The USS Cone (DD-866) was a Gearing-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy for nearly four decades. Its record included Cold War peacekeeping, Vietnam combat operations, and NATO exercises, but like every naval vessel of her era, the Cone was built with asbestos-containing materials that have contributed to mesothelioma and other fatal diseases in many of those who maintained, repaired, and rehabilitated the ship, as well as Navy veterans who served on her decks.
About the USS Cone
The USS Cone was constructed by the Bethlehem Steel Company at its Staten Island, New York, shipyard. This major wartime production facility’s construction practices, like those of shipyards across the country, later became closely associated with asbestos exposure for both the workers who built these vessels and the sailors who crewed them. The ship was launched in May 1945 and commissioned in August under the command of Commander W. C. Butler, Jr., then reported to the Atlantic Fleet immediately thereafter.[1]
The Gearing-Class Destroyers
As one of 98 Gearing-class destroyers built during and immediately after World War II, the USS Cone embodied the design improvements that distinguished this class from its predecessors. The hull extension added to the earlier Allen M. Sumner class expanded the Gearings’ fuel storage significantly, extending the ships’ operational range without sacrificing speed or maneuverability.[2]
The Cone’s key specifications included:
- Displacement: 2,425 tons standard
- Length: 390 feet 6 inches
- Speed: 35 knots
- Complement: 367 officers and enlisted personnel
- Original armament: Six 5-inch guns, five 21-inch torpedo tubes, six depth charge projectors, two depth charge tracks
The Cole’s propulsion system consisted of high-pressure boilers driving steam turbines, and demanded extensive thermal insulation throughout the spaces that house them. This insulation, as well as the boilers, turbines, steam lines, valves, gaskets, and associated components, all contained significant amounts of asbestos that the Navy had mandated as standard for safe shipboard construction. With the spaces housing these systems being poorly ventilated, there was a heavy concentration of airborne asbestos fibers in the compartments where crew members tasked with the maintenance and operation of this equipment worked. This dramatically increased their long-term risk of malignant mesothelioma and related diseases.
The Ship’s Namesake
The vessel was named in honor of Rear Admiral Hutch I. Cone, a naval officer born in 1871 and appointed to the Naval Academy from Florida in 1890. Admiral Cone’s career highlights included:[3]
- Serving as an Assistant Engineer aboard USS Baltimore during the Battle of Manila Bay
- Commanding a flotilla of torpedo boats that accompanied the Great White Fleet around South America
- Overseeing the Navy’s conversion to turbine propulsion
- Serving as Superintendent of the Panama Canal in 1915
- Commanding Naval Aviation in Europe, 1917–1918
- Surviving a torpedo attack by a German U-boat in October 1918 while crossing the Irish Sea, and being pulled from the water unconscious after several hours
After the war, Admiral Cone attended the Naval War College, served as Chief of Staff of the Asiatic Fleet. He retired as Rear Admiral in 1922 due to injuries sustained during his wartime service. In retirement, he served the U.S. Shipping Board under Presidents Coolidge, Hoover, and Franklin D. Roosevelt and served as Vice President of the Guggenheim Fund for the promotion of aeronautics. At the time of his death in 1941, he was Chairman of the Board of Moore-McCormick Steamship Company. His widow, Mrs. H. I. Cone, sponsored the U.S.S. Cone at its May 1945 launch ceremony.
Active Service and Tours of Duty
The Cone’s early years established a pattern that she followed throughout the Cold War years.[3]
Early Deployments (1946–1950)
- Conducted a goodwill visit to Portsmouth, England, in early 1946, followed by a tour of ports across northern and southern Europe
- Served her first Mediterranean deployment with the Sixth Fleet in 1948, including joining the United Nations Palestine Patrol
- Returned to the Mediterranean in 1949 and later that year crossed the Arctic Circle
- Conducted East Coast, Caribbean, and additional Sixth Fleet operations through 1950
Mediterranean Operations and Global Circumnavigation (1951–1954)
The Cone’s 1951 Mediterranean cruise saw two particularly notable moments:
- She was visited by Winston Churchill in Venice in September 1951
- Transported the ambassadors of the United States and Britain to Greece for a diplomatic call
In 1953, the Cone left Newport for a deployment circumnavigating the globe by way of Panama, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Yokosuka. After joining Task Force 77 on patrol off Korea, she returned home via Hong Kong, Bahrain, Port Said, Naples, Villefranche, and Lisbon, arriving at Norfolk in April 1954.
