The USS Prichett (DD-561) was a Fletcher-class destroyer built for the U.S. Navy in the run-up to World War II. During those years, Navy ships were built using a significant amount of asbestos, and much of the equipment and many onboard supplies were also contaminated with the toxic mineral. As a result, many of the men who served onboard the Prichett, as well as those who built her, repaired her, or were responsible for her maintenance, were at risk of being diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
About the USS Prichett and Asbestos
The USS Prichett was named in honor of James M. Prichett, an Indiana native and graduate of the Naval Academy born in 1836. Prichette served in the U.S. Navy prior to and during the Civil War and won praise for his bravery in fending off Confederate forces during the battle of Helena, Arkansas. He participated in the expedition to Russia with Admiral Farragut and died while serving in the Pacific Squadron at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.[1]
Construction of the ship began in July 1942, and it was launched from the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Company (also known as the Todd Dry Dock & Construction Company) yard in 1943. It was sponsored by Mrs. Orville A. Tucker and commissioned on January 15, 1944, with Commodore Cecil T. Caulfield in command.[1]
The ship was 376 feet long and displaced 2,050 tons. It had a range of 6,500 nautical miles and a complement of 319 crew members and officers. It was one of 175 Fletcher-class destroyers commissioned by the U.S. Navy between 1942 and 1944 and had a design speed of 38 knots and armament of five 5-inch guns with ten 21-inch torpedo tubes. It initially served in the Pacific Theater, where its long-range and lethal firepower made it extremely effective in sinking Japanese Navy submarines as well as fending off Kamikaze attacks. It later was used in the Vietnam War.
Upgrades, Damage, and Repairs to the Prichett
The Prichett underwent several upgrades to improve its battle readiness, and came under fire several times, leading to significant repair work. After her initial shakedown sailing in 1944 and participation in an attack on Japanese-held airfields in Manus, she returned to Pearl Harbor where fighter director equipment was installed. She came under friendly fire in Formosa, suffering injuries of several crew members and the death of one sailor, and a year later suffered damage from a Japanese aircraft that dropped a 500-pound bomb on its fantail. She sailed to Kerama Retto for emergency repairs and then to Guam for extensive repairs.[1]
Though she escaped further damage for a time, in July 1945 she suffered a kamikaze attack that damaged her superstructure and killed two sailors. Despite this damage, she remained in the area to pick up survivors from another damaged ship. After receiving a Navy Unit Commendation, she sailed for Puget Sound, where she underwent pre-inactivation overhaul and was decommissioned in 1946, only to be reactivated in 1951 after the invasion of the Republic of Korea by the North Korean People’s Army.[1]
The ship was modernized with anti-aircraft weaponry, fire control radar, sonar, and communications gear in Boston in 1952 and departed for a tour in the Korean combat zone in 1953. She underwent further modernization at the Norfolk shipyard in 1953.
In 1968, after spending years in the Tonkin Gulf and taking part in the Vietnam Tet Offensive, she underwent almost a year of repairs before returning to Vietnam for a final deployment.
Deployment and Active Service
The USS Prichett had a distinguished career that spanned World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She earned eight battle stars during World War II, two during the Korean Conflict, and six for her service in Vietnam, where her reputation for accuracy and steadiness in firing at the enemy was so great that the Viet Cong nicknamed the ship “The Mortar from the Sea.”[1]
Among the Prichett’s notable accomplishments were:[1]
- In 1944, the ship sailed with seven battleships and 13 other destroyers to bomb and strafe Japanese-held airfields in Manus. The Prichett rescued two aviators who had ditched their damaged planes.
- While taking part in the invasion of Saipan, the Prichett rescued a Japanese aircrewman whose plane crashed in the waters off of the ship.
- At Eniwetok, during planned strikes against the Palaus and the Philippines, the Prichett rescued a pilot but lost one of her own sailors, who fell overboard during refueling operations. She participated in sinking or beaching a Japanese coastal convoy and hit airfields around Manilla before later coming under accidental fire from another destroyer.
- During air strikes against Japanese bases in the Luzon area, she rescued two pilots, then witnessed a kamikaze strike against the carrier Essex. Two weeks later, she rescued another pilot.
