The USS Pollack (SSN-603) was a Permit-class nuclear attack submarine that served the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1989. Though her underwater warfare abilities were technically advanced, the use of asbestos in its construction posed severe health risks to the roughly 1,200 sailors who served aboard her during her operational career. These naval veterans face the risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other fatal diseases linked to asbestos exposure.
About the USS Pollack
Permit-class Technology
The USS Pollack was the second naval vessel to honor the pollack fish, a member of the cod family. As the sixth submarine in the Thresher class—later renamed the Permit class after the tragic loss of the USS Thresher—the Pollack was designed to hunt and destroy enemy submarines. It boasted features that would define future American submarines, including revolutionary depth capabilities and sophisticated sonar systems.[1]
The vessel measured 278 feet 5 inches in length with a 31-foot 7-inch beam. She displaced 3,750 tons when surfaced and 4,300 tons when submerged, and operated with a crew complement of 12 officers and 95 enlisted personnel. Her nuclear propulsion system utilized an S5W2 Westinghouse reactor that powered a single propeller, achieving speeds over 20 knots when surfaced and 30 knots when submerged. The submarine’s armament included four 21-inch torpedo tubes capable of launching SUBROC anti-submarine missiles, Mk-48 torpedoes, Harpoon missiles, and various mine systems, and her operational diving capabilities exceeded 400 feet.[2]
Construction Timeline
New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, laid the Pollack’s keel in March 1960 and launched her in March 1962. She was commissioned in May 1964, under the command of Commander Harvey E. Lyon, who had overseen her construction for over two years.[1]
Operational History
After commissioning, the Pollack joined Submarine Squadron Four based in Charleston, South Carolina. Her first assignments were shakedown operations and acoustic trials in the Caribbean, then in September 1964, she began comprehensive evaluations as an anti-submarine warfare platform, visiting New London, Fort Lauderdale, and San Juan.[1]
Commander Robert P. McDonald assumed command in September 1965, leading the vessel through intensive sea trials and tactical evaluations. The submarine’s performance earned her first Navy Unit Commendation in June 1966 in recognition of the crew’s “exceptionally meritorious service” and “professional skills, marked resourcefulness, and ingenuity.”
The Pollack successfully launched two exercise SUBROC missiles during weapons systems accuracy trials at St. Croix in March 1967, then entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for major overhaul in March 1968. She emerged in June 1969 as part of the Navy’s first all-nuclear attack submarine squadron. Following training and weapons trials, she received emergency orders to join the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean in April 1970 and operated from Rota, Spain, for six months.
In 1972, the Pollack underwent bow modifications for classified Project SNIPE operations and CAPTOR mine exercises. She transitioned to Charleston Naval Shipyard for an extensive 18-month overhaul beginning in April 1972, including reactor refueling completed in September 1973.
After the overhaul was completed in December 1974, the Pollack was ordered to San Diego and became part of Submarine Squadron Three in April 1975. She was sent on her first Western Pacific deployment in 1976, visiting Yokosuka, Guam, Pusan, Chin Hae, Subic Bay, and Hong Kong. The vessel earned the Battle Efficiency “E” award in 1977, and in April 1978, she was sent on a six-month Western Pacific deployment that included participation in SEA SIAM exercises with Thai forces. In 1979, she transferred to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for a comprehensive three-year overhaul from 1979 to 1982, receiving major SUBSAFE modifications, advanced sonar systems, and updated fire control systems.
During the mid-1980s, the Pollack earned a Navy Unit Commendation for special operations conducted during Western Pacific deployments. Her final years included Northern Pacific operations in 1987 before transitioning to Mare Island for inactivation procedures. The USS Pollack was decommissioned in March 1989 and entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Washington, from February 1993 to February 1995.
The Navy’s Use of Asbestos
Throughout the Cold War period, the U.S. Navy systematically included tons of asbestos-containing materials into almost every vessel in its fleet. Attack submarines required particularly intensive use of the mineral due to their extreme operational demands. The harsh underwater conditions they operated in required exceptional fire resistance and thermal protection, and asbestos was considered ideal because of its outstanding heat resistance, insulation properties, and chemical stability.
