie left behind his wife Angela 
and three small girls, Winnifred, named after his sister, and Emily and 
Abigail, whom he adored.
  In remembering Police Officer Vinnie Danz, we honor the memory of a 
man whose life embodied the best of American ideals. Vinnie selflessly 
and courageously lived by the principles of service to community and 
country. In doing so, he demonstrated compassion and steadfast 
commitment.
  Even in performing his final agents of heroism at the World Trade 
Center, Vinnie did not show concern for himself. Rather, he asked his 
wife in a final phone message to, ``Say a prayer that we get some of 
these people out. I am okay, but say a prayer for me.''
  Vincent Danz was not the only Long Island hero of September 11. 
Lieutenant Andrew Desperito, a New York city firefighter from East 
Patchogue, New York, was on the 23rd floor of One World Trade Center 
when he found out that Tower Two had already collapsed. Before exiting 
the building, he ordered the rest of his team ahead and he stopped to 
help a woman having trouble making her escape. He had just exited the 
building when it collapsed. He did not survive.
  There were also the Vigiano brothers, Joseph of Medford, an emergency 
service unit detective and his firefighter brother, John Vigiano, both 
of whom died that day in the line of duty when the Twin Towers fell.
  The brave acts of New York's first responders helped to save the 
lives of 25,000 World Trade Center victims on September 11. Of those 
who perished, 33 were from the first district of New York. These people 
were professional rescuers, the finest New York had to offer. Our 
community's loss is great, and so is that of their families. Their 
plans for the future ranged from seeing their children through college 
to soon retiring from the force. In their common mission of saving 
lives on September 11, their dreams were lost and their families 
shattered. For their sacrifice, we owe a great debt to the police 
officers, firefighters and emergency workers who risked their lives on 
September 11.
  As a Congress we not only have the responsibility to remember their 
acts of courage, but to carry out our duties with the same love of 
country, compassion to others and commitment to service.
  To properly pay tribute to the lives of these courageous people, we 
in Congress must ensure that first responders have the support they 
need to remain safe and effectively carry out their life-saving duties. 
In addition, we must reaffirm our commitment as a Congress and as a 
Nation to prevent terrorists from ever again carrying out these heinous 
and offensive acts against Americans and other innocent people around 
the world.
  In remembrance of these first responders from New York's first 
district, I will enter the names of those who perished into the Record.

       James M. Amato, Frank Bonomo, Peter Brennan, Daniel J. 
     Brethel, Donald James Burns, Thomas M. Butler, Nicholas Paul 
     Chiofalo Jr., John A. Crisci, Michael Sean Curtin, Martin N. 
     DeMeo, Andrew J. Desperito, Jerome Mark Patrick Dominguez, 
     Michael K. Healey, Timothy B. Higgins, Andrew Jordan, Thomas 
     Richard Kelly.
       Patrick Lyons, Joseph E. Maloney, Peter C. Martin, William 
     J. McGovern, Martin McWilliams, Thomas Moody, John 
     Napolitano, Daniel O'Callaghan, Michael Thomas Russo Sr., 
     Gerard Patrick Schrang, Stanley S. Smagala Jr., Kevin Joseph 
     Smith, Lawrence T. Stack, John James Tipping II, Joseph 
     Vincent Vigiano, Kenneth Thomas Watson, Walter Edward Weaver.

  May we always remember their bravery, compassion for others, and 
ultimate sacrifice. We will always miss them and we will never forget.

                          ____________________