The USS James C. Owens (DD-776) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer that served with distinction from 1945 to 1971. The ship operated across multiple theaters, including World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, fulfilling vital missions while at the same time exposing the thousands of sailors who served during her useful life to extensive amounts of asbestos-containing materials. The toxic material, which was commonly used in shipbuilding in the years before 1980, has been linked to countless Navy veterans and shipyard workers being diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other serious illnesses.
About the USS James C. Owens (DD-776)
The Ship’s Namesake
The USS James C. Owens was named in honor of Lieutenant James C. Owens, Jr., a distinguished naval aviator who served as an example of the courage of American forces during World War II. Born in 1910, James C. Owens, Jr. was appointed as a Naval Aviation Cadet in the U.S. Naval Reserve in September 1935, and following training, he served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) before joining Torpedo Squadron 8 aboard USS Hornet (CV-8) in September 1941. Promoted to Lieutenant in January 1942, Owens was part of the attack against the Japanese carrier fleet during the Battle of Midway in June of that year. Without fighter protection or coordinated dive bomber support, every aircraft in the squadron was shot down, with only one crew member surviving. Their sacrifice disrupted enemy formations, setting the stage for the dive bomber attacks that followed. For his extraordinary heroism in the face of certain death, Lieutenant Owens was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and the Presidential Unit Citation.[1]
Construction and Early Days
The USS James C. Owens was constructed as part of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer program. Laid down in April 1944, at Bethlehem Steel Company in San Pedro, California, the ship was launched in October 1944, with Mrs. James C. Owens, Jr. serving as sponsor. The vessel was commissioned in February 1945, under the command of Commander R. H. Blair. With a displacement of 2,220 tons and measuring 376 feet 6 inches in length, the ship was equipped with six 5-inch guns, multiple anti-aircraft weapons, and torpedo tubes, had a crew complement of 336, and was capable of achieving speeds up to 34 knots.[1]
Service and Deployment History of the USS James C. Owens
Following commissioning and shakedown operations off southern California, the James C. Owens began her operational career by escorting the battleship California to Pearl Harbor in May 1945. She then served as a convoy escort through the Pacific, arriving at Okinawa in June 1945, where she joined Destroyer Squadron 24. The ship participated in anti-shipping operations in the East China Sea before supporting occupation forces in Japan following the war’s end.[1]
After World War II, the destroyer conducted extensive operations along the Atlantic Coast, participating in anti-submarine warfare training, destroyer maneuvers, and Mediterranean deployments with the 6th Fleet. During her 1947-1948 Mediterranean cruise, she supported efforts to stabilize the situation in Trieste and later assisted United Nations peacekeeping efforts between Israeli and Arab forces, including coastal patrols off Palestine.
The James C. Owens was decommissioned in April 1950 but quickly returned to service in September 1950 due to the Korean War. She deployed to Korean waters in 1952, conducting blockade and interdiction patrols along the enemy coastline. During operations off Songjin in May 1952, the ship engaged hostile shore batteries, successfully silencing several positions despite sustaining six direct hits from enemy fire.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the destroyer continued deployments to the Mediterranean, participating in NATO exercises and responding to various international crises, including the Suez Crisis. She underwent FRAM II modernization in 1962, extending her operational capability and adding anti-submarine warfare enhancements, but at the same time exposing both shipyard workers and those onboard the ship during these upgrades to increased exposure to asbestos disturbed during the process.
The ship’s final combat deployment came during the Vietnam War, where she provided naval gunfire support to ground forces operating in the I Corps region between 1967 and 1968. During this 27-day commitment, she supported various units including the 3rd Marines, 1st Marines, 101st Airborne Brigade, and 1st Air Cavalry Division, expending significant amounts of ammunition in support of troops ashore.
After changing her home port from Pearl Harbor to Treasure Island in 1971, the USS James C. Owens was decommissioned, having earned two battle stars for World War II service and two for the Korean conflict.
Why Was Asbestos Used in Building Navy Ships?
Starting in the early 20th century and reaching its peak during World War II and the subsequent Cold War, the United States Navy made extensive use of asbestos aboard all of its warships. There were several reasons for this: The military saw asbestos-containing materials as being superior at fire suppression and thermal insulation, elements that were essential for ships operating in combat zones, where fire posed the greatest threat to crew survival. It had the added benefit of being resistant to saltwater corrosion, inexpensive, and readily available.
