Skip to content
Mesothelioma.net
phone iconCall1-800-692-8608 chat icon Chat 24/7 Live Chat
Menu
  • Malignant Mesothelioma
    • About Mesothelioma
      • How to Survive Mesothelioma
      • 100 Questions & Answers about Mesothelioma (Free Book)
      • Symptoms
      • Diagnosis
      • Prognosis
      • Life Expectancy
    • Types
      • Pleural
      • Peritoneal
      • Epithelioid
      • Sarcomatoid
      • Biphasic
    • Stages
      • Stage 1
      • Stage 2
      • Stage 3
      • Stage 4
    • Additional Information
      • Causes
      • Asbestos and Its Dangers
      • Facts
      • Support
      • Financial Compensation
      • FREE Mesothelioma Packet
  • Treatment
    • Treatment Options
      • Surgery
      • Chemotherapy
      • Radiation Therapy
      • Multimodal Therapy
      • Medications
      • Palliative Treatment
    • Find Top Doctors
      • Doctors
      • Treatment Centers
      • Treatment & Doctors Near You
      • New Treatments
      • Care Providers
      • Clinical Trials
      • Costs
  • Asbestos Trusts
  • Compensation
  • Veteran Assistance
    • Mesothelioma and Veterans
      • VA Claims for Mesothelioma
      • Vietnam Veterans
    • Military Branches and Asbestos
      • Navy Veterans
      • Navy Ships
      • Marine Corps Veterans
      • Army Veterans
      • Air Force Veterans
      • U.S. Coast Guard
  • Surviving Mesothelioma
  • About Us / Contact
  • Home
Page Updated: February 05, 2022

USS Wasp (CV-18)

Dave Foster Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

FREE Mesothelioma Packet

Fact Checked

This page has been fact checked by an experienced mesothelioma Patient Advocate. Sources of information are listed at the bottom of the article.

FREE Mesothelioma Packet

We make every attempt to keep our information accurate and up-to-date.

Please Contact Us with any questions or comments.

The aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-18) served from World War II through the Vietnam War. The ship and her crew received battle stars for brave actions in war, but the veterans who served aboard her were also put at risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other respiratory illnesses. This is because the Wasp included many asbestos materials that caused dangerous exposure.

FREE Mesothelioma Packet

About the USS Wasp

The USS Wasp (CV-18) keel was laid down in March 1942 at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company and was initially supposed to be named the Oriskany.

The USS Wasp (CV-7) sank during her construction, and so the name was changed to honor the lost aircraft carrier.[1] The Wasp launched on August 17, 1943, and was commissioned under Captain A.F. Sprague on November 24, 1943.

The Wasp was a carrier in the Essex class, which included twenty-four ships, all built during World War II. These ships provided the backbone of the U.S. Navy during the war.

The Essex ships replaced the Yorktown class of aircraft carriers. They were larger, could carry more aircraft, and could launch and deploy aircraft more efficiently with deck-edge elevators and a longer, wider flight deck.

The USS Wasp was 872 feet long and displaced over 36,000 tons when fully loaded with personnel and aircraft. She was decommissioned after the war but recommissioned again in the 1950s, reclassified as an attack aircraft carrier (CVA-18). She later became an antisubmarine carrier (CVS-18) and served during the Vietnam War.

The Wasp was also instrumental in the NASA space program, recovering astronauts from five Gemini missions. The Wasp was decommissioned for the final time in 1972 and was shortly afterward sent for scrapping.

Construction of the Wasp and Later Upgrades

It took just a little over one year to build the USS Wasp in Quincy, Massachusetts, at the Fore River Shipyard. She was constructed to carry over 2,600 men and officers as well as between 90 and 100 aircraft.

The ship was powered by Westinghouse steam turbines and Babcock and Wilcox boilers, all of which were made and delivered to the U.S. Navy containing asbestos for insulation and fireproofing.

The Wasp underwent shakedown in 1943 and was sent back to Quincy to fix some aspects of the ship that did not work as well as they should have.

After the war, she went to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for repairs and upgrades. Bombs had hit her in the Pacific during the war. After these repairs, she went to the New York Naval Shipyard for upgrades that would make way for the use of jet aircraft.

The USS Wasp returned to the U.S. for repairs again in 1952 after suffering damage in a collision with a destroyer. In 1955 she received upgrades in San Francisco and underwent an important conversion to make modern updates to the ship and her equipment. These upgrades included an angled flight deck that allowed for better aircraft launches. She also went through standard maintenance in Boston throughout the 1960s.

Deployment and Active Service

The USS Wasp was built during World War II specifically to serve in that war. She deployed to the Pacific Ocean and served in numerous operations in 1944 and 1945.

The aircraft she carried were involved in many essential airstrikes against Japan. After the surrender of Japan, the Wasp served in Operation Magic Carpet, transporting thousands of troops back home to the U.S.

