The USS Oldendorf (DD-974) was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy for over two decades. Though the Spruance class represented significant technological advancements over previous destroyers, the reliance on asbestos-based materials in the ships’ construction — including the Oldendorf’s — put service members who were stationed aboard them, as well as shipyard workers involved in their construction and ongoing maintenance, at risk of disabling illnesses, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.
About the USS Oldendorf
The Ship’s Namesake
The USS Oldendorf’s name honors Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf, one of the most distinguished officers to serve during World War II. Admiral Oldendorf’s victory at the Battle of Surigao Strait in October 1944 was part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, when the Imperial Japanese Navy mounted a massive counterattack to reverse the course of the Pacific War. When one of the Japanese forces tried to surprise American shipping, Admiral Oldendorf deployed his forces of old battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and PT boats, several of which were Pearl Harbor survivors that had been salvaged and refitted.[1]
Only one Japanese cruiser and destroyer survived the carefully planned attack, while none of the U.S. vessels were sunk or seriously damaged — a testament to Oldendorf’s battle plan.
Construction of the USS Oldendorf
The USS Oldendorf was the tenth ship in the 31-vessel Spruance-class destroyer program. Her keel was laid in December 1974 at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was launched in October 1975 and commissioned in March 1978.
Measuring over twice the size of the destroyers that were built before them, the Spruance-class fleet was designed specifically to safeguard nuclear aircraft carrier battle groups against submarine warfare threats. They stretched 564.3 feet in length, displaced approximately 9,200 tons when fully loaded, and maintained a crew of roughly 340 personnel. Their speeds, which exceeded 30 knots, were propelled by four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines.[2]
Though the ships were built with state-of-the-art equipment, official Navy records show that Spruance-class destroyers, including the USS Oldendorf, incorporated asbestos-based components ranging from clutches and electrical panels to thermal insulation within much of their equipment. A Comptroller General report to the House of Representatives stated, “Although product specifications for thermal insulation had been changed in 1973 to specify the use of asbestos-free materials, asbestos materials had already been purchased and in some cases installed under construction. Therefore, some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978.”[3]
What this means is that, during the USS Oldendorf’s construction period, the military was aware of the hazards of the asbestos on their ships but had concluded that the $2 billion it would cost to completely eliminate the material from the vessels was not cost-effective. Instead, they established procedures for removing deteriorated asbestos insulation and substituting it with non-asbestos alternatives in high-maintenance zones, and not addressing other areas unless they became damaged.
The Navy estimated that, using this strategy, most of the asbestos would be removed from the ships within five years, but also acknowledged that up to half of the hazardous material would remain in place throughout the vessel’s service life. Five decades later, asbestos doctors are seeing the results of this decision, as many Navy veterans who served on ships containing legacy asbestos are now beginning to develop symptoms.
Early Service and Notable Operations
Following her commissioning in 1978, the USS Oldendorf was initially stationed in San Diego, California. Her first year was characterized by extensive shipyard work in Long Beach, California, and additional visits to Litton Shipbuilders in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her inaugural Western Pacific deployment came in May 1980, when she spent several months participating in a joint Australian-American-New Zealand anti-submarine exercise off the Western Australian coast.[1]
Pacific Fleet Operations and International Partnerships
The Oldendorf conducted her second Western Pacific deployment in October 1981, in the Persian Gulf with the aircraft carrier USS Constellation and her Carrier Battle Group. She returned home in May 1982, and after an extensive overhaul, she set off for her third Western Pacific deployment in early 1984.
In August, the Oldendorf was reassigned to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the United States Seventh Fleet, serving as a member of the USS Midway battle group and participating in numerous significant events and exercises, including being among the first group of U.S. warships to visit mainland China since 1949 and deploying as part of the Seoul Olympics security force with the Nimitz battle group. She returned to San Diego in 1991.
Gulf War Service and Later Operations
The Oldendorf was part of the initial United States response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. She served with distinction throughout the conflict, earning the Combat Action Ribbon while escorting major warships and supporting the naval blockade of Iraq.