The Navy’s specifications mandated asbestos use in hundreds of shipboard applications, from boiler insulation to deck materials, viewing the mineral as essential for protecting both personnel and expensive military equipment. During this period, major asbestos manufacturers actively promoted their products to military contractors, emphasizing durability and safety benefits while downplaying or concealing mounting evidence of health risks. Companies like Johns-Manville, Raybestos-Manhattan-Packing, and Owens-Corning established lucrative relationships with shipbuilders, supplying vast quantities of asbestos-containing products. Years later, lawsuits filed by victims of asbestos-related diseases subpoenaed those companies’ internal documents, revealing that they’d known of the material’s deadly potential years before it became public knowledge. This negligent behavior has been blamed for countless deaths and illnesses among those who served their country, as well as many others.
How Was Asbestos Used on the USS James C. Owens?
Naval vessels like the USS James C. Owens, which served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, incorporated asbestos materials throughout their design and construction. They were integrated into numerous ship systems and compartments, including:
- Machinery Spaces: The ship’s engineering compartments, including boiler and engine rooms, contained the highest concentrations of asbestos materials, which were used for thermal insulation and fire prevention around critical, heat-generating equipment.
- Safety Equipment: Firefighting gear, protective clothing, and emergency response equipment incorporated asbestos fibers to provide heat protection for crew members during emergencies.
- Structural Insulation: Steam lines, water pipes, and other conduits throughout the vessel were wrapped with asbestos-containing insulation materials both to maintain thermal integrity and to protect technicians working with the equipment from burns.
- Ship Fixtures: Deck tiles, bulkhead materials, gaskets, valve packings, and numerous other shipboard components contained varying amounts of asbestos fibers.
Who Was Exposed to Asbestos on the USS James C. Owens?
Naval personnel who served aboard the USS James C. Owens encountered substantial asbestos exposure risks throughout the ship’s 26-year service life. The hazardous mineral fibers were present in virtually every compartment, with particularly dangerous concentrations in engineering spaces and machinery rooms representing an extreme risk to those who worked in those areas. When asbestos-containing components were disturbed through routine maintenance, when they were being replaced or cleaned, during repairs, or to fix combat damage, they would break down into microscopic fibers that became airborne. These could then easily be inhaled or swallowed by crew members, and then these tiny, needle-shaped particles would become lodged in lung tissue or the protective lining called the mesothelium that surrounds internal organs. Unlike other foreign bodies, asbestos particles resist both coughing to expel them and the body’s natural immune response. Instead, they have the potential to create a chemical reaction within the cells, leading to inflammation, mutations, and causing cellular damage that may develop into serious diseases decades later.
While all crew members onboard the USS James C. Owens faced some level of exposure risk, some crew members worked in specialties that put them in greater danger than others due to the location of their work assignments. These included:
- Boiler Workers. Boilers required a lot of insulation, which was almost always made with asbestos in the years before 1980. Ironically, boiler workers also wore protective gear that contained asbestos.
- Pipefitters. Pipefitters worked with pipe systems that were wrapped or sprayed with asbestos insulation. They were most frequently exposed when replacing or repairing areas with this insulation.
- Engine Room Workers. Like boilers and pipes, engine room components produced heat and required asbestos insulation.
- Machinists. Machinists’ mates operated a lot of machinery, such as generators, pumps, and cooling systems, that contained asbestos insulation.
- Electricians. Electrical systems also contained asbestos insulation, putting electricians and electricians’ mates at risk.
- Shipyard Workers. Building and maintaining Navy ships in shipyards required handling a lot of asbestos materials. The material’s presence in shipyards fulfilling military contracts was so extensive that even those who did not work directly with asbestos were at risk of exposure.
What Are the Risks of Asbestos Exposure?
It’s easy to ignore the potential long-term health consequences of asbestos exposure experienced decades ago, but asbestos-related diseases can be deadly, and even veterans who feel healthy today are at risk. If you served on the USS James C. Owens or you were a shipyard worker who participated in maintenance, repairs, or upgrades to the ship, you should let your physician know about your exposure history so that they can add screening for asbestos-related diseases to your regular checkups.
