The USS Hamner (DD-718), a distinguished Gearing-class destroyer, served the United States Navy in numerous deployments, including the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War. As was true of other naval vessels constructed during this era, the ship contained substantial quantities of asbestos materials throughout her structure, risking serious and deadly health issues including mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis for both crew members and shipyard workers.
About the USS Hamner
The USS Hamner represented one of the final 98 destroyers commissioned by the U.S. Navy as World War II reached its conclusion. These Gearing-class vessels featured significant enhancements over previous destroyer designs, particularly the Allen M. Sumner class that immediately preceded it. Engineers realized that extending the hull by 14 feet would significantly improve fuel storage capacity and operational range while enhancing internal compartmentalization, and the adjustment in design was highly successful. Though the Navy initially ordered 152 vessels of this class, only 98 ended up being built. Throughout their decades of service, Gearing-class ships underwent various modifications to prepare them for specialized combat roles, including anti-submarine configurations and radar surveillance upgrades.[1]
Throughout her service history, the USS Hamner fulfilled diverse peacetime and combat assignments. After completing Caribbean shakedown operations in 1946, the vessel joined Pacific Fleet operations. When North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950, the Hamner deployed to provide coastal artillery support against enemy positions. The destroyer participated in the famous amphibious landing at Inchon with Task Force 77 and conducted extensive patrols along the Korean and Formosan coastlines. In 1962, the Hamner underwent comprehensive modernization through the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program.[2]
One particularly noteworthy incident occurred in 1966 during Vietnam operations, when the Hamner provided emergency assistance to the USS Oriskany after receiving the distress call, “I am on fire.” The Hamner’s crew positioned the ship alongside the carrier to direct cooling water onto damaged bulkheads. Later, during Operation Traffic Cop, the vessel neutralized 67 enemy watercraft within a two-week period.[2]
The Hamner measured 390 feet in length with a 41-foot beam and was capable of achieving speeds of 37 knots. Her propulsion system featured four Babcock & Wilcox boilers coupled with twin General Electric steam turbines—components now recognized as significant sources of asbestos exposure. She was initially armed with six five-inch guns along with aircraft artillery equipment and torpedo tubes, but over time was modified to include anti-submarine equipment including depth charges and hedgehog projectors. She was also outfitted with cutting-edge radar and sonar systems for tracking and engagement with enemy targets. With a displacement of 3,460 tons and a complement of 325 enlisted men and 11 officers, the Hamner served thousands of naval personnel throughout her operational lifetime.[2]
Construction and Maintenance History
The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Port Newark, New Jersey, a shipyard that today is known to have made extensive use of asbestos in shipbuilding, constructed the USS Hamner, launching the vessel on November 24, 1945. The official commissioning ceremony took place on July 12, 1946, with Mrs. Henry Rawlings Hamner, wife of the ship’s namesake, serving as sponsor. Lieutenant Hamner received his Naval Academy commission in June 1942 and died on April 6, 1945, while serving aboard USS Howorth (DD-592) following a kamikaze attack.[2]
Over the years, the Hamner was maintained and overhauled several times, but underwent its most ambitious upgrade in January 1962, when she entered the San Francisco Shipyard for extensive FRAM overhaul procedures designed to extend operational lifespan by 10-20 years. This renovation included the installation of a completely redesigned superstructure and state-of-the-art electronic systems. The modernized vessel returned to service on December 5, 1962.[2]
Active Service and Deployments
Following initial Caribbean training exercises, the USS Hamner reported to Pacific Fleet command on December 24, 1946, immediately embarking on her inaugural 7th Fleet assignment. The destroyer operated with Destroyer Division 111 from various Asian ports for nine months before returning stateside for additional training.[2]
When Korean hostilities erupted on June 24, 1950, the Hamner rapidly deployed to the peninsula to provide artillery support against Communist forces. The vessel assisted in both the Yongdok evacuation and Pohang Dong defense operations before joining the Inchon landing force on September 15, 1950. The destroyer continued patrol and bombardment duties around the Korean peninsula until the armistice agreement of July 27, 1953.[2]
In subsequent years, the Hamner maintained an annual Western Pacific deployment schedule, visiting diverse ports throughout Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Australia. The ship conducted numerous diplomatic port calls and participated in regular Formosa patrol duties. On December 31, 1958, she deployed for six weeks with the Taiwan Patrol Force shortly after tensions escalated in the Quemoy-Matsu crisis.[2]
During Vietnam operations, the Hamner supported amphibious readiness groups in South Vietnamese waters starting in September 1963. On May 20, 1965, the destroyer conducted the first scheduled naval bombardment against Communist positions since the Korean conflict. The vessel continued Western Pacific deployments through the early 1970s, including her emergency assistance during the Oriskany fire and participation in Operation Traffic Cop, where shore batteries twice fired upon the destroyer without causing damage.[2]
After her active combat career concluded, the Hamner served as a Naval and Marine reserve training platform at Swan Island in Portland, Oregon through the early 1970s. Naval authorities decommissioned the vessel and removed her from the Naval Vessel Register on October 1, 1979.[2]
Where Was Asbestos Used in the USS Hamner?