Following the Gulf War, she changed homeports to Long Beach, California, for an extensive overhaul at the Long Beach Naval Shipyards before shifting to her final homeport of San Diego in late 1992. She continued participating in various operations, including Joint Interdiction LEO operations with the U.S. Coast Guard off the South American coast in early 1993.
Throughout the 1990s, the USS Oldendorf participated in numerous exercises and deployments, including Native Fury ’94 in Kuwait, Western Pacific deployments with the USS Nimitz and USS Carl Vinson battle groups, and Operations Desert Fox and Southern Watch in the Arabian Gulf.
Sea Swap Program and Final Service
In 2002, the USS Oldendorf was selected to participate in the Navy’s innovative Sea Swap initiative, which was designed to test the effectiveness of deploying a single ship for 18 months while rotating crews at six-month intervals. This program involved three Spruance-class destroyers and aimed to maximize on-station time while managing crew fatigue and training requirements.
Decommissioning
The USS Oldendorf was decommissioned in June 2003 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in April 2004. She was sunk as a target during a live-fire exercise off the coast of Washington by the USS Russell in August 2005.
What Led the Military to Require the Use of Asbestos in Naval Vessels?
For over four decades, from the 1930s through the mid-1970s, the United States Navy required that all its vessels and the equipment installed on them be outfitted with substantial amounts of asbestos-containing materials. Even though the USS Oldendorf was completed and commissioned after military specifications had been switched to asbestos-free materials, so many asbestos-containing components had already been ordered and delivered that, in the interest of cost-effectiveness, shipyards were ordered to exhaust their inventory despite its dangers. The ships affected included the Oldendorf.
Asbestos Contamination Throughout the USS Oldendorf
Asbestos-containing materials were incorporated in virtually every section of the destroyer, but the highest concentrations were encountered in the areas where high-temperature equipment and the vessel’s gas turbine engines were housed. The ship’s engineering spaces—including its power plants, equipment rooms, and machinery compartments—had asbestos included in or insulating piping, fittings, generators, and turbines, and the material was also used in seals, gaskets, packing compounds, and fire-prevention supplies.
Though asbestos use was most extensive in the mechanical areas, it was also a component of ship components, ranging from deck tiles and bulkhead materials to overhead surfaces and the various adhesive compounds used in living quarters and throughout the vessel. Even protective gear and firefighting equipment contained asbestos fibers.
How Were USS Oldendorf Personnel Exposed to Asbestos?
Asbestos generally presents minimal risk when undisturbed and properly sealed, it becomes extremely dangerous once it’s damaged or starts to deteriorate. Regular maintenance and repair work, combined with the constant vibration from the ship’s systems, all contributed to asbestos-containing materials degrading and becoming what experts call “friable,” and though the Oldendorf was significantly larger than ships from the previous classes of destroyers, living conditions aboard were still extremely confined, making it virtually impossible for crew members to avoid contact with asbestos particles that circulated throughout the ship.
When friable asbestos releases its microscopic particles into the air, they can remain there, suspended, for prolonged periods. These invisible fibers can be carried on crew members’ hair, skin, or uniforms as well as circulated through the ship’s ventilation systems. In both cases, they can end up being inhaled by anyone aboard the vessel and, once inside the body and embedded in cells, begin doing damage immediately. Both lung tissue and the membrane that lines the cavities holding the lungs and the abdominal organs are particularly susceptible to this infiltration, and over time, the damage and inflammation they cause can lead to serious health conditions, including the scarring of asbestosis and the tumors associated with lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
Who Was at Highest Risk for Asbestos Exposure Aboard the USS Oldendorf
While many Navy veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses never worked directly with the material, the majority of victims were those whose work environments put them at elevated risk. These included:
- Engineering personnel, who worked in the poorly ventilated machinery and turbine spaces where asbestos insulation was used most extensively. The cramped environment and insufficient air circulation exacerbated the situation.
- Maintenance and repair technicians, who directly handled asbestos-containing materials during routine maintenance, emergency repairs, and overhaul periods.
- Shipyard employees disturbed asbestos materials during both the vessel’s construction and during upgrades and repairs.