- While covering minesweeping and underwater demolition team operations off of Okinawa, she was caught unaware by a Japanese aircraft and was struck by a 500-pound bomb that caused flooding in the 20mm clipping room. After repairs, she returned to Okinawa, where three months later she was rescuing survivors of a kamikaze attack on the Kallaghan when she too came under kamikaze attack. With her hull and superstructure damaged, she continued picking up survivors from the Callaghan, earning a Navy Unit Commendation before returning home for repairs.
- During the Korean Conflict, she provided gunfire support, plane control, interdiction, and harassment fire, as well as hospital ship services for Marines fighting in coastal areas.
- In the 1960s, she was deployed to the Tonkin Gulf and operated in the South China Sea in support of South Vietnamese and American Operations for the next five years. Her gunfire support was particularly helpful during the 1968 Vietnamese Tet Offensive’s battle for Phan Thiet.
The ship was recommended for disposal in 1969 and decommissioned in 1970, after which she was transferred to Italy in an “as is where is” condition. The Italian Navy renamed her the Geniere (D 555) and disposed of her in 1975.[1]
How Was Asbestos Used on the USS Prichett?
During World War II, the American government required that asbestos be used in U.S. Navy ships’ construction because of its effectiveness as an insulator and characteristic fireproofing abilities. The material was lightweight, inexpensive, and readily available, and as a result, it relied upon as a critical resource for military and government efforts.
Hundreds of shipboard components were manufactured with asbestos, and these were used in building and equipping the USS Prichett. The areas where asbestos was most commonly used included the ship’s turbines and boilers, where it served as an invaluable insulator against the substantial heat and fire risk that this equipment generated.
Other parts and equipment on the USS Prichett that contained asbestos included:
- Firefighting equipment
- Gunner’s gloves
- Gaskets and valves
- Deck matting
- Spray insulation
- Rope
Who Was at Greatest Risk of Exposure to Asbestos on the Prichett?
The extensive use of asbestos on Navy ships posed a significant risk of exposure for all personnel on board. In addition to the direct exposure of those who worked with equipment insulated with the material, the crew spaces onboard the Fletcher-class destroyers were notoriously cramped, and the ships had poorly ventilated spaces. This allowed asbestos fibers released from materials to circulate in the air, putting everyone aboard at risk of inhalation.
The highest risk was faced by individuals working in the Prichett’s boiler and turbine rooms, as well as those involved in repairs and maintenance tasks. These roles frequently required direct handling of asbestos-containing materials, such as pipe insulation, further increasing their exposure and risk of later being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
How Did Asbestos on the Prichett Harm Veterans?
Lawsuits filed against the companies that supplied the government with asbestos-containing parts demonstrate that Navy veterans who served on the USS Prichett and many other ships were exposed to asbestos. These veterans suffered lasting health effects, including being diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other pleural and respiratory illnesses.
In one example, U.S. Navy veteran Chloyde Pelton filed suit against John Crane, Inc., a manufacturer of asbestos-containing products, accusing the company of negligence, willful, and wanton conduct as well as strict product liability. According to the claim, Mr. Pelton served as a pipefitter and shipfitter aboard the USS Prichett from 1961 to 1962, where he routinely installed and removed gaskets and packing from pipe valves containing asbestos. Mr. Pelton described the responsibility of removing old gaskets and packing as “dirty work” and said that breathing in the asbestos dust that was generated was “inevitable.”
Benefits and Compensation Available for USS Prichett Veterans
If you are a Navy veteran who served on the USS Prichett, or if you worked on the ship during repairs or upgrades in shipyards, you may have been exposed to asbestos. Even if you are feeling well now, you may be at risk for serious illnesses. The long latency period of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma means that symptoms can appear as long as fifty or sixty years after exposure.
Veterans affected by service-related asbestos exposure have the right to seek compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Filing a claim can provide access to benefits including comprehensive medical coverage, treatment at VA medical centers or other specialized cancer treatment facilities, and disability compensation. Mesothelioma, for example, is rated as 100% disabling under VA guidelines.
Beyond VA benefits, veterans can also seek compensation from the asbestos companies that supplied the military with the hazardous material. This may include filing a personal injury lawsuit, which often leads to significant jury awards or out-of-court settlements. Additionally, many asbestos companies that have declared bankruptcy in the face of overwhelming asbestos liabilities were required to establish asbestos trust funds to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.
If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Prichett or during other military service, consulting an experienced mesothelioma lawyer is essential. These knowledgeable professionals can provide guidance, identify the companies responsible for your exposure, assist with filing for VA benefits, and help pursue legal claims for additional compensation.
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