The USS Nashville (LPD-13), was an amphibious transport dock constructed during a time of peak asbestos use on ships. Because of the many asbestos components, the Nashville caused exposure and harm to the crew and officers. Some of the veterans who served on her are now suffering the devastating consequences of asbestos exposure, with respiratory illnesses including pleural mesothelioma.
About the USS Nashville
The USS Nashville was the tenth ship constructed in the Austin class of amphibious transport docks and the third ship to be named for the city of Nashville.
- The Austin class ships followed and built upon the Raleigh class and were followed by the current San Antonio class. Most of the Austin ships, including the Nashville, were decommissioned in the 2000s.
- The Nashville was 570 feet long, displaced more than 17,000 tons when fully loaded, and could carry 489 officers and enlisted men and women, along with a complement of 900 marines. She was powered and propelled by Foster Wheeler boilers and steam turbines, which required asbestos for insulation.
- She was also armed with several guns, but not as many as other ships because her role was primarily to transport and land, not to take part in offensive or defensive operations. She was able to carry six helicopters.
- Ordered in May of 1964, the USS Nashville was laid down on March 14, 1966, and built by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company in Seattle. Launched on October 7, 1967, she was commissioned under the command of Captain Frank R. Fahland on February 14, 1970.[1]
Active Service of the USS Nashville
The USS Nashville’s home port was Norfolk, Virginia, and her role was to transport landing forces, including vehicles, cargo, and troops.
Among the many operations in which the Nashville served were NATO operations, operations with the Atlantic Fleet Marine Force, and service in the Persian Gulf. She also participated in eight Mediterranean Group operations, four Caribbean Amphibious Ready Groups, and one Mine Countermeasure Task Group.
There were many highlights of her active service, including the rescue of Captain Scott O’Grady, a pilot who was shot down over Bosnia in 1995.
She also became the first ship to have a robotic Scout helicopter land on board. In 2006, she assisted in evacuating U.S. nationals from Lebanon after conflicts erupted between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.
Her active service earned the Nashville several awards and honors:
- ANavy Unit Commendation
- A Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Three Navy Battle E Ribbons
- A National Defense Service Medal, a Humanitarian Service Medal
- Two Navy Expeditionary Medals
The Nashville was decommissioned on September 30, 2009, at the Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia. She has not been struck from the Naval Register and sits at Philadelphia’s Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in reserve.[1]
How Was Asbestos Used on the USS Nashville?
Most Navy ships built from the 1930s to the 1970s, when the real dangers of asbestos became widely known, were constructed with hundreds of parts and materials that contained asbestos.
Asbestos was heavily used on ships in various industries, not just the military, because it is lightweight, strong, flexible, and can insulate and fireproof.
The USS Nashville and other Navy vessels contained asbestos throughout, but more heavily in certain areas:
- The engine rooms on ships like the Nashville were areas that contained a lot of asbestos because the turbines, pumps, generators, and boilers produced a lot of heat and needed to be insulated.
- Insulation was also heavily used to coat the pipes that ran to all areas of the ship, and this insulation most often contained asbestos.
- Other parts of the ship that likely had asbestos include gaskets, valves, deck matting, spray insulation, firefighting, fire safety gear, flooring materials, and adhesives.
Who Was at Most Risk of Asbestos Exposure on the USS Nashville?
Asbestos was used extensively on U.S. Navy ships until experts fully realized how harmful this mineral could be to human health. Tiny fibers of asbestos can flake off of the material and enter the air, where anyone can inhale them. Inside the body, asbestos causes damage to tissues that can lead to serious illness in some people.
Heavy asbestos use throughout ships meant that anyone serving on board the Nashville could have been exposed. In addition to the prevalent use of asbestos, other factors made exposure on ships more likely for certain people:
- Another factor that increased the risk of asbestos exposure on ships was the enclosed spaces with little ventilation. This made it more likely anyone on board would inhale the fibers.
- Those at greatest risk worked in areas with the most asbestos, such as the engine or boiler rooms.
- Any workers who repaired or maintained ships and their asbestos components, such as electronics or pipe insulation, were also at serious risk of exposure.
- Anyone on board during an accident could have been at a greater risk of exposure. Accidents can cause damage to materials containing asbestos, which then release fibers that contaminate the air.
How Asbestos Harmed USS Nashville Veterans
Navy veterans have higher than average rates of mesothelioma because of how much asbestos was used in ships, but some veterans also developed lung cancer or asbestosis.
Several claims were made to the Veterans Administration by veterans who reported they were exposed to asbestos following a collision on the Nashville. They stated that the collision caused damage that exposed them to asbestos.
These veterans later developed respiratory illnesses, including asbestosis. Some of these sailors recall serving on the ship when the collision tore a hole in the side, bursting several pipes coated with asbestos.[2][3]
Benefits and Compensation for Navy Veterans
If you or a loved one served on a Navy ship and now have mesothelioma, you have a right to seek compensation and benefits. There are several options:
- VA Healthcare. Veterans with mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses can get free care through VA facilities. The medical centers in Boston and Los Angeles have access to mesothelioma specialists.
- VA Disability. If you can show through service and medical records that you have an asbestos illness due to military service, you can apply for disability compensation. The VA gives mesothelioma a 100% disability rating.
- Lawsuits. Veterans also have the option to sue private companies that supplied the Navy with asbestos materials for ships like the USS Nashville.
- Asbestos Trust Funds. If the companies that supplied asbestos went bankrupt, you can make a claim with an asbestos trust fund for compensation.
The process of seeking benefits and compensation can be confusing. With an advocate on your side, you can make that claim and increase the chances of getting the compensation you deserve for the sacrifice you made to your country. Contact an asbestos law firm or mesothelioma lawyer for a free case evaluation.