- Damage control personnel, who worked with asbestos-contaminated firefighting equipment and emergency repair supplies containing asbestos.
The Dangers of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure has been linked to severe long-term health risks whose symptoms often don’t show for twenty to fifty years. This lengthy latency period means that veterans who served on the USS may only now be beginning to feel sick, and others may not experience symptoms or receive diagnoses for decades to come.
There are many diseases linked to asbestos exposure include, but the most common include asbestosis, a chronic pulmonary condition causing scarring and respiratory difficulties; lung cancer, which can develop in both smokers and non-smokers exposed to asbestos; and malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. The probability of developing any of these diseases generally depends on the duration and intensity of an individual’s exposure, but even relatively short contact with asbestos can lead to these serious conditions, and the risk is heightened for those who smoked, as the combination of asbestos exposure and tobacco use dramatically increases the likelihood of developing lung cancer.
The Importance of Discussing Your Asbestos Exposure History with Your Doctor
If you’re a veteran who served aboard the USS Oldendorf, sharing your history of asbestos exposure with your physician is essential, even if you currently feel well. This information is vital for several reasons:
- Early detection can significantly impact outcomes. When your physician is made aware of your exposure background, they can begin monitoring for early indicators of asbestos-related diseases and ensure that appropriate screening procedures are conducted regularly. Early-stage identification of asbestos-related diseases often results in better treatment outcomes and improved survival rates.
- Symptom recognition is essential. Your healthcare provider will familiarize you with the specific warning signs and symptoms to look for. These include persistent cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal swelling. Exposure victims who recognize these red flags will seek medical attention sooner than those who dismiss their experiences as minor ailments.
- Specialized treatment may be required. When your physician has been informed of your risk of asbestos-related diseases, they’ll be more likely to refer you to a specialist promptly.
- Medical documentation supports VA benefits applications. Having your medical records include mention of your asbestos exposure history before diagnosis can be extremely valuable when filing disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs or pursuing legal action against the manufacturers that were responsible for your exposure.
Help for Veterans with Asbestos-Related Diseases
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma will find working with a skilled, experienced asbestos attorney extremely helpful. These professionals possess deep knowledge, compassion, and understanding of the unique challenges involved with asbestos exposure during military service. They can help with the wide range of services and compensation available to you.
Filing a Claim with the VA
Veterans who served aboard the USS Oldendorf and who’ve developed asbestos-related conditions are entitled to and deserve support and compensation for the health issues they face. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes malignant mesothelioma as a 100% disabling condition, which means that veterans who demonstrate service-connected asbestos exposure may qualify for full disability benefits. These benefits include monthly compensation payments, comprehensive healthcare coverage through VA medical centers, and access to specialized treatment facilities nationwide that have experience treating asbestos-related diseases.
A mesothelioma attorney’s services include assisting you in preparing and submitting a VA disability claim while helping ensure that you have all the documentation you need and that your claim is complete and accurate.
Asbestos Trust Funds
An asbestos lawyer can also analyze the specifics of your situation and service history to help determine whether you’re able to pursue compensation from any of the asbestos trust funds set up by companies as part of their bankruptcy settlements. These manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors were required to establish accounts that would pay those sickened by exposure to their products in the future. While applying to these trusts is typically less adversarial than filing a lawsuit, the process still involves complex requirements and documentation that a legal expert can help you understand and complete.
Civil Litigation
Finally, a mesothelioma attorney can take legal action on your behalf against the manufacturers and suppliers responsible for providing the military with asbestos-based products. Law firms that specialize in asbestos litigation maintain detailed records of which companies provided materials to specific naval vessels and bases, when those materials were in use, and what compensation amounts juries have ordered these companies to pay victims. This deep knowledge, combined with their attorneys’ familiarity with legal precedent in asbestos cases, helps them pursue the maximum possible compensation on your behalf.
Legal deadlines, known as statutes of limitations, apply to asbestos-related claims, and they vary in each state across the country. An asbestos attorney will let you know what limits apply to your case and ensure that your rights are protected.
References
View All References
