The USS Foss (DE-59) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort used by the U.S. Navy in World War II, the Korean War, and in the Far East. Though highly regarded for special abilities including supplying electric power to the shore, the Foss was heavily contaminated with asbestos. There have been several veterans who served onboard the Foss who were later diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
About the USS Foss
The USS Foss was a destroyer escort, designated DE-59, that served as part of the U.S. Navy fleet from 1943 to 1957. The ship was part of the Buckley class of destroyer escorts known for its longer hull, increased range, and impressive speed.
Buckley Class Destroyers Escorts and Asbestos
There were 154 Buckley class destroyer escorts by the end of World War II. The ship’s design was the second of the destroyer escort type and reflected a significant improvement upon its predecessor the Evarts class. The Buckley class was equipped with a steam-powered turbo-electric (TE) propulsion plant that the Navy asked General Electric to develop after diesel engines came into short supply. The TE provided far greater power and a maximum speed of 23 knots and to accommodate the change the ships were built with a hull that was six feet longer.[1]
While the two General Electric TE turbines onboard the USS Foss and other Buckley class vessels provided far greater speed and power, they were insulated with asbestos-containing materials. The turbines, driven by superheated steam, required the use of thermal insulation, and this insulation was made with asbestos including asbestos cloth, asbestos cement, and asbestos felt.[2] These materials, as well as asbestos-containing materials found throughout the ship, put those who worked near the turbines at significant risk for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
The Buckley class was the first destroyer escort type to carry torpedoes onboard.[3] The ships displaced 1,740 long tons and measured 306 feet long. The ship carried a complement of 15 officers and 198 men.
USS Foss Namesake
The USS Foss was named for Rodney Shelton Foss, an Arkansas native who enlisted in the U.S. Navy in September 1940.[4] On December 7, 1941, Foss was on the graveyard shift duty at Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, which was just north of Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese attacked from the north, they arrived at NAS Kaneohe several minutes before the rest of the attack force reached Pearl Harbor. Foss was struck during the first strafing run, making him one of the first U.S. casualties of the Pacific War. He was posthumously awarded a Commendation, a Pacific Fleet medal, and a Purple Heart.[5]
Construction and Deployment of the USS Foss
The USS Foss was laid down and constructed by the Bethlehem Shipyard in Hingham, Massachusetts after being sponsored by Ensign Foss’ mother, Mrs. George R. Foss. She was commissioned in July 1943 and almost immediately sailed from Boston for the Netherlands West Indies to escort a tanker convoy back to New York.[4]
The ship then sailed to locations including Aruba, Dakar, Oran, and Algiers as well as making seven voyages between New York and Derry, Ireland in support of the buildup of forces for the Normandy invasion.
In the years that followed, the Foss’s deployments focused on anti-submarine warfare research and development. The ship operated from multiple ports, including Washington, New London, and Charleston. Her crew conducted tests for the Naval Research Laboratory and various naval development organizations. The ship was also lauded for a humanitarian effort in which she provided emergency electric power to Portland, Maine, during the winter of 1947-48 when forest fires and drought interrupted the area’s power resources. The Foss also participated in rocket experiments at Cape Canaveral in August 1950.[4]
In the 1950s, the USS Foss was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet. The ship sailed from Norfolks in late September, spent six days in San Diego, and then sailed for the Far East to take part in the Korean War efforts. The Navy utilized the ship’s unique ability to provide shore power to Chinnampo, Inchon, Hŭngnam, and other locations. The ship remained at Ulsan Man from December 1950 to August 1951 to support an Army unit, then returned to San Diego.
With Pearl Harbor established as its home port after the Korean War, the USS Foss conducted local operations in the Hawaiian Islands, completed surveillance patrols in the Pacific Trust Territory, and made two tours of duty in the Far East. During its 1955 tour, the vessel served as a station ship in Hong Kong. She was ultimately decommissioned and placed in reserve at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on October 30, 1957, concluding her active service.[4]
Where Was Asbestos Used on the USS Foss?
