From 1944 to 1971, the USS Gainard (DD-706) represented American naval excellence. This Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer earned recognition for heroic World War II service, extensive Cold War operations, and crucial NATO missions, but her legacy was marred by the mesothelioma and other diseases that affected many of those who served or worked on her during her construction and years of service. Thousands of shipyard workers and sailors were exposed to asbestos on the ship, and they continue to face health risks today.
The USS Gainard’s Namesake
The Gainard (DD-706) was named in honor of Captain Joseph Aloysius Gainard, a distinguished merchant marine officer who served with exceptional courage during both World Wars. Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Captain Gainard was master of the merchant vessel SS City of Flint in 1939. Though this was before the war, the German ship Deutschland captured his ship. Gainard demonstrated remarkable skill and composure throughout this ordeal, and after Norwegian authorities released him and his crew and interned the German crew, he successfully delivered his cargo and brought his ship home safely. His professionalism during this international incident earned him the Navy Cross. In 1943, he was transferred to the USS Bolivar, and while in that command, he died as a result of illness.[1]
About the USS Gainard
The Gainard belonged to the Allen M. Sumner class of destroyers. Measuring 376 feet 6 inches in length and displacing 2,200 tons standard, these vessels were designed for enhanced combat capabilities and were larger and more heavily armed than their predecessors. The ship carried a complement of 336 officers and enlisted men and was equipped with advanced propulsion systems capable of achieving speeds of 34 knots. Her initial armament included six 5-inch guns, twelve 40mm weapons, eleven 20mm mounts, ten 21-inch torpedo tubes, six depth charges, and two depth charge tracks.[2]
Construction and Early Service
Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Kearny, New Jersey, built the USS Gainard, laying her keel down in March 1944. The ship was launched in September 1944, sponsored by the late Captain’s widow, Mrs. Joseph A. Gainard. She was commissioned in New York in November 1944, under Commander Francis J. Foley, and after completing shakedown training off Bermuda, departed in February 1945 for operations from San Diego and Pearl Harbor.[3]
World War II Service
During the Okinawa campaign, the USS Gainard was part of a decoy task force that conducted operations against the southeastern coast while the main landings occurred on western beaches. Her most significant World War II contribution came at this time, when she served as both radar picket and fighter director ship. Operating under intense conditions, the ship spotted enemy air raids, provided intelligence to allies, and coordinated interceptions with Combat Air Patrol units. Her fighter director team controlled an average of 10 aircraft for more than a month on picket stations. This work contributed to the destruction of at least 28 suicide aircraft, with her own gunners shooting down four enemy planes.[3]
Throughout the dangerous days of her Okinawa service, the Gainard endured more than two dozen massive enemy aerial strikes, each of which involved 50 or more aircraft. Seventeen of these attacks targeted the ship directly, and four ships that were in her vicinity were struck by suicide planes. As a result of skillful actions from her gunners and those maneuvering the ship, she survived several near-misses from kamikaze runs, managed fighter direction for initial landings at Iheya Shima, Aguni Shima, and Kume Shima, and rescued the crew of a Navy patrol bomber that had run out of fuel and crashed at sea.
The Gainard remained in Okinawa until July 1945, when the site was officially declared secured. After patrol and convoy escort duties, she sailed to the Philippines for logistics and maintenance, then arrived off Honshu, Japan, in September to serve as an air-sea rescue ship until February 1946.
For her heroism during the Okinawa Campaign, the Gainard received the Navy Unit Commendation and a battle star for World War II service. Her performance under dangerous conditions proved the courage and professionalism of her crew.
Post-War Operations
The USS Gainard returned to the United States in April 1946. With Newport, Rhode Island as her home port, she began two decades of diverse operations including nine deployments as an antisubmarine warfare specialist with the Sixth Fleet, multiple cruises to northern Europe for midshipmen training, amphibious warfare exercises along the Virginia and North Carolina coasts, plane guard duty for aircraft carriers off Mayport, Florida, and combined Second Fleet exercises throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean.[3]
NATO Operations and Cold War Service
In September 1957, the Gainard participated in Exercise Strikeback, one of the largest naval exercises of the Cold War era. This massive operation involved 150 warships from six NATO nations conducting combined fleet maneuvers across the North Atlantic, including waters near the British Isles, between Iceland and the Faeroes, and into the Norwegian Sea and North Sea.
Her eighth Mediterranean deployment, from August 1960 to February 1961, was extended by six weeks of combat readiness operations with Middle East forces in the Indian Ocean and her ninth Mediterranean tour, from February to August 1962, included transiting the Suez Canal for five days of battle rehearsals with British and Iranian naval units, followed by training in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
Special Operations and Crisis Response
The Gainard served as a school ship for the Fleet Sonar School at Key West, Florida, and participated in Operation Mercy with carriers Shangri La and Antietam from September to October 1961, assisting thousands of Hurricane Carla flood victims off the Texas coast. She also performed gunnery school ship duties at Norfolk and served as a unit of the Cuban Contingency Task Groups during the tense Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
In May 1963, USS Gainard supported the successful launch of the final Project Mercury manned space flight piloted, serving as the recovery station support ship. Between 1963 and 1967, she continued school ship and support services throughout the Caribbean and along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Newport to New Orleans.
Final Years
The USS Gainard was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register in February 1971 and sold for scrap breaking in March 1974.
