The battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa class battleship that served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Gulf Wars. The many men and women aboard the USS Wisconsin served their country, but they were put at risk in return. Asbestos on the ship exposed service members and led to a diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other respiratory conditions in some veterans.
About the USS Wisconsin
The USS Wisconsin was ordered in 1940 and built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard between 1941 and 1943. She launched in December of 1943 and was commissioned in 1944.[1]
The USS Wisconsin was 887 feet long, could travel at 35 miles per hour, and displaced 52,000 tons when loaded with equipment, fuel, and men. The full complement of officers and men carried by the Wisconsin numbered 1,921.
The Wisconsin was heavily armored to protect her and also heavily armed with numerous guns and missiles. She was powered by General Electric steam turbines and eight large boilers. The rooms that housed these offered some of the greatest risks for asbestos exposure on board.
Construction, Repairs, and Upgrades
The Wisconsin was laid down in Philadelphia on January 25, 1941, and completed and launched on December 7, 1943. The Bureau of Construction and Repair designed and built her to be a fast battleship.
Over decades of service, she was decommissioned and recommissioned a few times. Before decommissioning, she received upgrades to technology, armaments, and other components. One of her most significant upgrades occurred before reactivation in the 1980s. This included more modern weapons and improved armor.
She underwent several cycles of repair and upgrades, beginning in the middle of service in World War II. She received other repairs and maintenance post-World War II, during the Korean War, and a major upgrade and repair session was undertaken in 1957 after the Korean War.
Repair and maintenance of a ship like the Wisconsin, built with asbestos, represented a serious exposure risk for workers. Workers had to handle the materials that contained asbestos, which put them at serious risk for later illnesses.
Service and Deployment History of the USS Wisconsin
The USS Wisconsin was built for World War II and saw her first service in that conflict. After shakedown and training in the Chesapeake Bay and the Caribbean, she set sail for the Pacific in late 1944. She missed much of the heated action around the Philippines but engaged in actions to prepare for future offensive attacks.
Soon after arriving in the Pacific theater, though, the Wisconsin and other fleet members suffered significant losses in Typhoon Cobra. While some ships sank and lost hundreds of lives, the Wisconsin only saw two injured crew members and no fatalities.
Throughout the remainder of the war, the Wisconsin provided escort services, supported airstrikes, and participated in offensive maneuvers, including the landing at Iwo Jima and the bombardment of Japan. She then took part in the occupation of Japan after the surrender.
The Wisconsin helped ferry men home from the war, then participated in training before being deactivated at Norfolk in 1948.
She was reactivated for the Korean War and served until 1958.[2] She relieved the USS New Jersey in late 1951 and participated in the war effort by providing support for South Korean and U.N. troops and shelling and bombarding strategic North Korean sites on shore. She also supported numerous airstrikes and was inactivated again after the war.
In 1986, the Wisconsin was reactivated as part of President Reagan’s push to expand the U.S. Naval fleet. In the early 1990s, she was deployed to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Desert Shield and then Operation Desert Storm.
She was decommissioned shortly after in 1991. The Wisconsin and the USS Iowa were both struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day: March 17, 2006. They were officially the last battleships to be a part of a Navy anywhere in the world.
The USS Wisconsin Museum
The Wisconsin is currently berthed at Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia. The USS Wisconsin Museum showcases the vessel as an example of an American battleship. Visitors can take a guided tour and learn more about the ship.[3]
Where Was Asbestos on the USS Wisconsin?
The USS Wisconsin was built to protect the naval fleet, but unfortunately, one way she was made caused harm to the men who served on her.
Asbestos was used heavily throughout the USS Wisconsin’s construction, providing material for insulation and fireproofing:
- The heaviest use was in the engine and boiler rooms, insulating those heat-generating machines.
- Asbestos was also abundant in the insulation covering the pipes that ran throughout the ship, including sleeping quarters and mess halls.
- It was also used in deck matting, gaskets, valves, flooring material,
- Asbestos was in spray-on fireproofing and insulation and in the safety gear worn by the men who fought fires and those who fired the weapons on the ship. The asbestos protected them from heat and prevented the spread of fire throughout the ship.
Who Was Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Wisconsin?
Anyone who served on the Wisconsin had some level of risk of being exposed to asbestos. Anyone exposed was then at risk of later developing severe illnesses, including mesothelioma.
Asbestos exposure occurs when the tiny fibers that make up the mineral break free and enter the air or settle on surfaces. The exposure risk is high on ships because of the large amounts of asbestos and because the lack of ventilation makes it more likely that the fibers will be inhaled.
The workers most at risk on the Wisconsin were those in the boilers and engine rooms, those who repaired insulation and other asbestos-containing materials, and workers in the shipyards that constructed and repaired her.
Claims made to the Veterans Administration document how men on board were exposed. In one claim, a veteran who served on the Wisconsin developed asbestosis later. He served in the late 1950s and reported exposure to asbestos around the ship’s pipes and in the gloves he used to change hot shells while manning the guns.
Men like these served their country and made great sacrifices, only to find later that their heroic service made them very sick. The asbestos used on the Wisconsin did not make everyone sick, but those unlucky few who did develop asbestos illnesses have suffered and died because of it.
Asbestos Compensation and Benefits for USS Wisconsin Veterans
If you served on a ship in the Navy, you were likely to have been put at risk of asbestos exposure. With a diagnosis of a related illness, you can make a claim to the VA to seek medical care and adequate compensation for your pain and suffering.
The VA disability rating for mesothelioma is 100%, so you may be entitled to the maximum amount of compensation.
Another way to seek compensation for mesothelioma is through a lawsuit or asbestos trust fund claim. While veterans cannot sue the military or government, they can sue asbestos manufacturers.
An asbestos law firm or mesothelioma attorney can review your case and determine which companies could be held accountable. They will give you the best chance of getting the compensation you and your family deserve.
