The USS Charles B. Cecil (DD-835) sailed for the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1973. A Gearing-class destroyer, her service record included atomic testing operations, Cold War missions, the Suez Crisis, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War. Built before the mid-1970s, the ship’s structure made extensive use of asbestos-containing materials. As a result, numerous former
The USS Lafayette (SSBN-616) was the flagship vessel of her submarine class, which played a pivotal role in America’s nuclear deterrence throughout the Cold War. From 1963 until she was decommissioned in 1990, she conducted 76 strategic deterrent patrols across the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Like other naval vessels of her time, the Lafayette’s construction made extensive
Bakelite was a revolutionary plastic material that promised unlimited possibilities for manufacturing and design. Many formulations contained asbestos fibers that exposed countless workers and consumers to the risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other fatal diseases. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Union Carbide Corporation seeking compensation for the harm that its Bakelite material caused. The History of Bakelite Bakelite’s history
The USS Turner (DD-834) was a Gearing-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy with distinction. Built in 1945, the ship’s structure contained significant amounts of asbestos, to which thousands of sailors who sailed and served on her were exposed. Veterans who served on the Turner face heightened risks of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious asbestos-related diseases.
The USS James Monroe (SSBN-622) was a Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine that served America throughout the Cold War era, from 1963 to 1990. Though she represented the height of underwater warfare technology, the widespread use of asbestos throughout her structure created serious health risks for the approximately 2,600 sailors who served on board. These veterans are now at risk
Sid Harvey Industries is a distributor and manufacturer of HVAC equipment. The company was founded when asbestoswas routinely included in these products. Though the company transitioned away from its use by the late 1970s, countless workers and technicians suffered exposure through contact with the company’s products and developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other life-threatening conditions. The History
The USS Hammerhead (SS-364) was one of 237 U.S. submarines that were mass-produced in response to Japanese aggression in World War II. Collectively, these vessels destroyed much of the Japanese merchant marine and a large portion of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Though noted for her combat performance and underwater missions, the submarine contained hazardous asbestos materials that
Weil-McLain is America’s oldest boiler manufacturer. The industry giant began over 135 years ago as a small plumbing operation. Though this legacy is by most definitions a success story, the company’s mid-20th-century use of asbestos in its heating systems had a tragic impact on countless workers who developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other deadly diseases from exposure to
The USS Hammerhead (SSN-663) was a nuclear-powered attack submarine that operated from 1968 to 1995. Constructed when asbestos was still being used in shipbuilding, crew members aboard this vessel faced significant exposure to the carcinogenic fibers. Navy veterans who served aboard the Hammerhead, as well as shipyard workers involved in its construction and upgrades, are at risk
The USS Halibut (SSGN-587) was the first submarine in U.S. Navy history specifically engineered to deploy guided missiles. While this vessel is remembered as being instrumental in both missile warfare capabilities and some of the most classified intelligence operations of the Cold War era, her history also includes the presence of asbestos-containing parts and components. Exposure to these