The USS Tolovana (AO-64) was a fleet oiler with a distinguished record that spans World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Like many other ships built in the years between the 1930s and 1980s, the Tolovana contained asbestos in many of its components, and the carcinogenic material put sailors who served on the ship and those who maintained it at risk of exposure. Many of those exposed later developed lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
About the USS Tolovana
The USS Tolovana was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler that served the U.S. Navy in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Fleet oilers were crucial support vessels that enabled the Navy’s ships to remain at sea for extended periods, providing them with fuel, water, and other supplies while underway.
The vessel was ordered by the Navy in 1942, in the run-up to World War II. The ship was built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at their Sparrows Point Shipyard in Maryland. She was launched in 1944 and commissioned the same year under Commander Edward E. Burgess, and decommissioned in April 1975.[1]
The Tolovana was 553 feet long and traveled at a speed of 18 knots. She was capable of holding 123,700 barrels of oil and 788,000 gallons of gasoline and displaced 25,440 long tons when fully loaded. She carried a complement of 20 officers and 310 enlisted men and was equipped with multiple armaments, including a single 5”/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount, four single 3”/50 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts, four twin 40 mm AA gun mounts, and four twin 20 mm AA gun mounts.[1]
The Tolovana earned multiple battle stars, including one for its service during World War II and two for its service during the Korean War. It also was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal, with thirteen campaign stars for its service in that war.[1]
Construction and Maintenance
The USS Tolovana was built during the height of World War II, when rapid construction was essential to the war effort. Like all ships of her era, asbestos was used extensively throughout her construction due to its fire-resistant properties and insulating capabilities. Her shipyard, the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, was named in numerous lawsuits and compensation claims as a result of the occupational exposure suffered by shipyard workers.
Throughout her service life, the USS Tolovana underwent several maintenance periods and overhauls to keep her systems operational. Each of these repair and upgrade sessions had the potential of exposing shipyard workers to asbestos as they repaired and replaced contaminated components and insulation.
History of Service and Deployment
The USS Tolovana’s service was dedicated to providing much-needed fuel to ships in combat zones. This task began almost immediately after she was built; she was launched in January 1945, acquired by the Navy and commissioned in February, and sent to the western Pacific in March. By April, she had reached Pearl Harbor and reported for duty. She was loaded with aviation gasoline and set off for service, spending much of her time delivering aviation and automobile fuel to the tank farm at Okinawa. She supported operations at Iwo Jima, keeping the fleet supplied with the fuel needed to maintain pressure on Japanese forces, and when hostilities had ended, continued serving the same role providing gasoline in support of occupation forces in numerous Pacific Theater ports.
In the late 1940s, the Tolovana was used to support atomic testing at Bikini Atoll, and after undergoing upgrades and repairs in Long Beach, California, she provided logistical support for military bases on the west coast of the United States, as well as in Alaska and the Aleutian islands, Guam and Pearl Harbor. Eventually, her operations expanded to include the western Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea, loading petroleum in Saudi Arabia and carrying it to American bases in Japan and the Philippines.[1]
In the 1950s, she provided logistical and fuel support for Navy carriers during the Korean War effort, as well as to United Nations forces off the Korean coast. She later worked to supply the Trust Territories in the Central Pacific, delivering fuel and supplies from Pearl Harbor.
During the Vietnam War, the Tolovana was again called upon to support combat operations, serving in the western Pacific for six years, conducting fuel numerous replenishments to keep U.S. vessels operating off the Vietnamese coast. In addition to logistical and fuel support, she took part in the evacuation of French and Vietnamese from North Vietnam as part of Operation Passage to Freedom. She was also used to support a nuclear test conducted at Christmas Island. Her final wartime deployment was in 1972, at the end of the Vietnam War, but she remained in the Far East for several more months to continue providing logistical support.
The Tolovana was decommissioned in 1975, after spending a few years operating in the western Pacific. She was sold for scrap in October 1975.[1]
How was Asbestos Used on the USS Tolovana?
The USS Tolovana was built when asbestos was highly prized as a component of both ships’ structures and of their parts and supplies. Its inclusion in ships’ construction was ordered by the Navy because of its characteristic light weight, the strength it added, and its ability to insulate against heat and fire. Fire on board a ship at sea is extremely dangerous, and this risk was especially high on an oiler carrying fuel, so asbestos was used extensively.
Beyond the structure itself, the areas of the ship that contained the most asbestos were those that generated heat, including the Tolovana’s turbines, its engine rooms, and its boiler rooms. Asbestos was used in the insulation, gaskets, and valves of boilers and engine equipment, as well as in the surrounding areas to protect from heat and prevent fires from starting or spreading. It was sprayed on the ship’s surfaces for fireproofing, used in safety gear including asbestos gloves and firefighting suits to protect sailors, and on the pipes that ran throughout the ship. Asbestos was even used in the mess area and crew quarters, including flooring and ceiling tiles.
Asbestos was included in many components onboard the USS Tolovana, including:
- Boilers
- Gaskets
- Packing
- Insulation
- Pipe coverings
- Pumps
- Turbines
- Fireproofing material
- Flooring
- Adhesives
- Ropes and fabrics
- Fire protection gear
Who Was Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Tolovana?
Due to the extensive use of asbestos throughout the ship, many sailors who served aboard the USS Tolovana were at risk of exposure. At particular risk were those who worked in the engine boiler rooms, as well as those involved in the maintenance and repair of the heat-generating equipment.
Many of those who were sickened by this exposure pursued legal action against the asbestos companies that provided the asbestos-containing parts and equipment to the military, including John W. Pruitt, Sr., who began serving as a machinist mate in the U.S. Navy in 1958. After first being stationed on the USS Bayfield, he was later assigned to serve on the USS Tolovana, where he worked on auxiliary equipment including pumps, valves, winches, purifiers, and compressors. In a lawsuit filed against multiple defendants, he recalled working on black oil pumps located underneath the engine room that pumped fuel oil from the Tolovana to other ships. He removed old packing material, which produced dust contaminated with asbestos, which he blamed for his diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. Mr. Pruitt also replaced asbestos-contaminated brakes and brake lining on winches that were located on the deck.[2]
How Can Veterans Who Served on the USS Tolovana Seek Compensation?
Veterans who served aboard the USS Tolovana and who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses may be eligible for a variety of types of compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a wide range of valuable benefits for veterans whose illness is connected to their military service, and mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases have been established as 100% disabling, entitling those with a service-related exposure with maximum benefits including healthcare and disability compensation.
Beyond help from the VA, those who were exposed to asbestos onboard the USS Tolovano may be able to seek compensation through legal action against the manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos-containing materials used in the ship’s construction and maintenance. Many of these companies were aware of the dangers posed by the products they were providing but chose to keep the information quiet. They’ve since faced significant liability based on their negligence and their decision to put profits over people.
The best resource for learning about the options available to you is an experienced mesothelioma attorney. These knowledgeable professionals can explain the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit, including the opportunity for an out-of-court settlement. They can also check to see whether you are eligible to file claims with any of the asbestos trust funds that have been set up by asbestos companies that were forced into bankruptcy by their asbestos liabilities.
If you or someone you love served aboard the USS Tolovana and has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, it’s important for you to speak with an asbestos lawyer as soon after diagnosis as possible, as there are statutes of limitations that limit the amount of time you have to take legal action.
References
View All References
