The USS Basilone (DD-824) served the United States Navy from 1949 to 1977, participating in Cold War operations and in the Vietnam conflict. The veterans assigned to this Gearing-class destroyer served bravely, but years later, many were diagnosed with mesothelioma and other serious illnesses due to the ship’s extensive asbestos contamination.
About the USS Basilone
The Ship’s Heroic Namesake
The USS Basilone was named in honor of one of World War II’s most celebrated Marine heroes, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone.[1] Raised in Raritan, New Jersey, Basilone initially served three years in the Army before enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1940. After advancing through the ranks, Sergeant Basilone shipped to the Pacific in 1942, landing on Guadalcanal during the early months of America’s first major ground offensive against Japan.[2]
During a fierce night battle along what became known as “Coffin Corner,” Japanese forces launched massive attacks against Basilone’s sector. When a runner reported that both guns on his right flank had been disabled, Basilone quickly grabbed a nearby machine gun and rushed to the threatened position, restoring fire superiority before returning to repair another damaged weapon. Throughout the night, he operated both guns alone, shifting between positions as the Japanese threatened to overwhelm his line. When his ammunition ran low before dawn, he dashed through enemy-held terrain to resupply his position.
After the battle subsided, regimental staff counted nearly 1,000 Japanese dead around Basilone’s position, and Basilone was credited with killing 38. His Medal of Honor citation praised his “extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action.” Promoted to Gunnery Sergeant, he returned stateside for additional training and war bond tours before insisting on rejoining the fight. He shipped out for the Iwo Jima invasion, where he again worked alone to destroy a Japanese blockhouse and engage with heavy-caliber fire. He was killed in action and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.[2]
A Gearing-class Destroyer
The USS Basilone was a Gearing-class destroyer, 98 ships that later served as a standard for post-World War II destroyer design and development. The ships required extensive amounts of insulation for their boilers, turbines, and related systems to manage the intense heat and mechanical stress they generated. At the time, asbestos was the material of choice due to its excellent resistance to heat, durability, and fire-retardant properties, making it a common component in naval shipbuilding, especially in areas exposed to extreme temperatures.
The Navy’s Gearing-class destroyers were equipped with General Electric geared steam turbines and four Babcock and Wilcox boilers.[3] The asbestos insulation used on this equipment is frequently cited as among the reasons that so many Navy veterans who served on destroyers were later diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
The vessels measured 390 feet 6 inches in length, had a beam of 40 feet 10 inches, and a draft of 14 feet 4 inches. At full load, they displaced approximately 3,460 tons and were capable of carrying a complement of 336 personnel, including both officers and enlisted men. The ships’ propulsion systems delivered 60,000 shaft horsepower to two propellers, allowing them to reach speeds of up to 36.8 knots and travel up to 4,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 20 knots.[3]
Operational History of the USS Basilone
Construction and Early Years
Laid down in July 1945, at Orange, Texas, by the Consolidated Steel Corporation, the USS Basilone was launched in December 1945, with Sergeant Lena Mae Basilone, USMCWR—the war hero’s widow—serving as sponsor. The ship was built during the Navy’s transition from wartime to peacetime requirements, leaving it inactive for more than two years, finally undergoing extensive modifications in Quincy, Massachusetts, where the Bethlehem Steel Company converted her to an escort destroyer configuration. Redesignated DDE-824, she was finally commissioned in July 1949, under Commander Mark E. Dennett.[1]
The newly commissioned escort destroyer immediately began shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during late October and November 1949, then prepared her for active fleet service.
Anti-Submarine Warfare Specialist
Reflecting the Navy’s growing concern over Soviet submarine threats, the Basilone was equipped for anti-submarine warfare and spent much of 1950 and 1951 conducting local operations and serving with the Surface Anti-Submarine School at Key West. Throughout her operational career, she followed a pattern of intensive training in ASW techniques combined with regular deployments.
