The USS Princeton (CV-37) was An Essex-class carrier commissioned in 1945 and decommissioned in 1970. The ship was built using asbestos materials in its infrastructure and relying on asbestos in many of its supplies. Naval personnel who served on the ship and shipyard workers who maintained and repaired her were exposed and at risk for malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.
About the USS Princeton
The USS Princeton (CC-27) was the fifth out of six U.S. ships to have been named after the Battle of Princeton, which took place in 1777. It was the second aircraft carrier, commissioned in 1945 after the fourth USS Princeton sank in a 1944 battle off the coast of the southern Philippines. Its long history included post-World War II operations in the Atlantic, service in the Korean Vietnam Wars, and being the primary recovery ship for the Apollo 10 lunar mission.[1]
The Princeton was laid down in 1943 under the name Valley Forge but was renamed Princeton in 1944 and launched and commissioned1945. The ship was built in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during and immediately after World War II.[2]
Built and commissioned too late to see active duty in that war, she received eight battle stars for her service in the Korean War and also served in the Vietnam War. Over the years she was reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA), an Antisubmarine Aircraft Carrier (CVS), and finally as an amphibious assault ship (LPH) carrying helicopters and Marines. Despite these numerous modifications, she retained the classic appearance of a World War II Essex-class ship throughout. Notably, one of her final missions saw her serve as the prime recovery ship for the Apollo 10 space mission.[2]
The Essex-class aircraft carriers that Princeton was a member of displaced 27,100 tons and measured 888 feet long. It was powered by eight boilers and propelled by 4 steam turbines that allowed it to reach a speed of 33 knots and accommodate a complement of 3,448 officers and enlisted men. She carried 90-to-100 aircraft.
Was the USS Princeton Contaminated with Asbestos?
Asbestos was widely used for decades because of its excellent insulation properties, its fire resistance, its accessibility, and its low cost. All these qualities made it ideal for ships operating at sea and made it extremely attractive to the cost-conscious U.S. military. Like many U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, the USS Princeton was constructed using a significant amount of asbestos, exposing the Navy veterans who served on board, as well as the shipyard workers who repaired and maintained her, to the hazardous material. Some of these veterans now suffer from asbestos-related illnesses like malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer.
On the USS Princeton, asbestos was a component of:
- Adhesives
- Boiler and engine rooms
- Caulk
- Deck coverings
- Electrical coating
- Engines
- Pipe insulation
- Valves
- Lagging and rope
- Lining of wall plates and doors
- Paint
- Pumps
- Gaskets
- Flooring and ceiling materials
- Fireproofing materials
- Firefighting gear
Service and Deployment
Though the USS Princeton was commissioned during World War II, she did not participate in the war; she operated with the 8th Fleet in the Atlantic, transferred to the Pacific Fleet, then was sent to carry the body of Philippine President Manuel Queson to Luzon for burial. Afterward, she became a flagship for the 7th fleet, operating in Japanese and Chinese waters until 1947. She was decommissioned and became part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet in 1948.[2]
The Princeton was reactivated fifteen months later when hostilities broke out in Korea. Her crew enabled jet combat air patrols over the battle zone and supported Marines fighting to advance from the Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam, which it later helped evacuate. It participated in numerous interdiction missions that destroyed and damaged railroad and highway bridges and provided air support for raids on power sources, attacking supply arteries and highways. In 1952 she rejoined the combat zone, spending 138 days launching planes against the enemy to sink small craft, destroy supplies, facilities, and equipment behind enemy lines, and participating in strikes on coastal cities’ power plants, gun positions, and supply areas. She was reclassified as CVA-37 in October 1952, then reclassified again in 1954 as CVS-37, to serve as an anti-submarine carrier in the western Pacific and later in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf area.[2]
In 1959, she was reclassified again as an amphibious assault carrier capable of transporting a battalion landing team and carrying helicopters instead of planes. In this role she helped Marines land behind enemy beach fortifications and provided logistical and medical support, cutting enemy supplies and communications and joining with assault forces on the beaches as part of a Marine Corps mission. The ship’s crew later trained with the Marines at Camp Pendleton, then deployed to the Western Pacific to train in the waters off of the coast of Okinawa.[2]
