The USS Steinaker (DD-863) was a Gearing-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy for nearly four decades. The USS Steinaker received several awards for the important roles it played in Cold War operations and the Vietnam War, but the vessel has also been linked to serious health conditions in many of the veterans who were exposed to asbestos while serving
The USS Shields (DD-596) was a Fletcher-class destroyer that served with distinction during World War II, the Korean War, and throughout the Cold War period. The vessel participated in combat operations, peacekeeping missions, and training exercises across the Pacific. Like all warships constructed during this era, the USS Shields contained extensive asbestos materials integrated into its construction and systems,
The USS Robert L. Wilson (DD/DDE-847) was among the 98 ships of the Gearing-class destroyers built for the U.S. Navy during the 1940s. While praised for the speed and exceptional handling that made her indispensable to the military, the vessel’s advantages and accomplishments have been offset by the significant asbestos exposure endured by her crew members. The
The USS Peterson (DD-969) served as the seventh destroyer of the Spruance-class that significantly advanced America’s naval warfare capabilities. Over 25 years of service, the ship participated in Cold War surveillance operations, Middle East conflicts, NATO exercises, and counter-terrorism missions following 9/11. Despite her modern design, the Peterson’s construction and subsequent modifications still incorporated the
The USS Spruance (DD-963) served as the lead ship of a brand new class of warship, with all the destroyers that came after her using the same design referred to as a Spruance-class destroyer. During her thirty-year career from 1975 to 2005, the state-of-the-art vessel participated in Cold War operations, the Persian Gulf conflicts, counter-narcotics missions, and
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
The USS O’Brien (DD-975) was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the United States Navy from 1977 to her decommissioning in 2004. The O’Brien was constructed just after asbestos was confirmed to be a carcinogen, and shipbuilders continued using insulation and other asbestos-contaminated components in their inventory. The extensive use of the toxic material throughout the vessel’s construction
The USS Kinkaid was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the United States Navy with honor from 1976 to 2003. Built just before the time that the military stopped using asbestos in naval construction, the ship and her crew were exposed to this hazardous material throughout her operational life. Today, many sailors and shipyard personnel who worked aboard
The USS James C. Owens (DD-776) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer that served with distinction from 1945 to 1971. The ship operated across multiple theaters, including World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, fulfilling vital missions while at the same time exposing the thousands of sailors who served during her useful life to extensive amounts of asbestos-containing
The USS Ingersoll (DD-990) was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy for a short time, from 1980 to 1998. Though she was one of the most technologically advanced destroyers of her era, the ship was built during a transitional period when the Navy was phasing out asbestos, but still had legacy inventory containing the toxic material,