The ship’s first Mediterranean deployment came in April 1952, when she left Norfolk Naval Base for Tangier, Morocco. During this assignment, she visited Sicily, Marseilles, Naples, and Gibraltar, conducting the routine operations that were typical of Sixth Fleet service throughout the Cold War, demonstrating the Navy’s commitment to maintaining a continuous presence in Mediterranean waters. Following her 1952 deployments, she underwent a three-month overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard from November 1953 to February 1954 that modernized her systems.[1]
Cold War Operations
Throughout the 1950s, the Basilone was integral to naval operations that defined the Cold War. Her 1954 Mediterranean deployment included participation in a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Allied D-Day landings, symbolically linking the World War II victory with ongoing Western unity. She continued visiting ports throughout the Mediterranean, from Algeria to Turkey, maintaining a diplomatic presence that was viewed as essential to NATO solidarity.
From 1955 to 1956, the Basilone participated in ASW helicopter evaluation exercises under ComAntiSubLant, helping develop tactics later used in confrontations with Soviet submarines. In the summer of 1956, she was part of training cruises with West Point cadets and Naval Academy midshipmen.
The Suez Crisis of 1956 was the Basilone’s first test under genuine international tension. Deploying to the Mediterranean in November to supplement Sixth Fleet forces, she participated in complex naval operations that helped stabilize the region as Britain and France withdrew.[1]
Space Age Operations
The early 1960s introduced the ship and her crew to unexpected missions as America entered the space race. In January 1962, the Basilone was sent on a trip to Mayport to support the recovery of Colonel John Glenn’s Mercury flight, but the flight was delayed by weather and technical difficulties. The next month, she left Norfolk on an Atlantic crossing that included assisting with the rescheduled glight and capsule recovery near Bermuda.
This deployment also took Basilone to northern European waters for extended operations. Her task group visited Portsmouth, England; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Glasgow, Scotland; and Moville, Ireland, conducting exercises that strengthened NATO partnerships. Subsequent visits to Plymouth, Kiel, Germany, and Moss, Norway, demonstrated American naval reach while providing valuable training opportunities.[1]
In August 1962, she resumed local operations and was reclassified from escort destroyer to destroyer and redesignated DD-824, reflecting the Navy’s evolving organizational structure and the ship’s proven capabilities.
Cuban Missile Crisis
In October 1962, the Basilone was conducting training operations at Guantanamo Bay when the the Cuban Missile Crisis began. She immediately joined the naval “quarantine” of the island that forced the Soviet missile removal. This deployment highlighted the destroyer’s role in the Cold War’s dangerous confrontations.
FRAM Modernization
From July 1963 to April 1964, the Basilone underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) I overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. These extensive modifications updated her electronics, sonar, and weapons systems while installing the DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) system that represented cutting-edge ASW technology and transformed her into a thoroughly modern Cold War combatant. Unfortunately, it also exposed both crew members living onboard the ship and shipyard workers responsible for the conversion to significant amounts of asbestos.
Vietnam War Service
The Basilone’s most significant combat deployment began in late January 1966, when she transited the Panama Canal en route to join Task Force 77 off the coast of South Vietnam. After planeguarding Ticonderoga (CVA-14) on Dixie Station, she moved inshore to provide gunfire support in the IV Corps area. Her assignments alternated between carrier screening on Yankee Station and shore bombardment missions, including a dramatic two-day voyage up the Saigon River to bombard Viet Cong targets.[1]
The Basilone’s Vietnam service demonstrated her versatility, as she provided call-fire support near the DMZ, conducted special operations in the Gulf of Tonkin, and served on search-and-rescue stations. The ship earned three battle stars for her Vietnam service.
Global Deployments
After Vietnam, the Basilone received orders for Middle East Force duty. In August 1972, she and the USS Trippe left Subic Bay, proceeding via Singapore and Sri Lanka to Manama, Bahrain, to begin nearly three months of goodwill visits throughout the region. Her stops included Jidda, Saudi Arabia; Massawa and Asmara, Ethiopia; Karachi, Pakistan; Djibouti; and Mombasa, Kenya, providing American naval diplomacy across the Middle East and East Africa.
Tragedy and Recovery
During routine training off the coast of Virginia in February 1973, tragedy struck when a boiler explosion killed seven of the Basilone’s crew members. The destroyer required nearly four months of repairs at Boston Naval Shipyard, highlighting the inherent dangers of naval service even during peacetime operations. While her recovery and return to service demonstrated the ship’s resilience and the Navy’s commitment to maintaining operational capability, the explosion and subsequent repair work likely exposed many to asbestos fibers.
