Asbestos on Tenders
Tenders primarily provided maintenance and support for destroyers and other small warships. Unfortunately, many who served were exposed to asbestos on Navy ships. Veterans exposed to asbestos aboard these vessels who later developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease may be entitled to financial compensation.
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- USCGC Bittersweet (WLB 389) – United States Coast Guard C Class Buoy Tender
- USS Arcadia (AD 23) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- USS Currituck (AV 7) – Navy Seaplane Tender
- USS Everglades (AD 24) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- USS Frontier (AD 25) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- USS Grand Canyon (AS 28) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- USS Hunley (AS 31) – Navy Submarine Tender
- USS Nereus (AS 17) – Navy Submarine Tender
- USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) (ex- AV 11) – Navy Seaplane Tender
- USS Pine Island (AV 12) – Navy Seaplane Tender
- USS Proteus (AS 19) – Navy Submarine Tender
- USS Puget Sound (AD 38) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- USS Sierra (AD 18) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- USS Yosemite (AD 19) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- We Can Help
A Tender’s main purpose was to provide maintenance and support of destroyers and other small warships in the fleet. However, these ships are not as necessary as they used to be due to technological advances and atomization of modern ships. Unfortunately men on tenders were exposed to asbestos while aboard these vessels. Asbestos was found in a number of areas on these ships, in particular the insulation that lined piping.
Anyone who served on a tender should speak with their doctor regarding asbestos related diseases, such as Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer, and the treatment options available.
USCGC Bittersweet (WLB 389) – United States Coast Guard C Class Buoy Tender
- Classification: Tender
- Status: Given to Estonia. Renamed Valvas, the ship now serves in the Estonian Border Guard
- Fleet: Coast Guard
- Launch Date: 11/11/1943
- Commission Date: 5/11/1944
- Decommission Date: 8/18/1997
USCGC Bittersweet was assigned to the 17th Coast Guard District, and sailed for Alaska where her primary mission was the performance of general aids to navigation duties, however she did carry out a number of other search and rescue operations. After the war, she was charged with law enforcement duties. In 1976 she was moved to Massachusetts where she was used for icebreaking and oil spill cleanup.
USS Arcadia (AD 23) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- Classification: Destroyer Tender
- Status: Disposed of by Navy Sale
- Fleet: Atlantic
- Launch Date: 11/19/1944
- Commission Date: 9/13/1945
- Decommission Date: 6/28/1968
The USS Arcadia mainly served in the Mediterranean and made visits to Naples, Italy; Cannes, France; Barcelona, Spain’ Lisbon, Portugal; Piraeus, Greece; and Istanbul, Turkey. She did visit the Caribbean during the 1950’s and 1960’s calling at ports in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Virgin Islands. She mainly served destroyers, however she was called upon to repair the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-60).
USS Currituck (AV 7) – Navy Seaplane Tender
- Classification: Seaplane Tender
- Status: Disposed of by MARAD Sale
- Fleet: Pacific/6th
- Launch Date: 9/11/1943
- Commission Date: 6/26/1944
- Decommission Date: 10/31/1967
USS Currituck remained in the Far East carrying men and spare parts to several different locations during the 1940’s. In the late 1950’s she participated in training missions in the Caribbean interrupted by a few trips to the North Atlantic.
USS Everglades (AD 24) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- Classification: Destroyer Tender
- Status: Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration
- Launch Date: 1/28/1945
- Commission Date: 5/25/1951
- Decommission Date: 8/15/1970
A Destroyer Tender, the USS Everglades was built in 1945. Unfortunately, it was built using asbestos and now many who served on her suffer from asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma. The USS Everglades spent the majority of her time in the Mediterranean.
USS Frontier (AD 25) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- Classification: Destroyer Tender
- Status: Disposed of by Navy Sale
- Fleet: 1st/7th
- Launch Date: 3/25/1945
- Commission Date: 3/2/1946
- Decommission Date: 6/28/1968
The Navy Destroyer Tender USS Frontier was decommissioned in 1968, but not before many veterans who served on her were exposed to asbestos.