Cold War Peacekeeping (1954–1960)
- Participated in NATO antisubmarine training off Ireland and Operation Blackjack in the fall of 1954
- Concentrated on air defense exercises and carrier plane guard duties in 1955
- Joined NATO exercises in the Mediterranean in 1956
- Was alerted during the Suez Crisis and joined a task force that sailed to the eastern Atlantic before standing down when her services were not required
- Served two Sixth Fleet Mediterranean deployments in 1958 and 1959–1960
- Shifted home port to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1960
FRAM Overhaul and Cuban Missile Crisis (1961–1963)
The Cone completed a comprehensive FRAM I overhaul in January 1963. The modernization transformed her capabilities, adding:
- An 8-cell Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC) box launcher
- Two triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes
- A DASH drone antisubmarine helicopter pad and hangar
- Upgraded SQS-23 sonar
- Updated SPS-10 surface search radar
- A rebuilt superstructure
Vietnam War Service (1960s–1973)
During the Vietnam War, the Cone served in the Western Pacific, with operations including:
- Naval gunfire support for ground forces along the Vietnamese coast
- Plane guard duties for carriers operating on Yankee Station
- Operations in Da Nang Harbor
- Active participation during Linebacker operations in 1972–1973
- Presence at the ceasefire in January 1973
One of the more dramatic incidents of the Cole’s Vietnam service came in December 1972 when an HC-3 Detachment 101 H-46 helicopter lost an engine while making a transfer to the Cone in the Tonkin Gulf. The chopper made an unplanned landing on the ship’s fantail, lodging on a small winch. Undamaged, the ship proceeded to Da Nang the following morning, where the aircraft was craned off.[4]
Final Years and Transfer (1974–1982)
Following her Vietnam service, the Cone continued Atlantic Fleet and reserve operations before being decommissioned and transferred to Pakistan in October 1982. She was and served the Pakistani Navy until 1998.
Where Was Asbestos Found on the USS Cone?
From the 1930s through the 1970s, asbestos was a Navy-mandated component of shipboard construction across hundreds of applications. Manufacturers of asbestos-containing products had accumulated compelling evidence of the mineral’s lethal potential but suppressed that information to protect their profits, leaving the military without the warnings that could have protected both sailors and shipyard workers.
From the time of her construction, asbestos could be found throughout the USS Cone. Key locations included:
- Propulsion spaces: Boiler rooms, engine compartments, and turbine spaces, where asbestos insulated the high-temperature, high-pressure machinery that powered the ship
- Piping systems: Insulation blanketed the steam and water lines that ran throughout every deck and compartment
- Mechanical systems: Gaskets, packing seals, and valve components throughout the engineering plant
- Structural and finish materials: Deck coatings, flooring compounds, adhesives, and overhead linings
- Safety equipment: Firefighting gear and protective clothing issued to crew members
The FRAM I overhaul, completed in January 1963, significantly amplified the asbestos hazard already present in the ship. Rebuilding the superstructure, installing new weapons systems, and overhauling the engineering plant required workers to cut, remove, and replace asbestos-containing materials that had been in place and slowly degrading for nearly two decades. Each phase of that demolition and reconstruction disturbed asbestos-laden components and released accumulated fibers into the enclosed spaces of the shipyard and the ship herself. Every subsequent maintenance period—at Charleston, at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and at other facilities—created additional periods of exposure as the toxic materials were repeatedly handled and replaced.
