The USS Everett F. Larson (DD-830) was one of 98 Gearing-class destroyers that served the U.S. Navy from World War II through the Vietnam War. For over two decades, the ship was engaged in combat and Cold War deployments. Like almost all Navy ships built before the mid-1970s, the vessel incorporated asbestos materials extensively throughout. While today we recognize the health risks this represented, the sailors assigned to her suffered dangerous exposure, leading to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions.
About the USS Everett F. Larson
Gearing-class destroyers like the USS Everett F. Larson represented the culmination of World War II destroyer design. Designated DD-830, she served the U.S. Navy from April 1945 through August 1972, during which time she underwent several significant modifications. The ship was converted to a radar picket destroyer (DDR-830) in 1949, as well as a comprehensive Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) Mk II overhaul in 1962 that changed her to a modern antisubmarine warfare vessel.[1]
During her service, the USS Everett F. Larson earned numerous commendations, including the Destroyer Force “E” efficiency award four times, consecutive awards in 1953 and 1954, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1972.
The Ship’s Namesake
This warship’s name honored the memory of Private First Class Everett Frederick Larson, USMCR. Born in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1920, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in early 1942. PFC Larson served during the Guadalcanal campaign and was killed in action while attempting to swim the Matankiau River under enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade. This act of selfless courage earned him a posthumous Silver Star and inclusion in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to his division for its heroism on Guadalcanal.[1]
Design and Construction of the USS Everett F. Larson
The USS Everett F. Larson was launched in January 1945, after being built by Bath Iron Works. Mrs. H. Larson, mother of Private First Class Larson, served as sponsor, and Commander Horace “Mike” Myers assumed command when the vessel was commissioned in April 1945, at Boston Navy Yard.[1]
As one of the Gearing-class destroyers, the Everett F. Larson displaced 2,425 tons standard. The ship measured 390 feet 6 inches in length with a beam of 41 feet 1 inch and a draft of 18 feet 6 inches. Her propulsion system, powered by four Babcock & Wilcox boilers and two high-pressure steam-driven turbines that generated 60,000 shaft horsepower and achieved speeds exceeding 30 knots. In her initial design, she carried a complement of 367 officers and enlisted personnel and was armed with six 5-inch/38 caliber guns, five 21-inch torpedo tubes, six depth charge projectors, two depth charge tracks, and multiple anti-aircraft gun mounts.
Operational Service Record
Early Service and Radar Picket Conversion
After completing her shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the USS Everett F. Larson returned to Boston to undergo conversion to a radar picket configuration. This involved removing the ship’s torpedo tubes and excess topside weight, installing a tripod mast between the stacks, and fitting advanced air search radar capable of measuring both horizontal and vertical angles of acquired targets. The conversion was completed in early August 1945. She was reclassified as DDR-830 in March 1949.[2]
During her transit to the Pacific, the Larson experienced mechanical difficulties and was diverted to Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs, then continued through the Panama Canal, arriving at the Pacific entrance just as news of Japan’s surrender was announced.
Post-War Pacific Operations
The Larson arrived at Pearl Harbor in early September 1945 and proceeded to Japanese waters, accompanying the aircraft carrier USS Boxer (CV-21) as a plane guard destroyer. During the voyage, she encountered severe weather, rolling more than fifty degrees during a typhoon. She assisted the mine-damaged USS Roache (DE-191) until fleet tugs could take over towing duties, then, in early October, proceeded to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, and then to Taku, China, supporting Marine landing operations in the Tangau District. She operated with various carrier task forces, visiting Saipan, Guam, and conducting occupation duties in Japan through early 1946.
In April 1946, the Larson participated in Operation Road’s End, the sinking of 33 remaining Japanese submarines that had been gathered for that purpose at Sasebo. After completing occupation duties, she left Japan in September 1946 and arrived at her home port of Newport, Rhode Island, in March 1947.
Atlantic Fleet Service
Over nine years spent as part of the Atlantic Fleet, the Everett F. Larson completed seven deployments in the Mediterranean. Her operations included patrolling during the Palestine partition crisis, participating in NATO training exercises in 1948 and 1955, and conducting antisubmarine warfare activities off the east coast and in the Caribbean.
The ship was also part of several notable diplomatic missions, including operations in Greece during that country’s 1948 civil war and deployment to Haifa, Palestine, in 1949 to monitor the Arab-Israeli conflict. During the latter deployment, she transported Dr. Ralph J. Bunche from Rhodes, Greece, to Haifa, where he successfully negotiated armistice agreements between Israel and four neighboring Arab nations, earning him the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize.[2]
Pacific Fleet Transfer and FRAM Modernization
In February 1956, the Larson entered the New York Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. She was then transferred to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at her new home port of Long Beach, California, in June 1956. In 1957, she earned the Type Commander’s Engineering and Damage Control Efficiency Award, an ASW “E,” and an Operations “E.”