The USS Hamner, like almost every other naval vessel constructed between the 1930s and 1980s, was built using extensive amounts of asbestos materials. This was particularly true of the vessels built during the period surrounding World War II. Naval engineers and the War Department both valued asbestos for its exceptional ability to insulate and protect against fire without adding significant weight. The material’s affordability and immediate accessibility made it especially attractive.
Though many of the manufacturers and suppliers that provided the military with asbestos-containing parts and materials were aware of the health hazards associated with the material, they maintained secrecy about its dangers, choosing to put profits over people’s health. It was only decades later that the military authorities, who had chosen the material for crew protection and equipment preservation, learned that it was carcinogenic, and by that time the damage had been done.
Asbestos appeared throughout the vessel in various forms and applications, including:
- Machinery Spaces: Engine compartments and boiler rooms contained the highest concentration of asbestos materials, used extensively for thermal insulation and fire prevention.
- Safety Equipment: Personnel protection gear, including firefighting equipment and heat-resistant clothing, incorporated asbestos fibers.
- Thermal Insulation: Asbestos wrapped virtually all steam pipes and high-temperature conduits throughout the ship.
- Structural Components: Various ship systems incorporated asbestos in gaskets, valves, flooring compounds, and ceiling materials.
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure on Board the Ship?
Crew members serving aboard the USS Hamner faced asbestos exposure hazards nearly everywhere they turned. The material was used in almost all areas of the vessel, and any disturbance of asbestos components had the potential of releasing microscopic fibers into the ship’s confined environments. Once in the air, asbestos fibers are easily inhaled and ingested, and once the needle-like fibers enter lung tissue, they are almost impossible for the body to expel. For some of those exposed, these toxic foreign bodies eventually triggered cellular damage, scarring, genetic mutations, and serious respiratory conditions. Most of these diseases don’t begin to show symptoms until decades after initial exposure, and many who served on the ship may still be at risk.
While all personnel faced potential exposure, the engineering and maintenance crews who worked directly with asbestos-containing systems in poorly ventilated spaces were exposed to the greatest concentration of the deadly fibers. This included machinery technicians servicing asbestos-insulated piping systems and all personnel assigned to engine rooms and boiler operations.
What Compensation and Benefits Are Available to Veterans Who Served on the USS Hamner?
If you served aboard the USS Hamner or participated in shipyard operations during her construction, overhauls, or repairs, there is a good chance that you experienced significant asbestos exposure. This may have resulted in health conditions that have either already begun showing symptoms or that remain latent. If you have not been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, it is a good idea to inform your physician of your previous exposure to asbestos so that they can appropriately monitor your health. When physicians know what they’re looking for, they can diagnose an asbestos-related disease more easily, and early diagnosis makes a big difference in patient outcomes.
Veterans who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses qualify for compensation through Department of Veterans Affairs programs if they can show that they were exposed to asbestos during their time of service. Successful VA claims can lead to veterans receiving numerous important benefits, including comprehensive medical coverage for treatment at either VA facilities or specialized centers that focus on asbestos-related conditions. Additional VA benefits include disability compensation, with mesothelioma automatically qualifying for a 100% disability rating.
Beyond assistance from the VA, affected veterans may be eligible to pursue compensation through legal action against the companies that manufactured and supplied asbestos products to the military environments in which they served. Filing a personal injury lawsuit has the potential to lead to significant settlements or court judgments. Additionally, many asbestos product manufacturers that were forced into bankruptcy by their asbestos liabilities have established court-mandated trust funds specifically to compensate asbestos exposure victims.
For veterans with suspected asbestos exposure during service aboard the USS Hamner or any other military assignments, consulting with an asbestos attorney who focuses on mesothelioma cases will provide you with the most comprehensive information available. These legal professionals can address all of your questions, detailing the options that are available to you and what you can expect from each. They can also help you identify all of the responsible asbestos manufacturers based on your service history and help you with your VA claims.
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