2001: The U.S. Coast Guard Vessel USCGS Katherine Walker Plays a Lifesaving Role on One of the Deadliest and Most Tragic Days in U.S. History

September 11, 2001  

The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 individuals in the vicinity of the World Trade Center in the southernmost part of New York City’s borough of Manhattan; the Pentagon in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area; and – where a hijacked airplane went down after passengers sought to overcome the terrorists on board – a field in western Pennsylvania. In the New York City region, a large number of vessels collectively performed a major lifesaving role after many people found themselves stranded in Lower Manhattan following the massive closure of bridges, tunnels, and mass transportation in the wake of the attacks.

One of those vessels instrumental in the large-scale evacuation of individuals from that section of the city was the U.S. Coast Guard coastal buoy tender USCGS Katherine Walker (WLM-552). This vessel was built by the Marinette Marine Corporation at its shipyard in the city of Marinette and launched into the Menominee River there on September 14, 1996. She was named after German-born Katherine “Kate” Walker (1848-1931), who served with distinction for more than three decades as the keeper of the Robbin Reef Light in New York Harbor.

USCGS Katherine Walker, in time since her commissioning into the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in 1997, has been homeported at Bayonne, New Jersey. On September 11, 2001, this vessel went well beyond her primary mission of maintaining navigational aids in the area when she became part of the USCG-coordinated convoy of vessels – also including merchant ships, ferries, and tugboats – evacuating people from Lower Manhattan to safety.   

Ultimately, at least 150 vessels and 600 sailors took part in this wide-ranging maritime evacuation of more than 500,000 individuals. James Loy, who served as USCG commandant from 1998 to 2002, subsequently confirmed that this evacuation “moved more people from [Lower Manhattan] than the 1940 evacuation of Allied troops from France.” For their participation in that large-scale rescue effort, the crew of Katherine Walker received the U.S. Department of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on USCGS Katherine Walker (WLM-552), please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Katherine_Walker

Additional information on maritime rescue efforts on September 11, 2001, is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_response_following_the_September_11_attacks