The USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601) was America’s third nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine. The vessel marked a major advancement in the United States’ strategic underwater abilities during the Cold War era, but for her crew members, the risk of serving on the Robert E. Lee came from its construction rather than any enemy she faced. The vessel was constructed using significant amounts of asbestos, which exposed everybody on board to a chance of contracting mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious health conditions.
The USS Robert E. Lee, a George Washington-class Submarine
The George Washington-class submarines made up America’s inaugural nuclear-powered ballistic missile fleet, featuring revolutionary technology developed during the late 1950s. Named for the Confederate general known for his military leadership, the Robert E. Lee and her sister vessels were built specifically to meet the strategic demands of the Cold War.[1]
With an overall length of 382 feet, a 33-foot beam, and a displacement of 5,946 tons surfaced and 6,700 tons submerged, these groundbreaking submarines featured remarkable engineering achievements. She was propelled by an S5W Westinghouse pressurized water nuclear reactor that provided unlimited operational range and speeds reaching 20 knots surfaced and 35 knots submerged. The Robert E. Lee carried a crew of 112 officers and enlisted sailors organized into dual rotating teams (Blue and Gold crews) to ensure maximum operational readiness. The submarine’s core strategic function centered on deploying 16 Polaris ballistic missiles in vertical launch systems, complemented by torpedo weaponry for defensive operations.[2]
Construction and Service History
Build History and Commissioning
Work on the USS Robert E. Lee commenced at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in August 1958. She was originally designated as the USS Shark (SSN-591), but was converted to a ballistic missile configuration. This conversion made her the first nuclear submarine to be constructed in the South and the first nuclear vessel built at the Newport News facility.[2]
The submarine was launched in December 1959, sponsored by Mrs. Hanson E. Ely II, a descendant of General Lee. She was commissioned in September 1960 under Commander Reuben F. Woodall (Blue Crew) and Commander Joseph “Joe” Williams, Jr. (Gold Crew).
Early Operations and Testing
After her commissioning, the Robert E. Lee conducted her initial operations from Newport News. In December 1960, she was sent to Narragansett Bay for torpedo testing exercises, and after successfully firing five torpedoes, she sailed to Cape Kennedy. The submarine then loaded Polaris test missiles and successfully conducted her maiden missile launch ten days later.
In January 1961, she executed additional simulated missile launches before being sent to Bermuda, where, joined by USS Torsk (SS-423), she participated in antisubmarine warfare training. After returning to Norfolk, she entered Newport News drydock for a month-long yard maintenance. Leaving Newport News in March, she took on torpedoes at Yorktown and sailed for Cape Kennedy.
Operational Deployment and Holy Loch Operations
The submarine conducted classified operations from Cape Kennedy throughout May and June, then sailed for Holy Loch, Scotland, in late June, joining Submarine Squadron 14 in July. After conducting practice torpedo exercises in early August, she left Holy Loch for her first deterrent patrol.
Over the next two years, the Robert E. Lee completed additional deterrent patrols. In November 1964, she left Holy Loch for her 16th patrol, which ended in January 1965 when she arrived at Mare Island, California.
First Major Overhaul and Modernization
In February 1965, the Robert E. Lee entered Mare Island Division of the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard for her first major overhaul, which included reactor refueling, comprehensive reengineering of numerous ship systems for enhanced safety and reliability, navigation system modernization, and weapons system modifications enabling deployment of the advanced MK 3 Polaris missile.[2]
After nearly eighteen months, the refurbished Robert E. Lee began sea trials in July 1966, including sound trials and weapons system accuracy testing. After a five-day San Diego visit, she left for the East Coast via the Panama Canal, reaching Charleston, South Carolina, in September.
In late September and early October, she conducted shakedown operations near Cape Kennedy, Florida, including successfully launching a non-tactical Polaris A-3 missile. She returned to Charleston for predeployment maintenance at theCooper River Site before being sent in December for her 17th deterrent patrol, which ended at Holy Loch in late January 1967.
Continued Strategic Operations
By October, the Robert E. Lee had finished three additional patrols. After drydocking in Los Alamos for minor repairs and hull inspection, she resumed patrol duties in November and completing her 21st patrol before entering drydock for two weeks of repairs. The submarine remained with Squadron 14 throughout 1969 and 1970, continuing Holy Loch operations and completing her 33rd deterrent patrol by January 1971.