It’s also a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the illnesses associated with asbestos exposure and the symptoms of each. Many asbestos-related diseases manifest in ways that resemble benign conditions like a cold, flu, or bronchitis. The earlier you seek help, the sooner you can either set your fears aside or get diagnosed and begin treatment.
The most common asbestos-related diseases that veterans of the USS James C. Owens are vulnerable to include:
- Mesothelioma – A rare and aggressive form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma), or heart (pericardial mesothelioma). Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent cough, abdominal pain and swelling, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue. This disease has an extremely poor prognosis; most patients succumb to the disease 12-21 months after diagnosis.
- Lung Cancer (Asbestos-related) – Malignant tumors in the lungs develop due to asbestos exposure. Symptoms include persistent cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness, unexplained weight loss, and recurring respiratory infections. Five-year survival rates vary but are generally poor, especially when the victim’s asbestos exposure was combined with smoking.
- Asbestosis – A progressive scarring of the tissue of the lungs caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Symptoms include shortness of breath (especially during physical activity), persistent dry cough, chest tightness, clubbing of fingers and toes, and crackling sounds when breathing. While not cancerous, severe cases can lead to respiratory failure and death.
- Pleural Plaques – Thickened areas on the pleura (lung lining) that are usually benign. Most cases are asymptomatic, but some people may experience mild chest pain or slight breathing difficulties. This condition rarely causes death but generally indicates significant asbestos exposure.
- Pleural Effusion – Fluid buildup between the lung and chest wall. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, dry cough, and a feeling of heaviness in the chest. While uncomfortable, this condition is typically not life-threatening as long as it’s treated promptly and appropriately.
One of the most challenging aspects of all asbestos-related diseases is that they typically have long latency periods, with many of them not beginning to show symptoms until 20-50 years after exposure. If you start experiencing any of the warning signs listed above, contact your healthcare provider immediately.
Benefits and Compensation Available for USS James C. Owens Veterans
Veterans who served aboard the USS James C. Owens and who are experiencing health problems related to asbestos exposure have several options available to them, ranging from compensation and care from the Department of Veterans Affairs to pursuing justice and compensation from the companies whose recklessness and profiteering put asbestos into your environment on the ship.
VA Claims
Naval veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses stemming from their military service are entitled to pursue compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA has long recognized the connection between military asbestos exposure and subsequent health problems, so veterans who can establish that they were exposed during their time of service and that their asbestos-related disease was caused by that exposure are eligible for comprehensive medical care, disability compensation, and other support services.
VA benefits include care at VA medical facilities, access to state-of-the-art treatment centers with expertise in asbestos-related diseases, monthly disability payments, and specialized support through the Veterans Community Care Program. Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma typically receive a 100% disability rating, reflecting the severity of this condition.
Asbestos Trust Funds
In the face of overwhelming personal injury and wrongful death liability, dozens of companies that manufactured or distributed asbestos-containing products filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The courts required them to set aside asbestos trust funds for the benefit of both current and future claimants, and collectively, these funds are estimated to be worth more than $30 billion. Asbestos victims who can trace their exposure back to these companies are eligible to submit documentation of their time of service or occupational exposure, as well as their diagnosis, and quickly receive compensation. Though the amounts paid by these funds are generally less than the compensation that comes from a settlement or lawsuit, the process is faster and much less adversarial.
Personal Injury Lawsuits and Wrongful Death Claims
In addition to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the asbestos trust fund resources, former crew members of the USS James C. Owens can pursue litigation directly from the companies responsible for providing asbestos-containing products to the military. These civil claims can be pursued through personal injury lawsuits or, if the victim has died from their illness, through a wrongful death claim filed by their survivors. Both of these types of actions can lead to a negotiated settlement or an award ordered by a jury.
Veterans who were exposed to asbestos during their service on the USS James C. Owens should reach out to an experienced attorney who specializes in asbestos litigation. A mesothelioma lawyer can evaluate your situation, assist with the VA application process, help identify responsible manufacturers, and guide you through the complex process of seeking compensation and justice for the harm you’ve suffered.
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