The USS James E. Kyes (DD-787) was a member of the Gearing-class destroyer fleet that served the U.S. Navy across multiple theaters. The ship operated for twenty-seven years, from 1946 through 1973, participating in the Korean conflict, Cold War surveillance operations, and nineteen combat tours off the shores of Vietnam. In keeping with most ships built in those days, there was asbestos throughout the USS James E. Kyes. This led to serious health problems for former crew members and shipyard workers, including mesothelioma and other serious respiratory illnesses.
About the USS James E. Kyes
Built just after World War II, the USS James E. Kyes had the same advanced engineering that made the Gearing-class destroyers some of the most effective vessels in Navy history. With a displacement of 2,425 tons and dimensions spanning 390 feet 6 inches long with a 40-foot 11-inch beam, she combined maneuverability, speed, range, and firepower. The ship’s armament included six 5-inch guns, twelve 40mm anti-aircraft batteries, eight 20mm cannons, five torpedo tubes, and comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems. Throughout her operational lifetime, she underwent modifications that equipped her to meet changing maritime threats, particularly through the Fleet Rehabilitation And Modernization (FRAM I) conversion ordered for almost all of the Gearing-class destroyers.[1] USS James E. Kyes’ FRAM I conversion was completed at the Bremerton Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 1962.[2] The upgraded weapons systems and improved electronics enhanced her combat effectiveness and significantly extended her useful life.
The Navy ship was named in honor of the sacrifice of James E. Kyes, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1930 and went on to be the commanding officer of USS Leary (DD-158). In December 1943, his ship engaged with German submarines in the North Atlantic and was sinking after taking three torpedo hits. After he’d given the order to abandon ship, Kyes checked to see that no one remained on board and found a kitchen mess boy who was unable to jump from the ship because his life jacket was torn. Commander Kyes removed his own, handed it to the boy, then climbed over the side of the ship and jumped. Sacrificing his own life to protect the crew member resulted in him being awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.[3]
Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington, started building the USS James E. Kyes in December 1944. She was launched in August 1945 with Mrs. James E. Kyes serving as her official sponsor. The destroyer was commissioned in February 1946 under Commander K.E. Shook’s leadership.
The USS James E. Kyes’ Operations and Deployments
Following initial shakedown exercises along the California coast, the USS James E. Kyes was sent on her first Western Pacific deployment in June 1946, carrying troops from Pearl Harbor to the mainland of the United States before deploying to Chinese waters in November. Arriving in Shanghai on November 30, she immediately began operations supporting Nationalist Chinese forces against Communist insurgents along the coastline. The destroyer alternated between Western Pacific deployments and operations out of San Diego, San Francisco, and Bremerton, Washington, until the outbreak of Korean hostilities.[3]
In June 1950, she deployed to Korean waters, providing fire support during landing operations and participating in carrier screening operations for USS Sicily, USS Badoeng Strait, USS Valley Forge, and USS Philippine Sea before supporting the strategic Inchon landing (Operation “Chromite”) in mid-September. This battle is credited with having fundamentally changed the trajectory of the war.
In late 1950, the USS James E. Kyes was conducting patrol duties off the east coast of Korea when Chinese Communist forces entered the conflict, and she received emergency redeployment orders. Through most of December, she provided anti-submarine protection for aircraft carriers supporting the 5th and 7th Marine Regiments at Chosin Reservoir, freeing them to break through and eventually evacuate.
Between 1952 and 1964, the James E. Kyes completed multiple Western Pacific deployments, conducting blockade operations off Korea, participating in Formosa Strait patrols to monitor aggression against Taiwan, and executing anti-submarine warfare exercises with allied naval forces. In 1955, she supported Vietnamese refugee evacuation during Operation “Passage to Freedom.”[3]
After undergoing FRAM I modernization in 1962, she participated in fleet exercises honoring President Kennedy’s visit in May 1963 before being deployed to the Far East again in October. During spring 1964, she participated in Operation “Back Packs,” a combined Chinese Nationalist and American amphibious exercise on Taiwan.
The destroyer entered the Vietnam War in July 1965 when she conducted surveillance operations along South Vietnam’s coast after participating in SEATO Exercise “Seahorse” with vessels from Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Australia. From August 30 through September 5, she bombarded enemy targets in the Quang Ngai region. Later Vietnam deployments in 1966 and 1967 had her crew engaged in extensive combat operations, including naval gunfire support missions and participation in Operation Sea Dragon, which targeted North Vietnam’s logistics networks and coastal defenses.
On January 23, 1968, the James E. Kyes was headed toward Australia for a much-needed crew liberty when she received word that the USS Pueblo had been captured in international waters by North Korean forces that insisted the ship had crossed into their territory. With the Pueblo’s crew taken prisoner and one sailor killed, the James E. Kyes was urgently redirected to the Sea of Japan, where she joined the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Kearsarge as well as their escorts and other destroyers. The James E. Kyes was assigned to be the “Flagship” of all the destroyers involved because her captain was on board, and she was made the tow vessel for the potential recovery of the captured ship from Wonsan Harbor. Despite extremely challenging weather conditions, with temperatures reaching negative 40 degrees, she maintained her advanced position for several weeks as she and the other American naval forces waited for diplomatic negotiations to proceed. When that effort failed, they were ordered to leave. It took eleven months of diplomatic efforts for the crew to be released, leaving the Pueblo behind.[4]
In 1969, the James E. Kyes was again asked to provide emergency assistance when the HMAS Melbourne and USS Frank E. Evans collided. The Kyes helped rescue survivors, then continued operating in Vietnam until November 1969, when she returned to Long Beach, California.[3]
The James E. Kyes spent 1970 operating up and down the West Coast, conducting exercises, undergoing a hull renovation, and completing Refresher Training and Naval gunfire Support Qualifications. She was sent on additional deployments to Vietnam in 1971 and 1972. Her most intense Vietnam combat took place during her final Western Pacific deployment in 1972, when she conducted extensive naval gunfire strikes against both North and South Vietnamese targets.