Navy ships built during the war years made extensive use of asbestos. Known at that time as a magic mineral, its remarkable properties made it valuable in construction of all types, including for maritime purposes. Asbestos offered many critical advantages for shipbuilding, including superior heat insulation, structural strength, and prevention of the spread of fire while still being lightweight and inexpensive. For destroyer escorts like the Foss, asbestos accomplished the dual purposes of minimizing weight and protecting the ship’s crew. Because the Navy was not aware of the mineral’s toxicity, its unique combination of characteristics made it a seemingly perfect material for naval vessel construction at the time.
Asbestos was used throughout the USS Foss, from the gaskets in its equipment and pipes to floor and ceiling tiles found throughout the ship’s passageways. Because it provided insulation against heat and fire, the greatest use of asbestos was in:
- Engine rooms
- Boiler rooms
- Turbine rooms
- Machine rooms
- Pipe insulation
Though these areas represented the greatest concentration of asbestos, the material was found throughout the vessel, and often carried into living quarters on the uniforms, skin, and clothing of those who worked in the most heavily contaminated areas.
USS Foss Veterans Exposed to Asbestos
As a result of the extensive use of asbestos on Navy vessels, Navy veterans represent the single largest demographic group diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease. The men who served on the USS Foss are no exception: Their work environment was heavily contaminated with the carcinogenic material, and anybody who breathes in or ingests asbestos fibers is at risk for these disabling and deadly illnesses.
The living and working quarters onboard the Foss were extremely confined spaces that had limited ventilation. This increased the risk to anybody onboard the ship, though those at greatest risk were the men who worked with and around the boilers, turbines, and machinery in the engine and boiler rooms, the maintenance and repair workers responsible for the turbines, pipe insulation, and other components of the ship, and the workers in the shipyards who constructed, maintained, and repaired the vessel.
In one example of a sailor who suffered deadly impact from asbestos onboard the USS Foss, Keith W. Hipwell died of malignant mesothelioma in January 2020. In a personal injury lawsuit filed by his widow Marguerite, Mr. Hipwell’s responsibilities as a boiler tender on the Foss were described. He had been responsible for operating and maintaining two Foster Wheeler boilers on the ship that contained approximately 250 pounds of asbestos, including asbestos millboard, asbestos rope, folded woven asbestos tape, and asbestos gaskets. Though he had no warning about the dangers of asbestos dust, he was tasked with cleaning out the boilers’ fireboxes, scraping the tubes, and replacing clay mixed with asbestos that was on the firebox’s wall. Even while the ship was in dry dock for six weeks, he was exposed to asbestos while standing fire watch as shipyard workers overhauled and replaced bad tubes in the boiler.[6]
Benefits and Compensation for Navy Veterans
Servicemen aboard all Navy vessels built between the 1930s and 1980 faced significant health risks from asbestos exposure during their military service, and that includes those who served onboard the USS Foss. Asbestos use was so ubiquitous in naval construction that virtually all crew members were potentially exposed to the hazardous material, with some already succumbing to its serious long-term health consequences, and some still at risk.
Veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses have multiple options for seeking support and compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides specialized healthcare for mesothelioma patients, offering comprehensive disability compensation. Because mesothelioma is recognized as a 100% disabling condition, veterans who can establish exposure during their time of service are eligible for the highest level of disability benefits available.
In addition to VA support, Navy veterans can pursue legal action against the companies responsible for their exposure. Experienced mesothelioma attorneys have significant resources to help them identify the specific companies responsible for exposure aboard the Foss. These compassionate legal professionals can help you navigate a personal injury claim against the companies that supplied asbestos to the Navy. Compensation is not restricted to what comes from filing a lawsuit. Veterans are also able to file claims against asbestos trust funds set up by companies that have declared bankruptcy in the face of extensive asbestos liability. Though the compensation available from these funds is less than that provided by litigation, it is available immediately.
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