The destroyer completed Far East deployments in 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960, serving on Taiwan patrol, exercising with allied forces off Japan and in the Philippines, and providing escort and plane guard services for Task Force 77 carriers.
In June 1962, the Larson entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard for extensive FRAM Mk II modernization. This comprehensive overhaul transformed her from a radar picket destroyer into a modern antisubmarine warfare platform. She was equipped with new sonar systems, weapons, and electronics, and upon completion in December 1962, she was redesignated DD-830.
Vietnam War Service
In April 1963, the Everett F. Larson was transferred to Destroyer Squadron 23, the famous “Little Beavers” squadron that had distinguished itself during World War II under Admiral Arleigh Burke’s command. In August 1965, the ship’s crew found itself firing her guns in combat for the first time since World War II, conducting shore bombardment operations in South Vietnam. The ship expended over 300 rounds of 5-inch ammunition and continued gun line operations through early September, conducting underway replenishments between fire missions and occasionally performing plane guard duties.
Throughout 1966, the USS Everett F. Larson operated extensively in Southeast Asian waters, conducting Anti-Submarine Warfare Group Five operations, Taiwan patrol duties, and gunfire support missions. During October 1966 operations at Danang Harbor, she fired 656 rounds of 5-inch ammunition, eliminated 63 Viet Cong soldiers, destroyed 62 structures, and damaged numerous roads and trenches.[2]
The Larson continued Vietnam War operations through the late 1960s and early 1970s, including a response to the USS Pueblo incident in 1968, when she’d been positioned specifically for potential rescue operations in Wonsan Harbor. She served as one of the first Destroyer Squadron 23 ships assigned to Task Force 71 during this crisis.
Final Service and Decommissioning
Following completion of her final Vietnam deployment, the Everett F. Larson continued training and operational duties with the Pacific Fleet. In 1972, she was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation by Acting Secretary of the Navy John W. Warner. The destroyer was decommissioned in August 1972 and subsequently transferred to the Republic of Korea Navy.
Asbestos Contamination Areas Aboard the USS Everett F. Larson
Like all destroyers built during that time, the USS Everett F. Larson had asbestos-containing materials integrated throughout her structure and systems. Because of the mineral’s lightweight, fibrous character, every area aboard the vessel was vulnerable to contamination, but some areas were more dangerous than others, and certain areas presented especially hazardous concentrations of the dangerous substance:
- Because asbestos was included the materials used to insulate boilers, turbines, pumps, and associated mechanical equipment, the ship’s engineering spaces contained the most asbestos-containing materials. Thermal insulation blankets, gaskets, seals, and packing materials in these compartments were also fabricated using substantial amounts of asbestos.
- The systems that distributed steam and heated water throughout the vessel were either wrapped with or sprayed with asbestos insulation.
- The ship’s entire electrical system, from wiring systems and control panels to switchboards and related components, incorporated asbestos materials for their fire-resistant and insulating characteristics.
- The crew’s living areas, mess facilities, and berthing compartments all contained asbestos infused into deck tiles, overhead materials, bulkhead insulation, and fire-resistant doors and fittings.
- Damage control equipment and protective gear used by repair and fire control techs frequently incorporated asbestos materials for thermal and fire protection.
In addition to the ship’s initial construction and any materials used during repairs and maintenance, the Larson’s 1962 FRAM Mk II modernization at Long Beach Naval Shipyard required activities linked to significant breakdown and dispersal of the carcinogenic material. The work included the removal of existing asbestos materials throughout the vessel and installation of new equipment that also contained the hazardous mineral. The release of these dangerous fibers into the atmosphere left both shipyard personnel and crew members participating in the overhaul process at heightened risk of inhalation.
Personnel at Highest Risk for Asbestos Exposure Aboard the USS Everett F. Larson
Although every crewmember serving aboard the USS Everett F. Larson faced potential asbestos exposure, sailors whose duties required them to work in the areas listed above, or who regularly handled equipment containing asbestos insulation, were subjected to greater exposure risks. These included:
Boiler Technicians: These specialists maintained and operated the ship’s steam generation equipment and worked in spaces with the greatest concentrations of asbestos materials.
Machinist’s Mates: These sailors operated and serviced the vessel’s propulsion machinery. Their job required direct contact with asbestos-insulated equipment in confined engineering spaces.
Hull Maintenance Technicians: Personnel responsible for structural maintenance and repairs regularly encountered asbestos insulation materials during their work assignments.