After spending three years in those waters, which included rescuing survivors of two merchant marine ships and delivering Marine Corps advisors and helicopters to the Republic of Vietnam, she served as flagship of Joint Task Force 8 during a nuclear weapons test series. In 1964, she returned to Vietnam and joined the Pacific Fleet’s Ready Group in operations against the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. In 1965, after completing more training, she transported Marine Aircraft Group 36 to Vietnam and returned to the combat zone in 1966, engaging in operations against the enemy, clearing guerillas to protect the Vietnamese in the Phu Loc area and conducting search and destroy missions. The Princeton provided transportation, medical evacuation, logistics, and communication support and supported 1st Cavalry and 101st Airborne units to impede enemy infiltration from the demilitarized zone.[2]
In 1967, the USS Princeton deployed to Vietnam again, assisting in countering enemy threats to the Marine artillery base at Gio Linh and evacuating the wounded from Con Thien. She also supported search and destroy operations and her helicopters lifted Marines to the DMA to block enemy forces who were withdrawing. After an overhaul in San Diego, she sailed to Vietnam again in May 1968, providing amphibious assault carrier services. In December, she returned to the United States, and in April 1969 was designated the prime recovery ship for the Apollo 10 lunar mission in the South Pacific. She was decommissioned in January 1970 and sold for scrapping.[2]
Exposure and Illness in Veterans
U.S. Navy veterans who served aboard the USS Princeton faced significant risks of asbestos exposure. Loose asbestos fibers can easily become airborne, and once they are inhaled or ingested, they become firmly lodged in the cells of the mesothelium; their needle-like ends make it almost impossible for the body to expel. Over time, these foreign particles can cause severe health issues, including mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and asbestos-related scarring of the lungs.
Asbestos fibers were released into the air whenever materials containing asbestos were disturbed. This includes during routine maintenance and repairs, as well as due to natural deterioration or the jolts that came with battle or rough seas. Those veterans who worked in areas of the ship that experienced high concentrations of asbestos, such as the engine and boiler rooms, as well as those responsible for maintenance and repairs were at the greatest risk of exposure.
Responsibilities aboard the USS Princeton that posed the highest risk of asbestos exposure included:
- Boiler workers
- Pipefitters
- Insulation workers
- Maintenance workers
- Engine room workers
- Firemen
- Shipyard workers performing repairs
These roles involved direct contact with and manipulation of asbestos-containing materials, thus increasing the likelihood of exposure and long-term health consequences, but sailors reported seeing dust shaken loose from ceiling tiles or through wall panels whenever the ship suffered any type of significant vibration, making the poorly ventilated quarters below deck almost as dangerous as those other areas.
Many cases of asbestos-related illnesses have been linked to having served aboard the USS Princeton. These include:
- David Welch served in the U.S. Navy from 1965 to 1969 onboard both the USS Carronadeand the USS Princeton, when they were “coming out of mothballs” and being recommissioned for service after the Korean War. Mr. Welch served as a fireman in the pipefitters’ welding shop on the ships and blamed his malignant mesothelioma on exposure to asbestos there and in shipyards.
- Navy veteran Kenneth Carlton was diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease after serving as a boiler tender onboard the USS Princeton, as well as the USS Neches and the USS Mattaponi. He recalled working on John Crane, Inc., pumps, valves, and steam traps that had been installed on the ships before he arrived onboard and blamed his illness on asbestos contained in the Crane products and parts.[3]
Did You Serve on the USS Princeton CV-37?
If you served aboard the USS Princeton or any other U.S. Navy ship between the time it was built and the 1980s, there is a good chance that its parts and infrastructure contained asbestos. Exposure to asbestos is dangerous, and even though decades have passed since your service, you are still at risk. Early screening and monitoring of your health is crucial, as prompt diagnosis can lead to better treatment options and improved outcomes.
If you are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, or any other asbestos-related disease, you may qualify for benefits, including coverage of for your healthcare expenses and additional financial resources through the Veterans Administration (VA). Additionally, thousands of veterans have successfully pursued legal action against the manufacturers that supplied asbestos-containing materials to the Navy and to their subsequent employers
An experienced mesothelioma attorney can help identify the sources of your exposure and the companies responsible. The legal options available to you may include filing a personal injury lawsuit which may lead to a jury trial or an out-of-court settlement, both of which can result in your receiving significant compensation. Many veterans have received multi-million dollar awards.
You may also be eligible to file a claim with one of the many asbestos trust funds set up by companies whose asbestos liabilities forced them into bankruptcy. Though these funds pay less than filing a lawsuit, claims submitted to them are resolved quickly, and can provide you with much-needed cash.
By reaching out to an asbestos attorney soon after your diagnosis, you’ll give yourself the maximum amount of time to consider your options.
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