Final Years
In her later years, the Basilone continued her Mediterranean deployments, NATO exercises, and training operations. Her 1974 deployment required extensive hull repairs at Hellenic Shipyards in Greece, and she was later modernized with new sonar and communications equipment. In 1968, she participated in surveillance operations against Soviet naval forces, including shadowing the helicopter carrier Moskva.[1]
The Basilone’s final Mediterranean deployment began in January 1977 and included operations with allied navies and visits throughout Southern Europe. Following repairs to her port shaft at Skaramangas Shipyard near Athens, she conducted final exercises with Sixth Fleet and NATO forces before returning to Norfolk in August 1977. The ship was decommissioned on November 1, 1977, and her name was struck from the Navy list the same day. After serving as a target for missile-firing exercises, she was sunk in April 1982, in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 80 miles east of St. Augustine, Florida.
Asbestos Hazards Posed By the USS Basilone’s Service
Though the USS Basilone served with distinction, the ship’s 28-year operational history exposed hundreds of sailors to dangerous asbestos fibers. Built when asbestos was considered essential for naval vessels, the destroyer contained the hazardous material in virtually every one of her compartments and systems. The areas that were notable for their significant asbestos contamination included:
- Mechanical spaces, where extensive asbestos lagging was found around boiler tubes, steam pipes, and turbine casings
- Fire control and electrical compartments, which contained asbestos-wrapped cables and insulated junction panels
- Hull spaces, which included asbestos-cement products in deck tiles, bulkhead panels, and structural fireproofing
- Ventilation ducts, which circulated contaminated air particles throughout berthing and working areas
- Gaskets and sealing compounds found in pumps, valves, and hatches released asbestos fibers during maintenance activities.
Which USS Basilone Crew Members Were at Highest Risk?
On Gearing-class Navy destroyers, machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, and electrician’s mates faced the most dangerous asbestos exposure due to their daily contact with materials in the engineering spaces, as well as from simply inhaling the air in the cramped, poorly ventilated quarters where asbestos fibers remained airborne for hours after being disturbed. The tragic boiler explosion on February 5, 1973, that killed seven crew members likely released massive quantities of asbestos debris, potentially affecting those onboard the ship as well as rescue personnel and cleanup crews. Throughout the ship’s career, damage control teams were also exposed when conducting repairs, especially during the extensive hull work performed at Greek shipyards in 1974.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Basilone?
If you served aboard the USS Basilone, it’s likely that you were exposed to asbestos. Even if you’re feeling well, it’s imperative that you notify your healthcare provider about your exposure history so that they can begin monitoring you for symptoms of asbestos-related diseases. The earlier mesothelioma and other illnesses are diagnosed, the more treatment options will be available to you.
It’s also a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of mesothelioma and other respiratory issues. These may include:
* Ongoing cough
* Shortness of breath or wheezing
* Pain in the chest
Resources for Veterans Affected by Exposure to Asbestos
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you have access to several types of support and compensation. These include:
VA Benefits
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers comprehensive support to veterans affected by mesothelioma and other illnesses. Once you’ve proven that your illness is linked to asbestos exposure you experienced during military service, you will be eligible for:
- Monthly disability payments
- Additional special compensation
- Medical treatment
- Benefits for dependents
Many of the VA’s medical centers specialize in mesothelioma treatment, and if you don’t have access to one of these facilities, you can access state-of-the-art care at a cancer treatment center close to your home.
Legal Options
You may also be able to pursue legal action against the asbestos companies that manufactured or supplied asbestos-containing products used during your service. Many of these companies were aware of the dangers that asbestos posed, but chose not to alert the military or others who used their products to continue making profits. Those long-ago decisions have resulted in millions of dollars being awarded to mesothelioma victims by juries, and it’s common for companies to offer out-of-court settlements in exchange for avoiding litigation..
A knowledgeable mesothelioma attorney can help explain your legal rights and options. They can also research your history of asbestos exposure to determine whether any asbestos trust funds have been established by the companies whose products you were exposed to. These funds exist to compensate individuals harmed by the products of companies that have filed for bankruptcy protection due to their overwhelming asbestos liabilities. You may be able to file a claim with one or more of these trusts.
References
View All References