Asbestos Exposure Risks to Cone Crew Members
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive, asbestos-related cancer diagnosed in roughly 3,500 Americans each year. Roughly one-third of all those diagnosed are United States Navy veterans, a number that directly reflects the dangerous conditions faced by sailors serving on Navy ships built before 1980. Veterans who served on the Cone are part of this at-risk population.
Who Faced the Greatest Risk
While every crew member aboard the USS Cone experienced some level of asbestos exposure, those at greatest risk included:
- Engineering personnel: Boiler technicians, machinists’ mates, and enginemen who worked directly in the most heavily contaminated spaces
- Damage control teams: Personnel who regularly handled insulated piping and structural materials throughout the ship
- Maintenance technicians: Crew members who removed, replaced, or repaired asbestos-containing components during routine upkeep
- Shipyard workers: Civilian personnel who participated in the FRAM overhaul and subsequent maintenance periods at various facilities
How Exposure Spread
Asbestos fibers released in engineering spaces did not stay there. Microscopic and invisible to the naked eye, they settled on the uniforms, hair, and skin of those working in those high-exposure areas and were then carried throughout the ship. This spread contamination into:
- Berthing compartments
- Mess decks and dining areas
- Common spaces and passageways throughout the vessel
This exposure pathway placed personnel with no direct contact with the material at almost the same risk as those who worked with and around it daily.
The Long Road to Diagnosis
Among the many challenges of mesothelioma is its extremely long latency period. It generally takes between 20 and 50 years from initial exposure to the appearance of symptoms, which means that veterans who served aboard the Cone during her later years and reserve training operations may be starting to receive asbestos-related diagnoses now, decades after the exposure that caused them.
Health Monitoring
Any veteran who served aboard the USS Cone or any other Navy ship, or who worked at any of the shipyards involved in her construction, conversion, or maintenance, should discuss their asbestos exposure history with their healthcare team and ensure it is well documented in their medical records. Between the exceedingly rare nature of mesothelioma and the way that it develops silently over decades before producing symptoms, having exposure flagged is essential to:
- Alert treating physicians to monitor for relevant warning signs
- Ensure that emerging symptoms receive prompt evaluation
- Improve the odds of early detection, when treatment options are most effective
Support and Compensation for Veterans with Mesothelioma
Veterans who’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma after having served on the USS Cone and other ships face a daunting future. Fortunately, they are eligible for both benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, compensation from asbestos trust funds established by bankrupt asbestos companies established for their benefit, and the pursuit of legal action against other manufacturers whose asbestos-containing products created the conditions leading to their illnesses.
VA Claims
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related condition following service aboard the Cone may file a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Key points to know:
- The VA recognizes shipboard asbestos exposure during military service as a service-connected cause of disease
- Malignant mesothelioma qualifies for a 100% disability rating
- Eligible veterans may receive disability compensation and access to specialized VA medical care at facilities nationwide
- Proving the connection between shipboard service and diagnosis is key to a successful VA claim
Legal Assistance for Asbestos Cases
Beyond VA benefits, veterans and shipyard workers harmed by asbestos exposure during their time aboard or working on the Cone may have grounds for claims against the manufacturers and suppliers responsible for the asbestos-containing products present on the ship. There is substantial evidence that many of these companies were aware of the dangers posed by their products but chose to suppress the information in order to continue earning profits from their sale.
Important considerations include:
- Attorneys specializing in asbestos litigation maintain detailed records of prior cases involving Gearing-class destroyers and the specific suppliers whose products have been identified for vessels of this type
- Manufacturers that have since declared bankruptcy were frequently required to establish dedicated asbestos trust funds as a condition of that protection. These funds hold billions of dollars that remain available to eligible victims
- Statutes of limitations establish legal deadlines for how long you have to file a personal injury claim, making prompt legal consultation important
A mesothelioma attorney can evaluate your specific service history, identify the compensation sources available to you, and guide you through every step of the claims process. With skilled legal support, veterans and their families can pursue the accountability and financial protection that their service deserves.
