The USS Fechteler (DD-870) was a Gearing-class destroyer that served the United States Navy for nearly a quarter-century from 1946 to 1970. During her operational lifespan, this versatile warship participated in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conducted extensive Cold War patrol operations while transitioning between both Atlantic and Pacific Fleet assignments. Though she was honored for her service, the Fechteler’s structure made extensive use of asbestos-containing materials, which placed service members and shipyard workers at risk of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
About the USS Fechteler
The USS Fechteler was one of the 98 Gearing-class destroyers built for the U.S. Navy. The class of ships was the last of the World War II era and represented the final modification to the original Fletcher destroyer design.[1] The modifications incorporated in the Gearings addressed the endurance limitations of the preceding Allen M. Sumner class by extending the ship’s hull by 14 feet. This allowed the vessels to carry an additional 160 tons of fuel and increased their operational range by 30 percent. This additional length was placed in the middle of the ship, allowing onboard machinery to be relocated for better balance.
The USS Fechteler displaced 2,425 tons and measured 390 feet 6 inches long with a 41-foot 1-inch beam and 18-foot 6-inch draft. The ship was powered by four boiler units feeding two steam turbines. Together, they generated sufficient output to reach speeds of 35 knots. Her armament centered on 6 x 5-inch dual-purpose main guns set in three twin-gunned turrets as well as five 21-inch torpedo tubes for anti-ship engagements. She carried a complement of 367 officers and enlisted personnel throughout most of her service life.[2]
The USS Fechteler’s Namesake
The USS Fechteler (DD-870) was distinguished by being named for two generations of men in a notable naval family. Rear Admiral Augustus Francis Fechteler, born in Prussia in 1857, demonstrated exceptional leadership during World War I, earning the Navy Cross for exceptionally meritorious service in duties of great responsibility. His son, Lieutenant Frank Casper Fechteler, born in 1897, followed his father’s example, graduating from the Naval Academy in 1918. Following wartime service aboard USS Paducah, he trained as a naval aviator and served aboard America’s first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley (CV-1). While preparing to compete in the prestigious Pulitzer Trophy Race of 1922, Lieutenant Fechteler perished in an aircraft accident.[2]
Service and Deployment History of the USS Fechteler
Construction and Early Service
The U.S.S. Fechteler (DD-870) was launched in September 1945, after being constructed by Bethlehem Steel Company at their Staten Island, New York, shipyard. The ship was sponsored by Miss Joan S. Fechteler, who had previously sponsored the original USS Fechteler, which was first launched in 1943 and sunk by a German U-boat in 1944. The second Fechteler was commissioned in March 1946, with Commander A.A. Wellings in command.[2]
Following initial shakedown operations, the USS Fechteler was homeported at Norfolk, Virginia, where she conducted carrier screening operations in the Virginia Capes area and made brief deployments to Argentia, Newfoundland. In January 1947, she transferred to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at San Diego before departing in May for her first Far East deployment. She served in occupation duties with port calls throughout China, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Yokosuka, and Guam, returning to San Diego in January 1948.
Korean War Service
The Fechteler completed a second tour of duty in the Far East in 1949. When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, she stood ready at Pearl Harbor in preparation for the possible spreading of the conflict before returning to San Diego to prepare for combat deployment. She served in the Far East on two wartime deployments, the first from November 1950 to August 1951, and the second from February to September 1952. During both deployments, she screened Task Force 77 during carrier air operations against Communist positions, operated with escort and patrol forces along the contested coastline, and delivered bombardment and close gunfire support to troops engaged in ground combat. The Fechteler received five battle stars for Korean War service.
Conversion to a Radar Picket Destroyer
The Fechteler was decommissioned in April 1953 for conversion to a radar picket destroyer. After being equipped with enhanced radar systems and communications equipment, she was redesignated DDR-870 in December. Her specialized Cold War role involved providing advanced warning surveillance for carrier task forces and coastal defense networks, a duty which began in the Far East, after which she sailed westward to join the Atlantic Fleet at Newport, Rhode Island. She participated in the Atlantic schedule of east coast and Caribbean exercises and joined in a midshipman cruise during the summer of 1955. After being reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, she cruised in the Far East on duty with the 7th fleet as part of the Taiwan Patrol and carrier task forces.
FRAM Modernization and Vietnam Service
In 1963, the Fechteler underwent comprehensive Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM I) treatment, receiving upgraded anti-submarine warfare systems, including sophisticated sonar, modern fire control computers, enhanced communications equipment, and a new superstructure. She returned to her original designation of DD-870 and participated in multiple deployments to the Vietnam theater during the mid to late 1960s, serving in roles such as naval gunfire support against enemy positions, plane guard duties for aircraft carriers conducting flight operations, and search and rescue operations for downed aircrews. During this period, she also took part in humanitarian missions, including rescuing Vietnamese refugees fleeing Communist control in the South China Sea.
The USS Fechteler was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in September 1970. She was sold for scrapping in 1972.
How Was Asbestos Used on the USS Fechteler?
