Fort McPherson was a U.S. Army military base in Atlanta, Georgia. Like many other Army bases, camps, and forts across the United States, it was built using asbestos-containing products and construction materials from the late 1800s through the 1980s, putting soldiers and others who worked at or frequented the base at risk of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
The History of Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson was located southwest of Atlanta, Georgia. Operational from 1885 through 2011, for the majority of the time that it was active it was one of the U.S. military’s largest command centers and home to the headquarters of the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). FORSCOM was responsible for the command and control, unit training, and operational readiness of the active Army, National Guard, and Army reserves.[1]
Fort McPherson was historically significant as far back as 1835 when it was designated as a muster ground for the Georgia state militia. During America’s Civil War, it was the site of a Confederacy barracks and a cartridge factory that was later destroyed to prevent it from falling into Union hands. When Atlanta was captured by General Sherman, those structures were repaired and reinforced, and after the war, the U.S. Army built a ten-company post on the site. It was later named for Union Major General James McPherson, who was killed during the Battle of Atlanta.[1]
The McPherson Barracks fell into disrepair in the late 19th century, and many of its structures were auctioned off. Notably, the hospital building later became Spelman College. In 1885, funds were set aside to turn it into a permanent military post designated Fort McPherson, with construction starting in 1886 and the first barracks completed in 1889. According to an assessment of asbestos contamination on the base, the carcinogenic material was first introduced during that phase of construction.[1]
The first troops moved on site in 1889, and the base became a major recruiting and training center during the Spanish-American War, with the mission of the installation changed from artillery to infantry. More construction was required to accommodate the Fort’s growing population, including hospital patients and prisoners of war from the Cuban campaign. When America entered World War I in 1917, Fort McPherson was used to secure German military and merchant seamen, with over 1,300 prisoners interred there. It also served as an officer training camp and mechanical repair depot. During World War I, nearby Camp Jesup served as a center for repairing, overhauling, and reconstructing vehicles, as well as being used as a storage area for supplies.[1]
Between World War I and World War II, Fort McPherson was the site of significant construction to accommodate a growing number of infantry regiment battalions, the Georgia National Guard, and the Reserves. During the Depression, Fort McPherson housed the Civilian Conservations Corps.[1]
During World War II, Fort McPherson expanded to include a modern hospital, a general supply depot, and a recruit reception center, as well as barracks, offices, mess halls, guest houses, officer quarters, and more. Thousands of recruits were housed at the post, as well as thousands of tactical and administrative vehicles. Fort McPherson became one of nineteen nationwide Army Personnel Centers and continued to hold that responsibility after the war, with roughly 20,000 discharged soldiers moving through the base every month until 1946.[1]
After World War II, Fort McPherson was the headquarters for the Third Army until 2001. Its role as FORSCOM headquarters started in 1973, with the Third Army coordinating all ground forces throughout the Persian Gulf War. Its closing was announced in 2005 and made effective in 2011.[1]
How Was Asbestos Used at Fort McPherson?
Asbestos has been a valued material for centuries in the United States and around the world. The mineral is found globally, making it both easily available and inexpensive, and its physical and chemical characteristics make it suitable for countless applications that require strength, durability, and flexibility. Add to those features its ability to withstand heat and flame and it’s no wonder that it was so highly prized, and why it was relied upon by the U.S. military until it was identified as being carcinogenic.
While many U.S. military installations began using asbestos in the years leading up to World War II, Fort McPherson’s use of the toxic mineral dates back to the late 19th century, when the base was first designated as a permanent military installation. Documents related to transferring various Fort McPherson properties as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act detail asbestos identified in multiple buildings that were constructed as long ago as 1889, going forward through the 20th century to as recently as 1987.[2]
The majority of the asbestos listed in this report is identified as being the chrysotile type. The material was found in basements and crawl spaces, roofs, vinyl floors, window glazing, boiler rooms, offices, and many other applications. It was largely friable and in poor condition, making it a risk to those who have been exposed to it in the past and present.[2]
In addition to asbestos being used in the construction of military housing, mess halls, hospitals, and other administrative buildings, it was also relied upon to insulate electrical wiring throughout the base, as a component of cement pipes, and in the brake linings and pads of all of the vehicles that were repaired, overhauled, and reconstructed at Camp Jesup.
Asbestos-containing materials and parts used at Fort McPherson included:
- Adhesives
- Automobile and truck brakes
- Caulking
- Ceiling tiles
- Cement foundations
- Drywall
- Electrical wiring
- Epoxies
- Fireproofing materials
- Floor tiles
- Gaskets
- HVAC systems
- Insulation materials
- Paint
- Pipes
- Plumbing
- Roofing
- Sealants
- Siding
- Soundproofing
- Valves
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Wallboard
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Fort McPherson?
Fort McPherson was operational and contaminated with asbestos for over 100 years, so the number of military personnel who were exposed to the carcinogenic material is extensive. Anybody involved in the construction, repair, maintenance, or demolition of buildings or infrastructure that used asbestos-containing materials or who was involved in the repair and maintenance of the vehicle fleet would have had a higher risk of exposure, but anybody who frequented, lived on, or worked at the base could have been exposed, including civilian contractors and employees as well as family members who might have suffered secondary asbestos exposure carried into their homes on the hair, skin, or clothing of service members or workers.
Those who were most at risk of asbestos exposure at Fort McPherson included:
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Insulation Workers
- Welders
- Electricians
- HVAC Workers
- Demolition Workers
- Contractors
- Construction Workers
- Roofers
- Carpenters
- Bricklayers
- Boiler Workers
- Pipefitters
- Machinists
When Fort McPherson closed in 2015, responsibility for its remaining buildings and land fell to the McPherson Implementation Local Redevelopment Authority (Fort Mac LRA), a local government authority created by the State of Georgia and entrusted with catalyzing growth by ensuring the quality reuse and redevelopment of the former base.[3] Faced with asbestos contamination of old historic buildings, the organization was forced to hire an asbestos abatement company to conduct surveys and limit exposure to asbestos-containing materials in over 50 buildings.[4]
Were You Exposed to Asbestos at Fort McPherson?
Fort McPherson was an extremely active Army installation until just a few years ago, and this means that military personnel, civilian employees, and their family members may have been exposed to legacy asbestos in the base’s buildings or infrastructure as recently as the last decade. Because many asbestos-related diseases have long latency periods, anybody who served on the base could be diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease any time over the next several decades.
To put yourself in the best possible position in terms of your future health, you should let your healthcare professional know that you have a history of asbestos exposure. With this information in your medical records, they will be able to appropriately monitor your health and more quickly react to any concerning symptoms that may arise in the future.
If you or someone you love served or worked at Fort McPherson and has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you can get comprehensive information and guidance from an experienced asbestos attorney. If you are a veteran, you may be able to request special disability compensation, benefits, and care for your illness from any of the high-quality veterans treatment centers around the country, as well as from America’s most distinguished mesothelioma treatment centers. Victims of asbestos exposure may also be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit seeking justice from the asbestos companies responsible for their illness or to file a claim for compensation from the asbestos trust funds set up by those asbestos companies whose asbestos liabilities forced them into bankruptcy.
What is most important for those diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease is that you act quickly. Every state has established a statute of limitations which sets a deadline by which time you must take legal action. Failure to submit appropriate legal claims promptly may severely limit the compensation that you receive.
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