In memoriam, five years later -- USCG Auxiliary         

[SEPT. 11, 2006]  WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary remembers one of its own on the anniversary of Sept. 11.

Gregory Sikorsky
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Gregory Sikorsky, 35, died Sept. 11, 2001, during the collapse of the World Trade Center. He was a volunteer firefighter for the Hillcrest, N.Y., Fire Department. He was a veteran of the Marine Corps Reserve and of the Persian Gulf War. A member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary since 1995, he was in Division 10 in the 1st District Southern Region. He is survived by his wife, Maria, and a son, Steven. A memorial Mass was held Oct. 20, 2001, at Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Church in New York.

We also remember the following U.S.Coast Guard reservists who lost their lives on that fateful day:

• Jeffrey A. Palazzo
  FDNY Rescue 5, USCGR

• Vincent Gabriel Danz
  Special Ops, NYPD, USCGR

• Gilbert F. Granados
  USCGR (retired)

Let us not forget the other heroes, from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Fire Department, and all the men and women whose lives were cut short in this tragedy.

In the last five years, the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary have implemented numerous programs to make our maritime domain safer. These maritime domain awareness programs have made our ports and harbors safer today than they were yesterday, with each day building upon the day before.

One of the most crucial programs that every American can participate in, without joining an organization, is America's Waterway Watch, www.americaswaterwaywatch.org.

America's Waterway Watch is as elegant in its simplicity as it is in its effectiveness. This program asks those Americans who work, live, transit or otherwise have an understanding of what is "normal" in and around maritime assets, such as marinas, lakes, ports, harbors and tributaries, to watch and report things that are abnormal.

All it takes is a call to the National Response Center at 800-424-8802 or 877-24WATCH, or if there is immediate danger to life or property, call 911 or call the Coast Guard on Marine Channel 16.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed, nonmilitary volunteers who assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement. These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing maritime domain awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education. The Coast Guard Auxiliary -- America's volunteer lifesavers working to keep America safe.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the auxiliary in 1941. Its more than 30,000 members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions.

For more information on the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit www.cgaux.org.

And don't forget Operation Life Ring, auxiliarists helping auxiliarists during times of need.

[U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary news release]

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