Military specifications and requirements mandated asbestos integration throughout submarine systems. The Pollack’s construction, as well as all the overhauls she went through, coincided with the peak of the Navy’s asbestos use.
Recognition of Asbestos Dangers
Medical evidence linking asbestos to deadly respiratory diseases and cancers remained concealed from military leadership, but by 1973, the hazards of the material became undeniable, and the Navy began restricting the use of asbestos in new construction and major overhauls. While new installations had largely eliminated asbestos materials by 1975, existing asbestos remained undisturbed in thousands of vessels, as fleet-wide contamination created massive logistical challenges. The Navy implemented comprehensive control measures, including detailed material surveys, specialized training for personnel encountering asbestos during repairs, and strict handling protocols.[3]
The Navy also determined that complete removal would be impractical in the face of the enormous scope of contamination. Instead, the Navy focused on containment, encapsulation, and careful monitoring until affected vessels could be retired. The number of Navy veterans and shipyard workers exposed to asbestos due to this unfortunate decision remains unknown.
Asbestos Contamination Throughout the USS Pollack
Military construction standards mandated asbestos-containing products wherever thermal protection, fire resistance, or insulation was required. The USS Pollack contained asbestos materials in nearly every compartment and system, including:
- Reactor and Engineering Spaces
The submarine’s reactor compartment, engine rooms, and auxiliary machinery areas incorporated asbestos insulation in wall structures to protect both equipment and crew members from extreme temperatures. Steam lines, exhaust systems, and propulsion equipment were wrapped or spray-coated with asbestos-containing materials, while thermal blankets and protective gloves containing the hazardous material shielded crew members from hot surfaces. Valves, joints, and sealing components contained asbestos gaskets that prevented system failures and maintained operational integrity.
- Living and Working Areas
Asbestos-containing flooring materials, bulkhead panels, overhead components, and protective finishes were installed throughout crew quarters, mess areas, and workspaces. Electrical systems depended heavily on asbestos-containing wire insulation, conduit materials, and switchboard components, while emergency equipment, including fire suppression systems and protective devices, incorporated asbestos fibers for high-temperature protection.
- Environmental and Weapons Systems
Air handling equipment and ventilation systems, crucial for the submarine’s sealed environment, circulated asbestos particles that had been released during routine maintenance and from contaminated system components. Standard supplies, repair materials, and adhesive compounds contained significant concentrations of asbestos fibers, and the submarine’s weapons systems also relied on the mineral for thermal and fire protection in torpedo compartments.
Personnel at Risk for Exposure Aboard the USS Pollack
Every sailor who served aboard the USS Pollack and every shipyard worker involved in her construction, overhauls, and maintenance faced potential asbestos exposure due to the widespread presence of asbestos-containing materials throughout the vessel. The submarine’s confined spaces and restricted air circulation caused microscopic asbestos fibers to spread throughout all compartments, whether disturbed by repair activities, equipment operation, or everyday duties.
Submarine environments create distinctive exposure hazards because they operate as completely sealed systems most of the time. With limited fresh air exchange and continuous recirculation of air containing asbestos fibers, the exposure risk for all aboard was elevated. While every crew member faced this danger, those working in certain specialties encountered even greater risks due to their duties and work locations. These included:
- Reactor operators and technicians
- Engineering department personnel
- Electrical systems specialists
- Sonar and electronics technicians
- Weapons systems operators
- Maintenance crews handling asbestos removal
- Torpedo room personnel
Even crew members not directly involved in handling or working near asbestos faced exposure, as asbestos fibers disturbed in one location could easily migrate throughout the entire vessel, on clothing worn by those who worked in high-concentration areas. Asbestos built into ventilation systems and common area materials also created risks.
Health Risks Associated with Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure can have devastating health consequences, made more challenging by the fact that illnesses, if they arise, remain hidden for decades before beginning to show symptoms. Veterans aware of their risk can spend years worrying and waiting, and those who are not aware can put off seeking medical help because the initial symptoms of these life-threatening diseases often resemble those of minor maladies like bronchitis or the flu.