Second Overhaul and Pacific Transfer
The Robert E. Lee underwent her second overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard starting in January 1971. She remained in drydock and remained berthed at Puget Sound through the remainder of 1971. During the first seven months of 1972, she performed post-overhaul trials and exercises on the West Coast, then in mid-August, transited the Panama Canal and arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, in September. She maintained normal operations on the East Coast throughout 1972 and the first seven months of 1973, then transited the Panama Canal, headed to San Diego. She arrived in Pearl Harbor in September, and after a month in Hawaii, sailed for Guam, where she operated into 1974.
Final Years and Decommissioning
The Robert E. Lee underwent her third refueling at Mare Island in 1977, but because of her age, it was decided that she would not be converted to the Poseidon missile system. The introduction of the first Trident missile submarines in 1981 and 1982 marked the end of the Robert E. Lee’s operations. She completed her 55th patrol and the Navy’s final Polaris patrol in October 1981 and was redesignated SSN-601 in March 1982. She then operated on the West Coast as an attack submarine with a consolidated crew for the following year.
In February 1983, the Robert E. Lee entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for deactivation. Her reactor was defueled, her missile section was removed, and she was decommissioned in November. The submarine was struck from the naval registry in April 1986 and disposed of through the submarine recycling program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in September 1991.
The Navy’s Dependence on Asbestos in its Submarines
From the early 1900s through the mid-1970s, the United States Navy included asbestos-containing materials in nearly every vessel built or retrofitted for its fleet. The use of the material expanded during World War II and extended through the construction of the Cold War submarine fleets. Unaware of the substance’s health dangers, the military leadership viewed asbestos as essential for keeping its vessels and personnel safe in battle conditions, and the material was particularly valuable for submarines’ specialized design and environmental needs.
The vessels’ enclosed environments and intricate mechanical configurations put them at significant risk of fire, so optimal fire protection and temperature regulation were essential. Asbestos’s fibrous composition, combined with its durability, fire- and heat-resistance, and acoustic insulation capabilities, made it perfect for numerous applications within the confined submarine spaces, so it ended up being incorporated into everything from the submarines’ hulls to insulation on the vessels’ extensive piping systems.
Scientific data about asbestos exposure and its severe health effects was becoming more widespread, but the military continued mandating the cancer-causing substance well into the 1970s. The Navy only began limiting asbestos in new construction around 1973: Its incorporation in ship components and structures was largely eliminated by 1975, but for vessels already in operation, legacy asbestos remained in place until it could be removed during the course of regular maintenance or repairs.[3]
With asbestos contaminating thousands of vessels still in operation, the Navy established detailed protocols, including material assessments, specialized training initiatives, and rigorous handling procedures, but complete elimination was considered impractical. Instead, containment and oversight were the established protocol until all the contaminated vessels could be retired. While this approach may have made economic and operational sense, it likely resulted in many more sailors and shipyard workers being exposed to asbestos exposure for crew members and shipyard workers over the next several years.
Where Was Asbestos Found On the USS Robert E. Lee?
The Navy ordered asbestos to be included wherever thermal protection, fire prevention, or insulation was needed. This meant it was integrated into nearly every compartment and system aboard the USS Robert E. Lee. This extensive distribution created danger throughout the submarine, though the locations where there was direct contact with asbestos had significantly higher concentrations of airborne asbestos particles. These included:
Engine and Mechanical Areas
Propulsion areas, including the reactor compartment, machinery spaces, and auxiliary equipment rooms, required protection from extreme temperatures for equipment and burn risks for personnel, as well as shielding machine parts from friction. Asbestos insulated piping, exhaust systems, and equipment components, while critical valves, pumps, and fittings all depended on asbestos gaskets and packing materials to maintain system performance and prevent leaks.
Crew and Operational Quarters
Although crew sleeping areas and command spaces were very different environments from engine compartments, asbestos was still present in floor tiles, wall panels, ceiling materials, and protective coatings. Electrical systems running throughout the ship relied heavily on asbestos-containing wire insulation, while distribution cables, control panel components, emergency equipment, including fire suppression systems and protective apparatus, all utilized asbestos fibers for temperature and flame protection. Beyond contamination from the asbestos in place, particles of the mineral were carried into living areas on the hair, skin, and clothing of crew members who worked in the more heavily contaminated sections of the submarine.
