The USS Black (DD-666) was a Fletcher-class destroyer that served the United States Navy with distinction across three major conflicts—World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Though the ship’s crew earned a total of eleven battle stars over her 26 years of active service, many have paid a terrible price, suffering mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases as a result of the significant use of asbestos in the ship’s structure.
About the USS Black
The USS Black’s Namesake
Lieutenant Commander Hugh David Black, born in Oradell, New Jersey, in 1903, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1926 and served with distinction, commanding a minesweeper and serving as executive officer of the destroyer USS Benson before assuming command of the destroyer USS Jacob Jones in March 1941.[1]
In February 1942, the Jacob Jones was conducting an antisubmarine patrol off Cape May when it was struck by two torpedoes from a German submarine. The destroyer sank within 45 minutes, and Lieutenant Commander Black went down with his ship, making the ultimate sacrifice along with all but 11 of his crew.
USS Black Construction
The USS Black was laid down in November 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey. The ship was launched in March 1943, sponsored by Lt. Comdr. Black’s widow. She was commissioned in May 1943 under the command of Lt. Comdr. Jack McGinnis.[1]
The Black had overall dimensions of 376 feet, a displacement of 2,050 tons, and operational capability extending 6,500 nautical miles. She maintained a complement of 329 officers and crew members. As part of the 175 Fletcher-class destroyers put into service by the U.S. Navy from 1942 through 1944, she was engineered to achieve a top speed of 38 knots and carried five 5-inch naval guns and ten 21-inch torpedo launchers.[2]
Similar to other Fletcher-class vessels, the Black was fitted with what was termed a “superheat control boiler” that generated heat through the operation of a completely independent combustion chamber from which steam was produced. On the Black, the superheat boiler system was produced by Babcock & Wilcox, a manufacturer that would later be cited for negligence by juries hearing several lawsuits by victims of asbestos exposure.
Operational History
Shakedown and Early Operations
After completing her shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, USS Black was declared ready for service. Post-shakedown modifications at the New York Navy Yard included additional antiaircraft armament, and she moved on to escort various vessels, including the cruiser Boston and light carrier Monterey, before heading to the Pacific theater via the Panama Canal in November 1943.[1]
World War II Service
Black arrived at Pearl Harbor in November 1943, and her first major assignment was screening duty off Tarawa, where she encountered occasional night air raids and conducted antisubmarine warfare patrols. In January 1944, she performed a notable rescue mission, saving 22 airmen from a downed PBY Catalina aircraft despite reports of enemy destroyers in the area.[1]
During the Marshall Islands operations, the Black supported the occupation of Majuro Atoll while Marines fought for Kwajalein. She rescued a downed aviator from the escort carrier Natoma Bay and participated in bombardments of Wotje and Taroa to prevent Japanese aerial attack. Her operations continued through various Pacific campaigns, including support duties during the Hollandia and Aitape landings in New Guinea.
The Black played a crucial role in the postponed Guam invasion, successfully guiding landing boats to Agat Beach during the assault and providing fire support for four days following the landings. As part of the Southern Attack Force during the Leyte landing, she screened Admiral Conolly’s transports and provided crucial fire support, bombarding the village of Rizal and conducting harassing fire on enemy positions throughout the night. Despite sustaining minor damage from fragments of her own shells as they exploded, the Black survived the operation without sustaining any casualties.
The USS Black’s final World War II operations included screening fast carriers off Japan, where she experienced her heaviest combat action in April 1945. During intense kamikaze attacks, she destroyed multiple enemy aircraft, including a Mitsubishi A6M “Zeke” that passed directly over her before crashing nearby. She also participated in shore bombardments of Kamaishi, Honshu, remaining active in the Pacific until Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945.[1]
Post-War and Korean War Service
After five years in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Black was recommissioned in July 1951 and transferred to the Atlantic Fleet with the Norfolk Navy Yard as her new home port. The vessel was deployed to the western Pacific and arrived at the Korean combat zone in March 1953. Operating off the Korean coast, she fired on North Korean bunkers and served in antisubmarine screens. During a patrol, she accidentally rammed a small South Korean intelligence boat, but rescued nine of the seventeen men aboard. Her Korean service included escorting Task Force 77 and providing fire support in the I Corps area.