The most catastrophic of the asbestos-related diseases is mesothelioma, a cancer that’s almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Veterans represent approximately one-third of those diagnosed with the rare and fatal illness. Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma typically survive only 12 to 21 months following diagnosis, while peritoneal mesothelioma patients may live longer. This aggressive malignancy attacks the mesothelium, a protective membrane that surrounds the cavities holding the body’s internal organs and prevents them from adhering to one another. Symptoms typically appear 20 to 50 years after exposure and include chest pain, breathing difficulties, persistent cough, and abdominal swelling.
Asbestos exposure also significantly increases the risk of lung cancer. Asbestos-related lung cancer generally doesn’t develop until 15 to 35 years after exposure. Symptoms include chronic cough, chest pain, and respiratory problems. Risk increases substantially when asbestos exposure combines with cigarette smoking.
Asbestosis is a chronic asbestos-related lung condition in which inflammation leads to progressive scarring of lung tissue. Over time, it leads to worsening breathing difficulties, persistent cough, and significant chest pain.
Pleural plaques, pleural effusions, and diffuse pleural thickening are all debilitating asbestos-linked conditions that affect quality of life. These conditions impact the lung lining, creating breathing difficulties and pain. They are often warning signs of future cancer diagnoses.
Options and Remedies for USS Pollack Veterans with Mesothelioma
Many Navy veterans who served aboard Navy vessels, including the USS Pollack, have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Because their illnesses were the result of asbestos manufacturers’ failure to warn of the material’s dangers, lawsuits seeking justice have resulted in substantial jury verdicts and out-of-court settlements.
While an asbestos-related diagnosis is overwhelming, those who are affected have multiple options for support and compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized the impact of military asbestos exposure and provides disability benefits and specialized medical treatment. Additionally, many veterans have successfully pursued justice against asbestos manufacturers and suppliers responsible for their exposure, resulting in them and their families receiving billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers comprehensive benefits for veterans with service-connected asbestos-related conditions. Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis can file claims for disability compensation, specialized medical treatment, and additional benefits for family members. The VA recognizes mesothelioma as a service-connected condition for veterans exposed during military service and expedites the claims process for affected individuals. Mesothelioma’s classification as 100% disabling ensures maximum compensation eligibility.
Lawsuits, Verdicts, and Settlements
Beyond VA benefits, veterans are often eligible to pursue legal action against the manufacturers and distributors of the asbestos-containing products used aboard their vessels, as well as in civilian applications where they may have been exposed. While veterans can’t sue the Navy or federal government directly, they can reference asbestos products in their service environments to seek compensation from the private companies that placed them there. Successful litigation can yield money to cover medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Thousands of cases have been successfully resolved against companies that manufactured insulation, seals, valves, pumps, and other asbestos-containing materials found aboard submarines like the USS Pollack.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Asbestos compensation trusts are another important source of financial support for affected veterans. While these funds don’t typically distribute amounts comparable to what is received through successful litigation, they offer an appealing alternative to pursuing lengthy and demanding legal proceedings. Established specifically to compensate victims diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses decades after exposure, these trusts have already paid billions in claims to victims and maintain approximately $30 billion more for those diagnosed in the future.
Legal Help for USS Pollack Veterans with Mesothelioma Diagnoses
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related conditions should consult with qualified asbestos attorneys as soon as possible following diagnosis. These legal professionals specialize in representing victims who’ve experienced either occupational exposure, military exposure, or both. They understand the unique challenges of documenting naval service exposure and have access to extensive resources to help identify all potentially liable parties and available compensation sources based on the individual’s work and service history. Beyond developing and implementing comprehensive legal strategies, they also assist with preparing and filing VA claims. Their goal is to minimize the burden on affected veterans and their families while maximizing available compensation.
Though your diagnosis may have come as a shock, you mustn’t take too much time before acting. Government-imposed statutes limit the amount of time victims have to file personal injury claims, including those involving asbestos-related diseases. The sooner after diagnosis that affected veterans contact legal counsel, the faster your mesothelioma attorney can begin gathering service records, medical documentation, and other evidence necessary for building a strong case on your behalf. With proper legal representation, veterans sickened by asbestos aboard the USS Pollack can access the benefits and compensation they deserve.
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