The USS Arnold J. Isbell (DD-869) was a Navy destroyer that sailed for the United States for nearly three decades. Serving from 1946 to 1974, her career included Korean War and Cold War operations and the Vietnam conflict. Like almost all Navy ships built before the mid-1970s, the Isbell’s construction used asbestos materials throughout her systems and structure. Today,
The USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) exemplified American naval superiority across three major conflicts during her nearly thirty-year career from 1944 to 1973. This Fletcher-class destroyer served with distinction in multiple World War II Pacific campaigns, Korean War operations, Cold War tensions, and Vietnam combat duty, but her history also includes exposing thousands of Navy
The USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752) served the United States Navy for over 25 years, from her commissioning in late 1944 until her decommissioning in 1971. This Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer carried out numerous combat missions spanning World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam War. Like most naval ships built during the years surrounding World
The USS Abbot (DD-629) was a Fletcher-class destroyer that distinguished itself through two decades of naval service spanning World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Cold War era. The Abbot played a pivotal role in modern American naval history, transitioning from wartime engagement to peacetime deterrence. Like all naval vesselsconstructed during this period, the vessel
The USS Rich (DD-820) was a Navy destroyer that spent three decades supporting American objectives. The vessel played a role in many important moments, from the Suez Crisis to the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Apollo space missions. Like almost all ships of her time, the Rich was built with substantial quantities of asbestos, the carcinogenic
Gardner-Denver manufactures equipment for pump systems, compression technology, and fluid control. For much of its more than 150-year history, the company used asbestos in many of its products, leading to countless individuals breathing in the mineral’s fibers and being diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. People who were harmed after working with, installing, or servicing
General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard, in Groton, Connecticut, is respected for fabricating submarines, including the world’s first nuclear submarine. But throughout its history, the shipyard’s personnel were constantly exposed to asbestos from the materials they used in building and repairing the vessels, as well as from material already in place in those they maintained. Many of these workers
The Navy destroyer USS Holder (DD-819) served the United States for over thirty years, participating in operations surrounding the Cold War and interventions in the Middle East. Like almost all ships constructed in the mid-20th century, the Holder was built with asbestos, a material that is recognized today as a highly toxic carcinogen. Many of the
The USS New (DD-818) served the United States Navy for three decades, spanning the early Cold War, Middle East crises, and Vietnam conflict. Like all vessels of her generation, this Gearing-class destroyer was constructed with extensive amounts of asbestos-containing materials throughout her systems and compartments. Many who served aboard this ship have since developed mesothelioma and other illnesses caused by their exposure
The USS Corry III (DD-817) was a Navy ship built when asbestos was regularly used in the construction of Navy vessels and all kinds of ships. It was everywhere, from the floor and ceiling tiles to the equipment that powered the ships’ propulsion systems. Thousands of former crew members from ships like the USS Corry developed pleural mesothelioma,