The USS Herbert J. Thomas (DD-833) had a distinguished three-decade-long career lasting from the end of World War II through the Vietnam conflict, participating in missions across the western Pacific, Mediterranean, and Caribbean. While the vessel was recognized for its performance in both the Korean and Vietnam wars, it’s also among the Navy ships that were heavily contaminated with asbestos, leading to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other devastating health consequences for many of her crew members and shipyard personnel who worked on her.
About the USS Herbert J. Thomas
The USS Herbert J. Thomas was one of 98 advanced Gearing-class destroyers built during the final phases of World War II. The warship measured 390 feet 6 inches in length, with a 40-foot 10-inch beam and an 18-foot 6-inch draft, and was powered by high-pressure steam propulsion systems consisting of Babcock & Wilcox boilers and General Electric turbines. The vessel could maintain speeds up to 35 knots and carried a complement of 336 officers and crew members and an impressive array of weapons.[1]
The Navy Ship was named in honor of Marine Sergeant Herbert J. Thomas, who enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in March 1942 after having briefly served with the Army Air Corps. During intense combat in the Solomon Islands, Sergeant Thomas positioned his men for an assault planned to begin with him throwing a grenade into the enemy position. When his grenade toss bounced off vines and fell back among his men, Sergeant Thomas threw himself on the device, sacrificing his life to save his fellow Marines. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor.[1]
Construction and Upgrade History of the USS Herbert J. Thomas
The USS Herbert J. Thomas was laid down by the Bath Iron Works Corporation in Maine in March 1945. Miss Audrey Irene Thomas, sister of Sergeant Thomas, sponsored the ship, and the destroyer was commissioned in May 1945. Throughout its operational lifespan, the Herbert J. Thomas underwent numerous maintenance sessions, repairs, and modifications. The most significant of these took place at Mare Island Naval Shipyard from 1963 to 1964, where the vessel underwent a comprehensive upgrade through the FRAM I conversion program. FRAM I was designed to remove old WW II weapons and replace them with modern anti-submarine warfare weapon systems and state-of-the-art radar systems. The ships that went through FRAM I were stripped down to their main decks and all superstructures rebuilt in aluminum to keep their weight down for the new weapons. During her extensive 12½-month modernization, the Herbert J. Thomas was equipped with the innovative Antisubmarine Rocket (ASROC) system, dramatically enhancing the vessel’s submarine detection and engagement capabilities.[2]
Beyond the standard FRAM I modernization, the ship received additional specialized modifications for a classified military testing program. The destroyer was equipped with an experimental system known as the Shipboard Toxicological Operational Protection System (STOPS), which was designed to shield vessels from chemical warfare agents. Later, the Thomas was one of only a few destroyers that participated in Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD), a classified program that set out to identify vulnerabilities to chemical/biological attacks and develop appropriate defenses. Between January 5 and February 3, 1966, the vessel underwent the “Purple Sage” test series in Pacific waters off San Diego: The Navy evaluated the STOPS system’s effectiveness by deliberately enveloping the destroyer in clouds of a sarin nerve-agent simulant released through devices on the vessel’s bow. The test also assessed how protective masks worn for four-hour periods affected the crew’s efficiency.[3]
Operational History and Deployments
After her commissioning in May 1945, the Herbert J. Thomas completed shakedown exercises along the Eastern Seaboard and in Caribbean waters before being deployed to join the forces supporting occupation operations in Japan and Korea after the war’s end. From 1946 through 1948, the destroyer conducted operations in Japan and performed patrol duties in Korean waters before returning to San Diego in December, then returned to Newport, Rhode Island, before being assigned to East Coast/Caribbean operations and three separate Mediterranean deployments. At the end of 1948, she provided anti-submarine warfare training for midshipmen.[1]
In June 1950, at the outbreak of the Korean conflict, the Herbert J. Thomas left Cartagena, Colombia, to rejoin the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, and by July, was operating off Korea’s coast. She joined blockading forces, delivered gunfire support for American forces, and supported British commando operations. While serving as a picket ship, her crew spotted unidentified aircraft on radar. Naval fighters intercepted and identified a bomber with Soviet markings that opened fire and was shot down, after which the Thomas recovered a Russian aviator’s body.
Throughout the Korean conflict, the Herbert J. Thomas alternated between patrol duties, carrier screen operations, and shore bombardment missions. In 1952, she was hit while dueling with North Korean shore batteries but still managed to cause significant damage to the enemy. Between 1952 and 1958, the ship completed multiple western Pacific deployments that protected Taiwan from potential communist Chinese aggression.[1]
After her FRAM I conversion in 1963, the Herbert J. Thomas returned to combat operations. In September 1966, she screened the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt during air strikes against North Vietnamese targets, conducted patrols in the Taiwan Strait, and provided gunfire support for ground forces in South Vietnam. In 1968, the ship supported post-Tet Offensive counter-operations. In 1969, she coordinated air traffic operations and participated in shore bombardment missions.
In 1970, the Herbert J. Thomas served as a training platform for Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen, but after failing a service inspection, she was decommissioned. The destroyer received six battle stars for her Korean War service and three for her Vietnam service. She was transferred to Taiwan in June 1974.[1]
Asbestos Use Aboard the Herbert J. Thomas
During the early and mid-20th century, asbestos was considered indispensable in shipbuilding due to its heat resistance, electrical insulation, strength, and sound-dampening abilities. The U.S. military specified its use across hundreds of shipboard applications because its characteristics countered the risk of uncontrolled fires. As a result, the Herbert J. Thomas contained asbestos throughout nearly every compartment and system, including:
- The steam propulsion plant required insulation for boilers, turbines, condensers, pumps, valves, and the ship’s network of piping.
