The USS Chevalier (DD-805) was a U.S. Navy ship whose service extended from the end of World War II through the Vietnam conflict. A Gearing-class destroyer, the ship held asbestos-containing materials throughout its entire structure, resulting in severe health consequences for the sailors and shipyard workers who either served onboard or who repaired, maintained, and renovated her. Many developed serious diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis, and many others may still be at risk.
About the USS Chevalier
Gearing-class destroyers like the USS Chevalier were the last version of destroyers developed for World War II. The ship extended 390 feet 6 inches in length, with a beam measuring 41 feet 1 inch and an 18-foot 6-inch draft, and its propulsion system combined with the extended hull and fuel holding area allowed it to achieve an impressive 35-knot speed that made it more useful for rapid deployment to the far reaches of America’s combat sites. The vessel carried 367 personnel and substantial armaments, including six 5-inch guns, ten 21-inch torpedo tubes, six depth charge projectors, and two depth charge tracks.[1] Over the years, the Chevalier underwent several modifications and updates. In March 1949, the Navy reclassified the ship as DDR-805, designating it as a radar picket destroyer with enhanced detection capabilities. Ten years later, she was returned to her original designation as DD-805.[2]
The ship was the second Navy vessel named for Lieutenant Commander Godfrey DeCourcelles Chevalier, a pioneering naval aviator. After graduating from the Naval Academy in June 1910, Chevalier became a Naval Air Pilot and received designation as a Naval Aviator in 1918. His career included many groundbreaking achievements, including participating in installing the Navy’s first operational catapult and piloting the inaugural catapult-launched aircraft from the USS North Carolina.
During World War I, Lieutenant Commander Chevalier commanded the first American naval air station in France. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal for his wartime contributions, and in the post-war period, he became involved with the Navy’s first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley. In 1922, he executed the first-ever landing on Langley’s deck. He died later that year from injuries sustained during an aircraft accident.[2]
Operational History and Deployments
Bath Iron Works Corporation in Maine launched the USS Chevalier in October 1944. Mrs. G. DeC. Chevalier, Lieutenant Commander Chevalier’s widow, sponsored the ship, which was commissioned in January 1945, under Commander F. Wolsieffer. The ship was sent to Pearl Harbor for late-war operations and participated in the bombing of Wake Island. At the end of World War II, she entered Tokyo Bay to support early occupation activities. After supporting occupation operations in the Mariana Islands and the Philippines, the destroyer returned to San Diego.[2]
Between World War II and the Korean conflict, the Chevalier completed western Pacific deployments in 1946-1947 and 1948-1949 and maintained operational readiness through exercises near San Diego. The ship also conducted operations in Hawaiian waters during mid-1949 after its redesignation as a radar picket destroyer. When North Korean forces invaded South Korea in June 1950, the USS Chevalier was quickly sent into action. The ship completed three wartime deployments between July 1950 and August 1953, primarily serving as part of the protective screen surrounding Task Force 77, the carrier force that maintained near-continuous air strikes against North Korean military targets. The Chevalier also conducted security patrols in the Taiwan Strait that helped keep the conflict from expanding into a broader regional war.
After the Korean War, the Chevalier alternated between western Pacific deployments and maintenance and training activities along the American west coast. Between 1954 and 1960, she completed six Far Eastern deployments, conducting port visits throughout Asia and Australia, maintaining a presence in the Taiwan Strait, and participating in exercises near Japan, Okinawa, and the Philippines. During the Vietnam conflict, the Chevalier contributed to combat operations through shore bombardment missions targeting positions in both North and South Vietnam. In May 1972, the destroyer participated in Operation Pocket Money, a strategic mining campaign designed to sever North Vietnamese supply routes. The operation was considered one of the most significant naval efforts of the conflict.[3]
In July 1972, the Navy transferred the Chevalier to South Korea. During her time of service, the ship received one battle star for World War II service and nine for her Korean War service.
Where Was Asbestos Used in the USS Chevalier?
Constructed during the mid-1940s, asbestos materials could be found in virtually every compartment and system of the USS Chevalier. During this time and until the 1970s, when its dangers became public knowledge, asbestos was considered essential to shipbuilding because of its superior heat resistance, sound absorption qualities, exceptional insulating properties, and flame-retardant characteristics. The Navy specifically ordered that the material be included in 100s of applications for its heat and fire protection. Though there was growing knowledge of asbestos’s hazards among manufacturers, information about its carcinogenicity didn’t reach military procurement officials, whose continued specification of the material ended up contributing to tens of thousands of veterans’ illnesses and deaths.
On the USS Chevalier, asbestos could be found in numerous places, including:
- Mechanical systems, including the vessel’s propulsion plant, which used asbestos to insulate boilers, turbines, pumps, sumps, valves, and high-pressure steam piping. Buffalo pumps and turbines, installed throughout engineering spaces, contained asbestos in their gaskets, packing materials, and surrounding insulation. These components required regular maintenance and replacement during routine operations, and this activity disturbed the asbestos and released microscopic fibers into the air.
- Firefighting equipment and protective gear had asbestos woven into their fabric and compressed into insulating materials designed to shield personnel during emergencies.