Asbestos Exposure on the USS Gainard
Between the 1930s and 1970s, naval vessels like the USS Gainard were systematically built and equipped with asbestos-containing materials. Before it was discovered to be toxic, the mineral’s heat-resistance, fire-prevention capabilities, and structural strength appeared ideal for maritime environments and were considered indispensable for ship construction. The Gainard contained asbestos installed during her original construction, and additional asbestos materials were installed during subsequent repairs, overhauls, and modernization programs.
Every episode of construction, maintenance, or removal of asbestos-containing materials had the potential for releasing the mineral’s microscopic fibers into the air, where they could be inhaled, ingested, or settle on workers’ clothing, hair, and skin to be transported throughout the ship to other sailors, and into the homes of shipyard workers, creating secondary exposure risks for family members. These significant health hazards caused by this exposure were unknown to naval authorities, and the manufacturers who made and sold the asbestos-containing products deliberately concealed information about their dangers.
The highest concentrations of shipboard asbestos-containing materials were located in:
Engine compartments: Machinery spaces contained asbestos insulation around boilers, turbines, pumps, and valve systems. Heat-resistant blankets, gaskets, and packing materials in these areas also contained asbestos.
Propulsion systems: The USS Gainard’s extensive network of steam pipes, exhaust systems, and condensers used fire-resistant wrapping and spray-on materials that were predominantly asbestos-based.
Electrical installations: Wiring systems, control panels, and electrical components were routinely insulated with asbestos due to its fire-resistant and non-conductive characteristics.
Crew accommodations and common areas: Personnel quarters and dining facilities featured asbestos floor tiles, ceiling materials, wall insulation, and fire-resistant door components.
Damage control equipment: Safety gear utilized by firefighting and damage control teams regularly contained asbestos for heat and flame protection.
Who Faced the Greatest Risk of Asbestos Exposure on the USS Gainard?
Although every sailor aboard the USS Gainard faced potential exposure to asbestos, specific occupational roles created significantly elevated risk levels.
Crew members facing the highest asbestos exposure risks included:
- Machinist’s Mates
- Boiler Technicians
- Hull Maintenance Technicians
- Damage Control Personnel
- Pipefitters
- Electricians
- Shipyard Workers
The destroyer’s confined spaces and inadequate ventilation systems exacerbated the risk and dangers of asbestos exposure. Because the mineral’s fibers are extremely lightweight, they can remain airborne for several hours once disturbed, and the presence of these invisible particles in the ship’s air for an extended period increased the likelihood of both inhalation and distribution throughout the vessel. This is why crew members who never directly handled asbestos-containing materials still experienced significant exposure.
Health Consequences for USS Gainard Veterans
Asbestos exposure can lead to severe and frequently fatal health conditions, and symptoms of the most dangerous asbestos-related diseases don’t manifest until 20 to 50 years after exposure. This extended delay—termed the latency period—means that numerous USS Gainard veterans have only recently begun experiencing symptoms related to their service decades earlier, while others may still receive diagnoses in the coming years.
The most common asbestos-related diseases that affect naval veterans include:
- Pleural and Peritoneal Mesothelioma
- Asbestosis
- Lung Cancer
- Pleural Plaques and Thickening
- Other Cancers
The onset of these conditions can be catastrophic for veterans and their families, resulting in substantial emotional distress, diminished quality of life, extensive medical expenses, and premature death.
Compensation and Resources for Veterans Who Served on the USS Gainard
Veterans who served aboard the USS Gainard and who have subsequently developed asbestos-related illnesses have multiple options available to them for compensation and assistance.
VA Claims
The Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized that asbestos exposure during military service created health risks and has created a program whereby qualifying veterans can obtain disability compensation, specialized medical treatment at VA medical facilities or dedicated cancer treatment centers nationwide, and supplementary support services including home healthcare, adaptive equipment, and caregiver assistance. Mesothelioma typically qualifies for a 100% disability rating, providing maximum benefit payments.
To establish eligibility for these benefits, veterans must demonstrate that their condition results from asbestos exposure during military service. This process can be challenging, frequently requiring comprehensive documentation of service history, job responsibilities, and medical evidence linking the illness to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Veterans may also seek compensation through asbestos trust funds established by bankrupt asbestos manufacturers. These funds were created to compensate exposure victims and collectively contain billions of dollars. As is the case with VA benefit claims, they require proof of exposure to their products and medical documentation of an asbestos-related diagnosis. However, the trust fund approval process is generally faster.
Litigation
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma can also pursue legal action against the companies that manufactured, distributed, or installed asbestos-containing products on naval vessels through personal injury lawsuits. Successful litigation can provide compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Similarly, family members who have lost loved ones to asbestos-related diseases can file wrongful death claims for loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and other damages.
How an Asbestos Lawyer Can Help
Pursuing any of these compensation options can be complex, confusing, and frustrating, especially when also trying to navigate the challenges of a debilitating diagnosis. Veterans and their families can derive significant benefit from collaborating with experienced asbestos attorneys who specialize in assisting mesothelioma victims with lawsuits, trust fund claims, and VA applications.
Mesothelioma lawyers have access to extensive resources to help them compare their clients’ work and service history and match them to the companies that placed asbestos products in their environments. They can assess your eligibility for each of the compensation programs available, help establish the connections between your naval service and asbestos exposure, and collect the crucial evidence needed to support your claim. They also provide guidance through complicated filing procedures and deadlines while representing your interests in negotiations and court proceedings.
Working with a knowledgeable advocate allows USS Gainard veterans to maximize their opportunities for receiving fair compensation while minimizing their stress.
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