Air Circulation and Support Systems
The submarine’s air circulation networks were essential for maintaining a livable atmosphere in the sealed environment, but the inclusion of asbestos insulation and asbestos-containing filtration components meant they also sent lethal particles throughout the ship’s air, whether from their own components or arising from maintenance activities and normal operations throughout the submarine.
Armament and Specialized Equipment
The submarine’s missile compartments and weapons systems required insulation for thermal protection and fire resistance, and it was fabricated using asbestos, as were insulation blankets and padding, adhesive compounds, turbine components, and reactor shielding.
Who Was Most Vulnerable to Asbestos Aboard the USS Robert E. Lee
Every sailor aboard the USS Robert E. Lee was at risk for asbestos exposure. The material’s widespread presence throughout the submarine, combined with the sealed environment and restricted ventilation, meant that microscopic asbestos particles circulated constantly throughout all compartments, whether disturbed by maintenance, equipment operation, or routine tasks.
Asbestos was a danger on all Navy vessels, but submarine crews faced distinctive dangers. Extended patrol periods meant crew members spent weeks or months submerged, with no possibility for fresh air or for asbestos to escape the environment. The constantly recycled atmosphere and significantly prolonged exposure duration elevated every sailor’s risk. Still, certain specialties and duties were more heavily exposed due to their responsibilities and work locations.
Propulsion and nuclear personnel worked directly with heavily insulated reactor systems and equipment, regularly performing maintenance involving cutting, grinding, or removing asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and components. Reactor operators, nuclear technicians, and propulsion specialists disturbed asbestos materials during equipment servicing and system repairs, while those not doing the work but present in the compartments were also exposed.
Electrical and electronics specialists encountered exposure working on electronic components containing asbestos materials, frequently disturbing asbestos-containing electrical insulation, distribution networks, and control systems.
Weapons and missile personnel worked in areas where asbestos materials were integral to equipment operation and safety systems.
Even crew members not directly involved in maintenance activities were exposed to their crewmates’ contaminated clothing, shared ventilation systems, and asbestos materials installed in general living areas.
Benefits, Compensation, and Resources for USS Robert E. Lee Veterans
Many Navy veterans who served aboard the USS Robert E. Lee have been afflicted with asbestos-related illnesses. If you’ve recently been diagnosed, it’s easy to feel hopeless, but there are many resources and options available to you, including significant compensation and expert medical care. Multiple avenues exist for pursuing compensation and specialized medical care.
Veterans Administration Support
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers comprehensive benefits for veterans with service-connected asbestos-related conditions. Those diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis can submit claims for disability compensation, specialized medical treatment, and additional family benefits. The VA recognizes mesothelioma as a service-connected condition for veterans with military exposure and has classified it as 100% disabling. This designation ensures both an accelerated claims process and maximum compensation.
Legal Action
Beyond VA benefits, veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases may qualify to pursue legal action against manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos-containing products used aboard their vessels. While the Navy or federal government can’t be sued, private companies can, and lawsuits filed over the last several decades have led to substantial settlements and jury awards compensating for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. Millions of cases have successfully been filed against companies that produced insulation, gaskets, valves, pumps, and other asbestos-containing materials, including those found aboard submarines like the USS Robert E. Lee.
Asbestos Trust Fund Claims
Asbestos trust funds are another important source of financial support for affected veterans. Established by companies that manufactured asbestos products, these funds specifically compensate victims diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases and have distributed billions of dollars in claims. With approximately $30 billion reserved for victims diagnosed in the future, they offer an attractive alternative to litigation.
Assistance for USS Robert E. Lee Veterans with Mesothelioma
Lawsuits involving asbestos exposure are complex and governed by highly specific legal precedent. That’s why veterans seeking information about their options should get help from an attorney who specializes in mesothelioma. These compassionate, knowledgeable professionals are dedicated to helping individuals with asbestos illnesses from both occupational and military exposures. They’re well-versed in the requirements of documenting naval service exposure, can identify all potentially responsible parties and available compensation sources, coordinate comprehensive legal strategies, and assist with VA claims filing.
Statutes of limitations impose deadlines for filing claims involving asbestos, making it essential for affected veterans to seek legal advice as soon as possible after diagnosis. The earlier you act, the more time your attorney will have to collect your service records, medical documentation, and other evidence necessary for building a strong case. With proper legal representation, veterans sickened by asbestos aboard the USS Robert E. Lee can successfully access the benefits and compensation they deserve for their service-related illnesses.
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