In January 1973, the James E. Kyes returned to San Diego, marking the end of her U.S. Naval service. After twenty-seven years, she was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on March 31, 1973, and transferred to Taiwan in April.[3]
How Was Asbestos Used in the USS James E. Kyes?
Like all naval ships constructed during the war years, the U.S. military required that the USS James E. Kyes be built using asbestos. Unaware of its hazards, the Navy specified the use of the material throughout engineering spaces, crew quarters, and combat systems. This was because of its exceptional heat resistance, sound-dampening properties, and electrical insulation characteristics. It wasn’t until decades later that medical evidence regarding the health consequences of asbestos emerged.
Asbestos contamination aboard the James E. Kyes involved nearly every system and area of the ship. Its primary engineering spaces contained significant asbestos concentrations, where it was used to insulate boilers, turbines, pumps, and other high-temperature equipment needed for the vessel to operate. Firefighting equipment, thermal barriers, and emergency response gear all incorporated asbestos materials to enhance their effectiveness in responding to combat damage and other shipboard emergencies, and miles of steam pipes, exhaust ducts, and electrical conduits throughout the vessel were wrapped and insulated with asbestos. Even the ship’s living and eating spaces were built using asbestos-contaminated flooring materials, bulkhead insulation, ceiling tiles, and acoustic dampening materials.
How Did Asbestos on the USS James E. Kyes Affect Crew Members
Any crew member serving aboard the USS James E. Kyes was likely to have experienced significant asbestos exposure through their routine shipboard activities. The hazardous material is extremely fibrous and breaks down easily, and its lightweight fibers were carried throughout the ship on the hair, skin, and clothing of those responsible for operating or maintaining boilers, turbines, pipes, and other areas of the ship. Microscopic particles of asbestos become airborne easily, so they floated through virtually every vessel compartment. Airborne concentrations were at their highest during maintenance procedures, combat operations, and engineering activities that disturbed any asbestos-containing materials.
When inhaled, microscopic asbestos fibers penetrate organ tissues, and because they have needle-like ends, it is almost impossible for the body to expel them as it does other foreign bodies. These embedded fibers can eventually lead to progressive inflammatory responses and cellular damage that stay hidden for decades. The symptoms of the most serious asbestos-related diseases, particularly mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, generally don’t appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure.
While every crew member on the James E. Kyes was potentially exposed to asbestos, the sailors who worked in engine rooms and boiler rooms, or with the ship’s pipes or ventilation system, or who maintained any of the equipment or electrical systems on the ship, were at elevated risk. Whether these personnel were doing routine work or tasked with repairing or maintaining equipment, the risk of asbestos-containing materials breaking down and floating into the air was high and made worse by the poor ventilation in the very confined spaces in which they worked. For everyone on board, the Kyes’ extensive combat experience and the significant amount of vibration created while providing fire support maximized exposure to deteriorating asbestos, even for personnel who never spent time in the highest asbestos concentration areas.
Support and Compensation for Veterans with Mesothelioma
Navy veterans who are former crew members of the USS James E. Kyes, as well as any shipyard personnel involved in her construction, maintenance, and FRAM I modernization, may have experienced significant asbestos exposure from the ship. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease or are concerned that you’re at risk, help is available.
If you feel healthy, you are still at risk: Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are notorious for the delayed onset of their symptoms. Learn what you can so you recognize warning signs, and notify your health care professional so that they can note your exposure history in your medical records and monitor your health to increase the chance of early diagnosis, which provides the best chance for a better outcome.
If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos illness and you believe it is linked to service-related exposure, you may qualify for specialized benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs programs designed to address service-connected disabilities. Successfully navigating the VA claims process can result in getting comprehensive benefits, including medical treatment at either VA healthcare facilities or civilian treatment centers with expertise in managing asbestos-related diseases. VA disability reviews typically assign veterans with mesothelioma and similar conditions a 100% disability rating, which maximizes the compensation you can receive.
Beyond filing a VA claim, veterans with mesothelioma may also be eligible to pursue compensation directly from the corporations that manufactured and supplied asbestos products to your military environment. Filing a lawsuit doesn’t always mean you’re going to end up in court — in fact, most of these personal injury claims resolve out of court with substantial settlements. Additionally, many former asbestos manufacturers were required to set up asbestos trust funds designated to compensate exposure victims as part of their bankruptcy reorganizations.
USS James E. Kyes veterans can learn more about their eligibility and the process involved in pursuing compensation by meeting with an experienced legal asbestos lawyer. These experienced attorneys will listen to your story, answer your questions, and evaluate your circumstances to assess your eligibility and potential outcomes. They can also identify which companies were likely to have been responsible for your exposure, coordinate both VA benefit applications and civil court filings to ensure you get the most comprehensive compensation available.
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