- Insulation of electrical wiring, circuit panels, distribution boxes, and power generation equipment throughout the destroyer.
- Crew quarters, mess facilities, and work spaces contained asbestos in overhead insulation and ceiling tiles, bulkhead components, flooring materials, and ventilation duct linings. Even routine items such as gasket sheets stored in supply areas contained compressed asbestos that released fibers when cut or manipulated for installation.
Health Consequences for USS Chevalier Crewmembers
Service members assigned to the USS Chevalier faced daily asbestos exposure risks. Navy destroyers’ enclosed environments had limited ventilation, and confined workspaces created particularly hazardous conditions whenever maintenance activities, combat operations, or updates disturbed asbestos-containing materials. Once these materials were damaged, they released microscopic asbestos fibers into the air, where they remained suspended for extended periods. Eventually, many were inhaled or ingested by personnel who were unaware of the dangers surrounding them.
Once asbestos fibers are in the body, their needle-like structures can penetrate cells deeply, especially in the tissues of the lungs. Their physical and chemical make-up both resist the body’s normal processes for clearing foreign bodies, and eventually, an inflammatory response can lead to cell damage and potential genetic alterations leading to tumors. This can take decades, and affected individuals generally go between twenty and fifty years without experiencing any external health effects. Conditions resulting from asbestos exposure include pleural plaques, asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other illnesses with extremely poor prognoses.
The health impact of shipboard asbestos exposure has been seen in many USS Chevalier crewmembers:
- James Branham served as a laundryman aboard the USS Chevalier from 1954 to 1955 and developed mesothelioma decades after his service. Though he never directly handled the toxic mineral, his duties required him to launder clothing worn by machinist mates, firemen, boiler tenders, and auxiliary gang members who routinely dismantled Buffalo pumps and turbines, replacing asbestos gaskets, packing, and insulation. His crewmates’ maintenance activities released substantial asbestos fibers onto their uniforms, which Branham processed in the ship’s single laundry room where he worked daily. He specifically recalled handling, sorting, and shaking out these heavily contaminated garments, often three times a week, because they were “the dirtiest clothing and were covered in dust particles and dirt.” This process repeatedly released asbestos fibers into his breathing zone, creating sustained exposure despite his non-technical role.[4]
- James Ramey served as a machinist aboard the USS Chevalier from 1968 to 1969, while the destroyer was stationed at Mare Island. Ramey regularly fabricated replacement gaskets using VICTO asbestos sheets. He obtained these materials, which came in 3-foot-wide, eighth-inch-thick dark gray sheets packed in cardboard boxes, from the ship’s machine shop. His responsibilities included repairing valves and performing general machine work, tasks that directly exposed him to asbestos fibers. Ramey subsequently developed mesothelioma, and his survivors filed legal action against Buffalo Pumps, Inc., and other asbestos product manufacturers.[4]
These cases and many others show that asbestos exposure aboard the Chevalier affected everybody on board, no matter what their duties and responsibilities were. Though boiler techs and engine room personnel may have faced the most concentrated direct exposure, the presence of asbestos onboard affected sailors throughout the vessel as it was carried on shipmates’ clothing, hair, and skin and circulated through the Chevalier’s ventilation systems.
Help for Navy Veterans Diagnosed with Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-related Diseases
Former USS Chevalier crew members diagnosed with mesothelioma may be eligible for compensation and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. They may also be able to seek help through the legal process.
Veterans who can prove that they’ve been diagnosed with asbestos-related conditions resulting from their military service can file claims with the VA for special healthcare benefits and disability compensation. These benefits may include medical care from pulmonary specialists and access to advanced diagnostic procedures and state-of-the-art treatment protocols. The VA typically assigns a 100% disability rating for a mesothelioma diagnosis, which provides substantial monthly compensation to offset lost earning capacity and medical expenses not covered through conventional insurance programs.
Beyond help from the VA, veterans can seek justice through the legal system, filing claims against the companies that manufactured and supplied the asbestos products that made them sick. Successful personal injury and wrongful death claims have led to multi-million-dollar jury awards for some victims, while others have been able to negotiate generous settlements out of court. Veterans are also eligible to file claims against the asbestos trust funds set up during bankruptcy reorganization proceedings by many former asbestos manufacturers. These funds continue to pay victims today and hold approximately $30 billion to compensate those affected. Though the payouts from these funds are generally less than what can be obtained through litigation, they are generally paid out much quickly without an adversarial process.
If you served onboard the USS Chevalier and you’re concerned about your previous asbestos exposure, you should consult a healthcare provider who specializes in occupational pulmonary diseases. Even if you feel fine, your exposure puts you at risk for an asbestos-related disease, and regular screening can lead to early detection, which can significantly improve your outcome. If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another illness, consulting with an attorney whose practice is dedicated to asbestos exposure cases offers you the greatest degree of knowledge and experience. A mesothelioma lawyer can help you understand all your options, from filing a claim with the Veterans Benefits system to pursuing an asbestos lawsuit. These professionals can help you document your service history to help establish the link between your exposure and your illness, identify specific asbestos-containing products encountered aboard the Chevalier, and develop a strategy for getting you and your family the financial support you need and deserve.
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