Damage Controlmen: Sailors tasked with emergency repairs frequently disturbed asbestos-containing materials while performing their duties.
Electrician’s Mates: Those responsible for electrical system installation and maintenance had constant exposure to asbestos-containing materials when they manipulated wiring and electrical components.
Pipefitters: Personnel working with the ship’s extensive piping networks routinely handled asbestos-wrapped pipes and associated components.
Shipyard Personnel: Both civilian and military workers involved in the Larson’s construction, FRAM modernization, and major overhauls faced significant exposure risks during these intensive maintenance operations.
Naval ships were not built for comfort. They had cramped conditions with inadequate ventilation systems, and when this environment was combined with lightweight, airborne asbestos fibers that could remain airborne for hours, the substance ended up being widely circulated, even to faraway compartments. This meant that even personnel with no asbestos-handling responsibilities faced the risk of inhaling the toxic particles.
Medical Concerns Facing USS Everett F. Larson Veterans
Asbestos exposure can lead to multiple serious health conditions, and some fatal ones. Mesothelioma represents the most devastating of these diseases. This invariably terminal condition doesn’t generally begin to show symptoms until decades after exposure. This prolonged latency period means that even fifty or sixty years after their service on the ship, USS Everett F. Larson veterans are still at risk for being diagnosed.
The most commonly diagnosed asbestos-related conditions impacting Navy veterans include:
Mesothelioma: An aggressive, fatal malignancy that affects the protective lining of the pleural cavity that holds the lungs, the peritoneal cavity that holds the abdominal organs, or the pericardial cavity that holds the heart. The disease is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure.
Asbestosis: A chronic, progressive pulmonary disease characterized by lung tissue scarring and resulting in breathing difficulties and impaired oxygen exchange.
Lung Cancer: Asbestos exposure dramatically increases lung cancer risk, especially for smokers.
Pleural Disorders: Non-cancerous conditions that affect the lung lining, including plaques, thickening, and fluid accumulation known as pleural effusion, which can severely compromise respiratory function.
Other Cancers: Connections between asbestos exposure and malignancies affecting the larynx, digestive system, and other organs have been established.
These medical conditions frequently result in substantial and even catastrophic healthcare costs, as well as deteriorated quality of life, reduced earning capacity, and premature death for affected veterans and their families.
Resources for Veterans with Asbestos-Related Diseases
Veterans who served aboard the USS Everett F. Larson or other vessels and who’ve subsequently developed asbestos-related illnesses may think their situation is hopeless, but mesothelioma specialists are improving medical treatments every day, and there are several paths for obtaining compensation and achieving justice.
Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs has acknowledged the role that military asbestos exposure has played on hundreds of thousands of veterans’ health. Those diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease may qualify for:
- Disability compensation benefits. (Mesothelioma typically qualifies for a 100% disability rating.)
- Specialized medical care from healthcare providers experienced in treating asbestos-related diseases. Veterans can seek treatment in or out of the VA health system.
- Comprehensive support services, including psychological counseling, home healthcare assistance, and medical equipment.
To establish eligibility, veterans must provide documentation of both a naval service record that exposed them to asbestos and their medical diagnosis in a way that establishes the connection between their military duties and their current medical condition.
Asbestos Compensation Trust Funds
Confronted with thousands of personal injury lawsuits and substantial payouts ordered by juries, dozens of asbestos manufacturers and suppliers have established bankruptcy trust funds to compensate victims. Collectively, these trusts administer billions of dollars allocated for asbestos-affected individuals who can link the companies’ products to their illness. This means that even if the companies responsible for your asbestos exposure are no longer in business, you may be able to submit claims against a long-established fund.
Requirements for compensation include:
- Documentation of asbestos exposure circumstances and timeline
- Medical diagnosis confirming an asbestos-related condition
Legal Action
Many of the companies responsible for making, supplying, or selling asbestos products to the Navy were aware of the material’s hazards but chose to conceal this information to continue profiting from military contracts. Veterans can seek compensation from these companies by filing personal injury lawsuits that can lead to receiving payment for medical expenses and pain and suffering, while surviving family members can file wrongful death claims. Both types of litigation have resulted in substantial jury awards, and in many cases, in out-of-court settlements that allow victims to bypass litigation.
Each of these options can provide real relief for those facing a mesothelioma verdict, but they involve extremely complex procedures. Getting help from an experienced asbestos attorney who specializes in mesothelioma and related cases. These professionals have dedicated themselves to helping veterans and other victims of asbestos exposure. Their familiarity with all aspects and options will make a significant difference in maximizing the compensation you receive and minimizing the stress on you and your family. They can address documentation requirements, identify all liable parties, and meet critical filing deadlines so that you can focus on your health and your family.
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