The extensive use of asbestos aboard the USS Fechteler was a common practice for vessels constructed from the 1930s through the 1980s, and one that eventually proved deadly for Navy veterans who’d been exposed to the carcinogenic material. While the mineral has been prized for its strength and insulating properties for centuries, it was particularly valued during the World War II era and surrounding decades, as it provided both heat and fire protection. Those characteristics, combined with its insignificant weight, made it ideal for Navy vessels, and the material had the added benefit of being extremely inexpensive and readily available.
Although many of the companies that included asbestos in their parts and equipment were aware of its health risks, the same was not true of military officials, who found its protective qualities so useful that they ordered its inclusion in over 300 applications.
Asbestos had numerous applications aboard the Fechteler, including:
Machinery and Boiler Compartments: These areas were the most contaminated onboard ships, as the heat-generating equipment housed there required significant insulation and fireproofing to protect against burns and contain potential fires.
Safety Equipment: Because it both strengthened materials and provided a shield against heat, asbestos was integrated into sailors’ protective clothing and gloves. It was also used in firefighting tools and equipment.
Pipe Covering: Asbestos insulation was both wrapped around and sprayed onto piping systems throughout the ship.
Additional Parts: Various ship components, including gaskets, valves, and deck coverings, were fortified with asbestos to strengthen them and extend their useful life.
Who Was Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Fechteler?
On board the Fechteler, sailors and officers alike were exposed to significant health hazards from the asbestos that surrounded them. The substance was found throughout the vessel, and any disruption to materials that contained it could lead to invisible particles being released into the air. Once airborne, asbestos’s tiny particles are easily inhaled or ingested, and once in the body, their pointy-edged fibers can become embedded in the cells of the lungs and the lining of the cavity that holds them.
Asbestos fibers, once stuck, are extremely difficult for the human body to expel. Over time, they can lead to cell death or mutations resulting in tissue scarring, genetic alterations, and grave medical conditions, including malignant mesothelioma. Many of these asbestos-related diseases have long latency periods, which means that they don’t manifest until many years after exposure.
While every sailor onboard the ship had the potential for being exposed to asbestos, the crew members who worked directly with asbestos-containing components faced the greatest risk, especially those who worked in confined spaces with inadequate air circulation. The engine rooms and boiler rooms, as well as areas where asbestos-insulated piping systems originated, were all heavily contaminated with asbestos. Many of those who were assigned to work in these areas were later diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
The Fechteler’s multiple major overhauls—particularly her 1953 radar picket conversion and 1963 FRAM I modernization—represented especially hazardous periods when extensive shipyard work disturbed existing asbestos while simultaneously installing additional asbestos-containing components. During these intensive modification periods, both the ship’s company personnel and civilian shipyard workers confronted extreme exposure concentrations as old materials were removed and new systems installed.
Benefits and Compensation Available for USS Fechteler Veterans
Whether you served onboard the USS Fechteler or you were one of the many shipyard workers who performed maintenance or updates on the vessel when it underwent repairs and modernization, there is a significant chance that you were exposed to asbestos. Even if you feel fine, it’s a good idea to notify your physician of your history of exposure so that the information can be added to your medical records. This will facilitate a faster diagnosis that may offer more treatment options should any symptoms arise.
Veterans Benefits
If you’re a Navy veteran and you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be eligible to pursue monetary reimbursement as well as support and medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The military has acknowledged that the USS Fechteler and all Gearing-class destroyers contained asbestos, and since mesothelioma has been classified as completely 100% disabling, a claim for benefits will likely be approved immediately, allowing you to collect healthcare expense reimbursement and to seek treatment at any of the excellent medical facilities that are part of the VA system, or at any other specialized treatment institution around the country.
Personal Legal Claims
Beyond securing assistance from the VA, former service members can also pursue compensation from the asbestos manufacturers that provided the harmful substance to the military. These companies have already faced legal challenges and civil litigation filed by previously diagnosed victims, and there is a long record of their negligence in supplying asbestos-containing materials without providing warnings to the military or individual victims. Over the years, juries have awarded many victims multi-million dollar damages awards, while others have reached substantial settlements with companies that chose to avoid litigation.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Many of the companies that were repeatedly found responsible for exposing people to asbestos were driven into bankruptcy by their asbestos obligations. As part of their agreements with the bankruptcy courts, they were required to establish trust funds for the benefit of those affected by the asbestos in their products who would not be diagnosed until years in the future. These trust funds, which currently hold over $30 billion in funds dedicated to those with asbestos-related diseases, provide victims with a path to compensation without the stress and time required for pursuing litigation.
How A Mesothelioma Attorney Can Help
If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Fechteler or during any military duty, your most valuable resource beyond your medical team is likely to be a knowledgeable, experienced mesothelioma attorney who can answer your questions, explain your options and the procedures involved, assist in identifying the asbestos companies responsible for your medical condition based on your service timeline, and help you with applications for both VA benefits and filing legal claims.
Being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease is an emotional shock. You need to take time for yourself, both to come to terms with your new reality and to ensure that you’ve arranged for appropriate medical care and established a treatment plan. Still, be sure to schedule an appointment with an asbestos lawyer quickly: There are laws known as statutes of limitations that restrict the amount of time you have between being diagnosed with your illness and filing a legal claim. Speaking with an asbestos lawyer soon will ensure that you preserve your rights and can move forward with confidence.
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