Cold War Operations
Throughout 1954, the USS Black primarily served as plane guard for various aircraft carriers, including Monterey, Midway, and Lake Champlain. In January 1955, she transferred to Long Beach, California, participating in post-Korean War deployments to the Far East for carrier escort duties and operations like “Seahorse” near Okinawa. During the 1958 confrontation between Communist and Nationalist Chinese forces over Quemoy Island, the Black operated for seven weeks in the Taiwan Strait as a show of support for the Nationalist government. These types of patrols continued throughout her 1960s service, as she was sent on multiple deployments involving surveillance of the Taiwan and Korean Straits.[1]
Vietnam War Service
January 1965 represented the USS Black’s most eventful deployment. As America became more committed to the conflict in Vietnam, the ship participated in the inaugural coastal surveillance patrol of Operation “Market Time” alongside the USS Higbee. This strategy was aimed at stopping boats carrying communist soldiers, weapons, and supplies from North to South Vietnam.
Through four months of these patrols, the USS Black’s surveillance duties were frequently put on hold so the ship could provide shore bombardment support for ground troops and target Viet Cong positions. Her coastal patrol duties continued through multiple deployments, with the destroyer serving in various capacities, including acting as plane guard for carriers at Yankee Station and Dixie Station.
The USS Black’s final Vietnam deployment began in January 1969, focusing primarily on plane guard duty for the carriers Kitty Hawk and Bon Homme Richard. Her last naval gunfire support mission came in March 1969, when she targeted Viet Cong positions.
Decommissioning and Legacy
The USS Black returned to San Diego in July 1969, concluding her final Pacific deployment. She was decommissioned in September, and her name was struck from the Navy list. The destroyer was sold to Chou’s Iron and Steel Co. for scrapping in 1971.
Throughout her distinguished career, the USS Black earned six battle stars for World War II service, two battle stars for the Korean conflict, and three battle stars for Vietnam service.
Why Was Asbestos Used on Navy Destroyers?
During the era when the USS Black was built, the U.S. Navy mandated that asbestos be incorporated into countless applications on its ships, and destroyers like the USS Black are a perfect example of the way the hazardous substance was used. From the time she was originally laid down through her commissioning and various upgrade and repair programs, materials containing asbestos were installed and integrated into virtually every facet of the vessel, from its structure to the equipment that kept her running.
The Navy preferred asbestos for several important reasons: It delivered excellent insulation against heat and flame, was a perfect material for electrical applications because it did not conduct electricity, was easy to obtain, and cost very little. Though the military was unaware of the health dangers posed by the mineral, the same could not be true of the materials’ producers and distributors, who regularly received scientific reports on the dangers that asbestos posed. Unfortunately, rather than share the information with the military, those companies chose to suppress the information. Though this ensured continued profits, it also led to untold numbers of veterans being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
Where Was Asbestos Located on the USS Black?
Asbestos could be found within virtually every piece of heat-generating equipment on the ship, as well as in the ship’s structural elements, safety equipment, plumbing and piping networks, and ventilation system. It was included in electrical conduits, ceiling and floor tiles, and soundproofing panels onboard the ship. Asbestos is most dangerous when it is friable, which means that it has broken down into fibers. Inhaling those fibers is how asbestos-related diseases begin, and the areas with the greatest likelihood of that happening were those that housed the high-heat equipment, as well as sections that held structures that were wrapped or coated with the material as thermal protection.
Because asbestos fibers are so lightweight, once they’re released, they can float in the air for hours. These often invisible particles floated freely throughout the entire ship, carried on sailors’ hair, skin, and clothing, and circulated through the ship’s ventilation system for crew members to breathe in or ingest.
Danger zones included:
- Mechanical compartments and furnace areas, where pipes, generators, and other high-heat machinery were covered or insulated with asbestos thermal protection or contained the material within their interiors.
- Fire suppression and emergency response gear, including the heat-resistant clothing and protective handwear worn by boiler technicians, contained asbestos. The same was true of fire blankets and clothing worn by firemen, who were responsible for maintaining and operating turbines and pumps and trained in firefighting and damage control.
- Ventilation ducts were joined using asbestos cement and wrapped or sprayed with asbestos insulation to help control temperatures and keep personnel safe from burns.