In the 1950s, the Wasp participated in NATO exercises in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. She also participated in several goodwill missions.

Later in the 1950s, refitted as an antisubmarine carrier, she was deployed again to the Pacific before being sent back to the Atlantic.

In the 1960s, she also served in the space program, recovering Gemini astronauts from the ocean. In 1962 the Wasp deployed to the Caribbean to serve as part of the blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis.

Asbestos Use on the USS Wasp

Like many other ships built for the U.S. Navy in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, the USS Wasp was built using asbestos. Hundreds of asbestos-containing products, materials, and parts were used because of the mineral’s effectiveness as an insulator and a lightweight fireproofing material.

Some of the heaviest use was in the engine and boiler rooms and in and around the turbines that powered the ship. This heat-generating machinery needed to be insulated and fireproofed.

The ship also contained pipes that carried steam throughout the ship. The pipes ran everywhere, including through quarters and eating areas, and were wrapped in asbestos insulation.

In addition to pipes and machinery, asbestos was used in fireproof safety gear and firefighting clothing, gloves used by gunners, gaskets, valves, packings, seals, spray-on insulation, flooring material, and many other areas of the ship.

Asbestos Exposure on the Wasp

Because of this heavy use of asbestos, which is documented, the USS Wasp caused exposure in many U.S. Navy veterans. Many later developed asbestos illnesses, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Men were exposed when the asbestos materials were damaged or worn down over time, and fibers of the minerals were released. They could be inhaled in the confined, poorly ventilated areas of the ship. Those at most significant risk worked with the boilers and turbines or conducted repairs and maintenance throughout the ship.

In some instances, even those men who did not work on maintenance or directly with asbestos materials were exposed and got sick later. As an example, a veteran who served on the Wasp was diagnosed with asbestosis. He claimed that he was exposed to asbestos when a bomb exploded on the ship. The resulting debris contained fibers of asbestos.[2]

In another example, a veteran who served on the Wasp in the 1960s developed lung cancer.[3] Yet another veteran developed interstitial fibrosis of the lungs, which was connected to his service aboard the Wasp.[4]

U.S. Navy veterans who served on the USS Wasp and other ships that contained asbestos were put at serious risk of getting very sick later in life. These veterans have a right to seek support and medical care through the Veterans Administration but also to seek compensation from the manufacturers who made and supplied the asbestos materials for these ships.

Get Your FREE Mesothelioma Packet

Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

Dave Foster

Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.

Connect with Patient Advocate Dave Foster

References
  1. NavSource. (2019, July 5). USS Wasp (CV-18).
    Retrieved from: https://www.usswaspassociation.org/history/
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2016, June 3). Citation Nr: 1622519.
    Retrieved from: https://www.va.gov/vetapp16/Files3/1622519.txt
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2010, April 21). Citation Nr: 1015098.
    Retrieved from: https://www.va.gov/vetapp10/files2/1015098.txt
  4. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2013, November 6). Citation Nr: 1336047.
    Retrieved from: https://www.va.gov/vetapp13/Files4/1336047.txt
View All References

