The USS Gearing (DD-710) was the first of an entire class of destroyers that bore its name. The Gearings represented the final U. S. destroyer design of World War II, an extended hull version of the previously designed Allen M. Sumner class. Launched just before the end of World War II, the Gearing largely participated in peacetime operations, but that did not eliminate the threat posed to those who spent time on the ship. Extensive use of asbestos-containing materials exposed service members at risk of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
About the USS Gearing
The USS Gearing was the first of the 98 Gearing-class destroyers built for the U.S. Navy, and the first to bear the Gearing name. The Gearing class destroyers represented the final modification to the original Fletcher destroyer design following the Allen M. Sumner class that the admiralty viewed as unsatisfactory in its endurance.[1] By extending the ship’s hull by 14 feet, the Gearing class increased the amount of fuel it could bunker, thus giving the Gearing class could carry an additional 160 tons of fuel, increasing its operational range by 30 percent. The USS Gearing (DD-710) was the first ship to be built with this new hull. The additional 14 feet was placed in the middle of the ship, providing added space for relocating some onboard machinery for better balance. [2]
USS Gearing displaced 3,450 tons when fully loaded and measured 390.5 feet long. The ship was powered by four Babcock & Wilcox boiler units feeding two General Electric steam turbines with an output of 60,000 horsepower. This propulsion allowed the ship to reach speeds of nearly 37 knots in ideal conditions with a range of 4,500 nautical miles.[3]
The Gearing featured twin main turrets seated forward of the bridge superstructure with the main mast directly aft. A twin smoke funnel arrangement was seen at midships with a noticeable gap identified between the two stacks. The hull’s configuration provided excellent views over the aft main gun turret. She carried a complement of 336 men and armament centered on 6 x 5″ (130mm) “Dual-Purpose” (DP) main guns set in three twin-gunned turrets as well as a network of Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns that included 12 x 40mm Bofors automatic cannons and 11 x 20 Oerlikon automatic cannons. The vessel was also outfitted with 10 x 21″ (533mm) torpedo tubes. Together, these arms made the USS Gearing and those in her class one of the best-armed destroyers built during World War II.[3]
Construction and Repairs
The USS Gearing (DD-710) was distinguished by being named for three generations of men in a notable family. The first was Henry Chalfant Gearing, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1876, served on various Navy ships, and was promoted to Commander in 1905. His son, Henry Chalfant Gearing, Jr., graduated from the Naval Academy in 1907 and served on California, Illinois, and other ships besides commanding several destroyers and being appointed Captain in 1934. Henry Chalfant Gearing III graduated from the Naval Academy in 1935. After serving several ships as a young officer, he was lost when his ship, the Juneau, was torpedoed and sunk in the Solomon Islands in 1942.[4]
The Gearing (DD-710) was launched in February 1945 after being constructed by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Kearny, N.J., a shipyard that became notorious for its extensive use of asbestos. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Thomas M. Foley, daughter of Commander Gearing, and commissioned in May 1945, with Commander T. H. Copeman in command.[4]
By the late 1950’s the military decided that the Gearing-class destroyers had become outdated in their ability to defend against both aircraft and submarines. The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program was introduced, and the USS Gearing was part of its first phase, or FRAM 1.[5] The update included the installation of ASROC aft of the first stack, a DASH helicopter hangar and flight deck, an SQS-23 sonar system and dome with a detection range of 40,000 yards, and a new air-search radar that could track the DASH helicopter in flight. Two MK-32 triple torpedo launchers were also installed, as well as a new superstructure. The main machinery was either replaced or overhauled, including the replacement of the General Electric turbines with Westinghouse turbines, while the below decks arrangements remained the same.[5] This update was performed at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
Service and Deployment History of the USS Gearing
Following sea trials near Cuba, the USS Gearing arrived at Norfolk in July 1945, where she aided in training future destroyer crews before departing for Casco Bay, Maine in October. During Navy Day celebrations held in Connecticut, roughly 5,000 visitors toured the ship. In November she arrived in Pensacola, Florida to act as a protective escort for the aircraft carrier Ranger during pilot training exercises.[4]
In 1946, the ship was assigned to run routine patrols along North and South America’s Atlantic seaboard and throughout the Caribbean, making port calls in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She embarked on her first Mediterranean deployment in November 1947, visiting ports in Algeria, Malta, Italy, and France before returning to Norfolk in March 1948. She completed a similar deployment in 1949 and participated in Operation Frostbite, an Arctic expedition focused on testing and advancing cold-weather equipment and methods.[4]
The Gearing maintained a presence off America’s eastern shores and in the Caribbean through 1950. In 1951, she sailed from Norfolk to the Mediterranean to conduct training exercises extending from Halifax in the north to the waters off of Cuba. Into the 1960s she was sent on annual Mediterranean deployments interspersed with Atlantic and Caribbean exercises, maintaining combat readiness. She underwent comprehensive modernization and maintenance in Boston from late 1961 into early 1962, then joined the American naval blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The ship returned to Norfolk and took part in Operation “Springboard-63” in early 1963.[4]
Gearing left for the Mediterranean again in 1963 and operated with the 6th Fleet. She returned to Newport in September for the FRAM I modernization program, then was deployed in the Caribbean and North Atlantic regions during 1964. She continued her Atlantic Fleet service into 1967, was decommissioned in 1973, and sold for scrap in 1974.[4]
How Was Asbestos Used on the USS Gearing?
The extensive use of asbestos aboard the USS Gearing was an all-too-common practice for vessels constructed from the 1930s through the 1980s, and one that eventually proved deadly as Navy veterans who’d been exposed to the carcinogenic material began being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. While the mineral has long been prized for its characteristic strength, it was especially valued during the World War II era and surrounding decades, as it provided both insulation and fire protection without adding significant weight. Asbestos had the added benefit of being extremely inexpensive and readily available. Although many of the suppliers who included asbestos in their parts and equipment were aware of its health risks, the same was not true of military officials, who ordered its use in over 300 applications because of its protective qualities for both personnel and physical assets.
In naval vessels, asbestos had numerous applications, including:
- Machinery and Boiler Compartments: These areas were the most contaminated onboard ships, as the heat-generating equipment 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 and sprayed onto piping systems throughout the ship.
- Additional Parts: Various ship components, including gaskets, valves, and deck coverings, were made using asbestos for its added strength.
Who Was Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Gearing?
On board the USS Gearing, 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 the materials that contained it could lead to invisible particles being released into the air. Once airborne, asbestos’ 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 don’t manifest until many years after exposure.
While every sailor onboard the Gearing faced potential asbestos exposure, the crew members who worked directly with asbestos-containing components faced the greatest risk, and 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 so contaminated with asbestos that sailors recall the environment as being extremely dirty. Many of those who were assigned to work in these areas were later diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
Benefits and Compensation Available for USS Gearing Veterans
Whether you served onboard the USS Gearing 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 very strong chance that you were exposed to asbestos. Even if you have not been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, 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 should any troubling symptoms arise.
If you are a Navy veteran and you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related diagnosis, you may be eligible to pursue monetary reimbursement as well as support and medical services from the Department of Veterans Administration. The military has acknowledged that the USS Gearing 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.
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 environment they served in. 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 victims multi-million dollar damages awards, leading many companies to avoid litigation and agree to substantial settlements. Additionally, many of the companies found responsible for exposing people to asbestos were driven into bankruptcy by their asbestos obligations and were required to establish trust funds for the benefit of victims diagnosed in the future.
If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Gearing 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. Be sure to schedule an appointment 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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