- Additional components containing asbestos included seals, friction materials, control mechanisms, deck coverings, overhead panels, power distribution boxes, and barrier insulation.
Why is Asbestos Exposure So Dangerous?
Though asbestos had a reputation for great strength and durability, when stressed or manipulated, it could break down. It was through that process that the material became hazardous. When the mineral deteriorated from age or routine wear and tear, was damaged during servicing or fixes, or was torn or disturbed while being extracted and substituted, invisible asbestos particles entered the atmosphere, where they could linger, be drawn into the vessel’s air systems, and then be distributed throughout the ship.
When viewed under a microscope, asbestos particles have sharp, pointed ends. After being inhaled or consumed, these needle-like structures can become lodged within the tissues they encounter, particularly in the mesothelium, a delicate membrane lining the cavities that contain the lungs and stomach organs. Permanently trapped in these cells, asbestos can trigger dangerous inflammation, cellular mutation, and tumor growth. These conditions can ultimately result in severe and fatal diseases, including:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung Cancer
- Asbestosis (lung tissue scarring)
- Respiratory disorders including pleural effusions, COPD, and pleural plaques
Many victims of these asbestos-linked conditions don’t begin to develop symptoms until many years after their asbestos exposure. These long latency periods, combined with the similarities between asbestos-related diseases and other, benign conditions, can delay diagnosis and make treatment more difficult.
Positions on the USS Black with the Greatest Risk of Asbestos Exposure
Although all USS Black personnel faced asbestos exposure risks, certain shipboard positions were especially dangerous because they required direct interaction with or proximity to asbestos-containing materials. These positions included:
- Furnace operators, who worked near asbestos-insulated equipment in extremely cramped quarters.
- Equipment repair personnel, who removed and replaced deteriorated asbestos components during routine maintenance.
- Engineers and firemen who regularly worked around pressurized steam equipment that was protected with asbestos insulation.
- Electrical technicians, who managed cables coated with asbestos and control boxes insulated with asbestos.
- Shipyard personnel who faced intensive exposure while building, upgrading, and overhauling the ships.
Legal Help for USS Black Veterans Diagnosed with Mesothelioma
If you’re a veteran who served aboard the USS Black and you’ve received a diagnosis of mesothelioma or another asbestos-related condition, you may qualify for several different types of compensation, including:
VA Benefits
Veterans with asbestos-related diseases may qualify for monthly disability compensation payments, expert medical treatment at VA facilities or specialized treatment centers, assistance for family members, and more. To access these benefits, affected veterans need to submit applications to the Department of Veterans Affairs and provide documentation that establishes a link between their service, asbestos exposure, and their illness.
Legal Compensation
Litigation and Settlements
Asbestos exposure victims and their families have numerous compensation pathways available. Personal injury lawsuits can be filed by victims of asbestos exposure against the companies whose negligence put them at risk, and wrongful death lawsuits can be filed by surviving family members. These cases may proceed to trial for juries to weigh the question of guilt, but many victims reach out-of-court settlement agreements with companies that prefer to resolve the issues quietly, out of the public eye.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Many companies have been forced into bankruptcy by their asbestos liabilities, and as part of their agreements with the bankruptcy courts, have set up trust funds that specifically benefit the victims of their negligence. These trust funds are collectively valued at over $30 billion, and though they generally pay less than the amounts awarded by juries or in settlements, the application process is much quicker and less adversarial.
How a Mesothelioma Lawyer Can Help
When facing a mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer diagnosis, time is of the essence. Not only are these diseases aggressive, but there are limits on how long you have to take legal action. Even if you’re not sure that you want to pursue compensation, it’s a good idea to speak with a mesothelioma lawyer to explore your options, learn about deadlines, and get your questions answered.
There are several ways that a knowledgeable, experienced asbestos attorney can help, including:
- Examining your military record to determine when and where you were exposed and collecting the necessary medical records for your VA benefits claim.
- Identifying the manufacturers and vendors whose contaminated materials exposed you to asbestos, so you can include them as defendants in a personal injury claim
- Identifying which asbestos trust funds match your history and guiding you through the process of filing a claim against them.
A mesothelioma attorney will act as an advocate, answering all your questions about what to expect from pursuing any of these types of compensation.
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