Site Navigation

Home
Malignant Mesothelioma
How to Survive Mesothelioma
100 Questions & Answers about Mesothelioma (Free Book)
Surviving Mesothelioma - Beating the Odds (Free Book)
FREE Mesothelioma Packet
Symptoms
Shortness of Breath
Cough
Night Sweats and Fever
Weight Loss
Pain
Difficulty Swallowing
Fatigue and Muscle Weakness
Gastrointestinal Complications
Diagnosis
Pathology
Staging
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Metastasis and Progression
Brain Metastasis
Biopsy
miRview Test
Imaging
Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy
Biomarkers and Blood Tests
Calretinin
Prognosis
Remission
Recurrence
Death Rate
Life Expectancy
Search for a Mesothelioma Cure
Types
Pleural
Peritoneal
Epithelioid
Sarcomatoid
Biphasic
Pericardial
Testicular
Cell Types
Rare Subtypes of Epithelial Mesothelioma
Deciduoid
Desmoplastic
Heterologous
Lymphohistiocytoid
Well-Differentiated Papillary
Tubulopapillary
Small Cell
Benign
Adenomatoid
Cystic
Unresectable
Localized
Idiopathic
Omental
Causes
Risk Factors
Latest Research
Genetic Components
Incidence
Latency Period
Mesothelioma Tumor
Health Insurance Coverage
Related Conditions
Immunodeficiency Disorders
Cholangiocarcinoma
Atelectasis
Pleural Plaques
Pleural Thickening
Pleural Effusion
Peritoneal Effusion (Ascites)
Mesothelial Hyperplasia and Proliferation
Pleuritis and Pleurisy
COPD
Anemia
Breast Cancer
Prevention
Complications
Misdiagnosis
Mesothelioma Commercial
Talcum Baby Powder
Lawyer
Lawsuits
Class Action Lawsuits
Settlements
Simian Virus 40
Differences From Other Cancers
Lung Cancer
Women
Children and Young Adults
Unknown Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma Without Asbestos
Cause of Death
Facts 
History
Awareness
Government and Research
National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank
Support
What to Expect
Living with Mesothelioma
Help a Loved One
Wrong and Right Things to Say
Caregivers
Financial Tips
Faith
Nutrition and Lifestyle
Intimacy
Mesothelioma and Fertility in Men
Fertility in Women with Mesothelioma
Emotional Health
COVID-19
Assisted Living
Hospice Care
Dying from Mesothelioma
Mourning
Coping Guide for Children
End-of-Life Decisions
Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Compensation for Victims
Lawyer
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington D.C.
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Lawsuit
Settlements
Statute of Limitations
Treatment
Surgery
Side Effects
Pneumonectomy
Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
Lobectomy
Pleurectomy / Decortication
Post Op Care
Pleurectomy / Decortication vs. Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
Peritonectomy/Cytoreductive Surgery
Thoracotomy
Thoracoscopy
Pericardiectomy
Wedge Resection
Pleurodesis
Pericardiocentesis
Prosthetics
Paracentesis
Thoracentesis
Chemotherapy
Side Effects
Heated Intraperitoneal
Radiation Therapy
Side Effects
Intensity-Modulated
Brachytherapy
Proton Therapy
Image-Guided
External Beam
Three-Dimensional
Multimodal Therapy
New Treatments
SMART Protocol
Gene Therapy
Suicide Gene Therapy
Tumor-Based p53 Therapy
Cryotherapy for Mesothelioma
Tumor Treating Fields
MicroRNA
Palliative Treatment
Osteopathic
Doctors
Treatment Centers
Treatment & Doctors Near You
Mesothelioma Experts
Medications
Alimta (pemetrexed)
Adriamycin (doxorubicin)
Avastin (bevacizumab)
Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide)
Gemzar (gemcitabine)
Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)
Mitomycin
Navelbine (vinorelbine)
Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab)
Paraplatin (carboplatin)
Platinol (cisplatin)
Rheumatrex (methotrexate)
Sutent (sunitinib)
Taxol (paclitaxel)
Medical Marijuana
Care Providers
Clinical Trials
Anetumab Ravtansine
Atezolizumab
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell
Durvalumab
Immunotoxin
Interferon Alfa-2b
Onconase (Ranpirnase)
VISTA Protein
Costs
Immunotherapy
Nanotechnology
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Home Medical Equipment
HMGB1 Secretion
Photodynamic Therapy
Targeted Therapies
Apoptosis
Stem Cells
Lung Transplantation
Body-Based Therapies
Alternative Therapies
Paul Kraus’s Method
Doctors and Treatment in Canada
Asbestos Trusts
Veterans
VA Claims for Mesothelioma
Vietnam Veterans
Military Branches and Asbestos
Navy Veterans
Navy Ships
Aircraft Carriers
Battleships
Destroyers
Asbestos on Navy Cruisers
Submarines
Amphibious Ships
Minesweepers
Auxiliary Ships
Marine Corps Veterans
Army Veterans
Air Force Veterans
U.S. Coast Guard
Asbestos
Occupational Exposure
Construction Workers
Shipyard Workers
Ship Repair
Steel Mill Workers
Industrial Workers
Boiler Workers
Power Plant Workers
Firefighters
Automotive Workers
Roofers
Oil Refineries
Mining
Transportation Industry
Machine Operators
Farmers and Agricultural Workers
Migrant Workers
Electrical Wiring
Labor Unions
Prisons
Chimneys, Furnaces, and Wood Stoves
Fiberglass Connection to Mesothelioma
Home Remodeling
School Buildings, Teachers
For Tech Students
Cancer
Lung Cancer
Pleural Based Cancers
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
Companies That Used Asbestos
Awareness and Education
Types of Asbestos & Mesothelioma Risk
Asbestosis
Interstitial Lung Disease
Smoking
Asbestos Ingestion
Exposure in a Natural Disaster
Ban Asbestos
Libby, Montana
Recycling Asbestos
Asbestos Detection
Legal Information by State
Canada
Mexico
United Kingdom
Australia
  • Malignant Mesothelioma
    • Treatment
    • Asbestos Trusts
  • Compensation
    • Veteran Assistance
    • Surviving Mesothelioma
  • FREE Mesothelioma Packet
    • Mesothelioma News
    • About Us / Contact
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Editorial Guidelines and Standards
This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
The information provided by Mesothelioma.net is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Mesothelioma.net

5430 LBJ Freeway Suite 1200
Dallas, Texas 75240

Serving mesothelioma victims nationwide

1-800-692-8608

  • facebook
  • twitter
© 2022 Mesothelioma.net