- Fire blankets, protective clothing, gloves, and other damage control equipment contained friable asbestos fibers that were released when handled during drills or actual emergencies.
- Electrical wiring, circuit breakers, control panels, and power distribution systems generated airborne fibers when disturbed.
- Overhead insulation, flooring tiles, bulkhead materials, and ventilation duct linings throughout the ship, including the crew living quarters and mess. Even items such as gaskets, valve packing, and vibration dampeners contained compressed asbestos fibers that released when disturbed.
The 1963-1964 FRAM program was a significant asbestos exposure event, as it involved asbestos-containing portions of the ship’s original superstructure being removed, disturbing countless asbestos-containing systems. These renovation activities released enormous quantities of asbestos dust throughout the vessel, and many of the replacement components contained new asbestos materials, doubling the exposure for shipyard workers and crew members and continuing the cycle of exposure for the future.
The Consequences of Asbestos Exposure for Herbert J. Thomas Crew Members
The destroyer’s tight environment and poor ventilation created dangerous conditions, especially when maintenance, combat, or renovation disturbed asbestos-containing materials and sent microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. Once airborne, asbestos dust could be inhaled or ingested, and crew members were rarely given protection or warnings of the health risks.
Once they’ve entered the respiratory system, needle-like asbestos fibers resist the body’s elimination process and become permanently embedded in tissues. This starts a cascade of inflammation, cell damage, and mutations that are hidden within the body for decades: Those who are affected rarely have symptoms until 20-50 years after exposure. The potential health outcomes include pleural plaques, asbestosis (progressive lung scarring), and mesothelioma, an aggressive and fatal cancer affecting the protective linings surrounding the lungs, heart, or abdominal organs.
Who Was at Risk from Asbestos Aboard the USS Herbert J. Thomas
While all crew members experienced some degree of exposure, some work responsibilities and duty station locations were more dangerous than others. Boiler technicians and machinist’s mates worked in the spaces where asbestos concentration was high regularly, and hull maintenance technicians, damage controlmen, and pipefitters regularly handled asbestos-containing components during repairs. Electrician’s mates worked with electrical systems insulated with asbestos throughout the vessel, and even non-technical crewmembers were exposed to asbestos as the ventilation systems circulated fibers throughout the ship, and the dust was carried on shipmates’ hair, skin, and clothing.
The outcome of these exposures is exemplified by the case of Edward Atchley, who served aboard the USS Herbert J. Thomas from 1951 to 1955. Court records from a workmen’s compensation hearing documented Atchley’s extensive asbestos exposure during his naval service. Assigned to the destroyer’s engine room, his responsibilities included repairing lagging insulation, which contained high concentrations of asbestos fibers. His work generated such dense clouds of contaminated dust that witnesses testifying in his case described the engine room environment as resembling a “snowstorm,” with particles remaining suspended for extended periods. Atchley frequently woke up coughing, with his lungs “burning” from irritation.[4]
Studies conducted aboard other Navy ships showed that airborne asbestos concentrations far exceeded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. After decades without any warning signs, Mr. Atchley ended up developing and dying from mesothelioma, joining many Herbert J. Thomas servicemen who suffered asbestos-related diseases.
Help for Veterans with Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases
Former USS Herbert J. Thomas crew members diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses following their naval service need help. Fortunately, there are several options for both comprehensive medical care and compensation.
The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes several asbestos-related diseases as being potentially connected to service, and those who can prove that link qualify for specialized benefits and disability compensation. These veterans can access the VA’s healthcare system, including consultations with pulmonary specialists, advanced diagnostic procedures, and cutting-edge treatment protocols, and those diagnosed with particularly aggressive conditions like mesothelioma are typically given 100% disability ratings which provide maximum monthly compensation to offset lost earning capacity and medical expenses not covered through standard insurance programs.
Beyond the VA system, affected veterans have the right to take legal action against the companies that manufactured asbestos products and supplied them to naval shipbuilding programs and the Navy without providing adequate hazard warnings. Evidence produced through the discovery process of thousands of mesothelioma lawsuits proves that these organizations knew about the dangers of asbestos for decades but never informed government agencies or took action to warn those who would be exposed. Claims against these companies have led to substantial damages, jury awards, and settlements being given to victims suffering from asbestos-related diseases.
Additionally, many of the companies forced to file for bankruptcy by their asbestos liabilities were required to establish special trust funds to compensate individuals harmed by their products and diagnosed in the future. This created an invaluable alternative for victims who need compensation but who don’t want to go down the path of filing a personal injury lawsuit. The trusts generally pay less than litigation, but they also process claims much more quickly and without being adversarial.
If you served onboard the USS Herbert J. Thomas and you’re currently symptom-free, you still have cause for concern. Consult with a healthcare provider who has expertise in asbestos diseases, as regular screening can lead to early detection and better treatment outcomes. If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, meeting with an experienced asbestos attorney will make all the difference in helping you navigate the road ahead. These knowledgeable professionals have deep resources, including years of records of other military asbestos exposure cases that help identify the companies responsible for your exposure. They can help document your service history, identify specific asbestos-containing products encountered aboard the ship, and develop comprehensive strategies that will maximize the financial support you receive.
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