USS Grand Canyon (AS 28) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- Classification: Destroyer Tender
- Status: Disposed of by scrapping
- Fleet: 6th
- Launch Date: 4/27/1945
- Commission Date: 5/5/1946
- Decommission Date: 9/1/1978
The USS Grand Canyon spent the majority of her career in the Mediterranean, completing 11 tours total. Occasionally her duties took her elsewhere in the Atlantic, for example, she helped support destroyers during the Cuban Missile Blockade.
USS Hunley (AS 31) – Navy Submarine Tender
- Classification: Submarine Tender
- Status: Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration
- Launch Date: 9/28/1961
- Commission Date: 6/16/1962
- Decommission Date: 9/30/1994
The Navy Submarine Tender USS Hunley was the first ship designed to maintain the Navy’s nuclear powered Ballistic Missile Submarine Fleet. It was made with materials contaminated with asbestos, which has led many veterans to develop mesothelioma.
USS Nereus (AS 17) – Navy Submarine Tender
- Classification: Submarine Tender
- Status: Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration
- Launch Date: 2/12/1945
- Commission Date: 10/27/1945
- Decommission Date: 1971
The USS Nereus, a submarine tender, was launched in 1945. Mare Island Naval Shipyard constructed the vessel, which contained asbestos as an insulator.
USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) (ex- AV 11) – Navy Seaplane Tender
- Classification: Seaplane Tender
- Status: Disposed of by MARAD Exchange
- Fleet: Atlantic/Pacific
- Launch Date: 12/28/1943
- Commission Date:1/8/1945
- Decommission Date: 12/11/1986
A Currituck-class seaplane tender built by Los Anglees Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, the USS Norton Sound was constructed using parts and materials containing asbestos. The USS Norton Sound received two battle stars for her service during World War II.
USS Pine Island (AV 12) – Navy Seaplane Tender
- Classification: Seaplane Tender
- Status: Disposed of by Navy Sale
- Launch Date: 2/26/1944
- Commission Date: 4/26/1945
- Decommission Date: 6/16/1967
USS Pine Island engaged in are-sea rescue operations during the final phases of World War II and contributed to seaplane operations during the occupation of Japan in 1945. The USS Pine Island received one battle star for her service in the Second World War. She also tended seaplanes that flew missions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and received service medals for her participation in both wars.
USS Proteus (AS 19) – Navy Submarine Tender
- Classification: Submarine Tender
- Status: Disposed of scrapping, dismantling
- Launch Date: 11/12/1942
- Commission Date: 1/31/1944
- Decommission Date: 9/26/1947
The USS Proteus made 55 voyage repairs and 38 refits for submarines during her commission in World War II. After the war, she was anchored in Sagami Wan and demilitarized surrendered Japanese submarines, human torpedoes, torpedo carrying boats, and suicide boats. Future actors Tony Curtis and Larry Storch were aboard at Tokyo Bay and watched the formal surrender activities on the USS Missouri. In 1975, she was the first ship to be awarded the Navy Humanitarian Service Medal for her actions in creating a “tent city” in Guam for the Vietnamese refugees. She received this award a second time in 1976 for her disaster relief efforts resulting from Typhoon Pamela.
USS Puget Sound (AD 38) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- Classification: Destroyer Tender
- Status: Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling
- Fleet: Atlantic/6th
- Launch Date: 9/16/1966
- Commission Date: 4/27/1968
- Decommission Date: 1/27/1996
Built in 1965 by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the USS Puget Sound was built using asbestos, the carcinogenic mineral fiber.
USS Sierra (AD 18) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- Classification: Destroyer Tender
- Status: Disposed of by Navy Sale
- Fleet: 3 rd/6 th
- Launch Date: 2/23/1943
- Commission Date: 3/20/1944
- Decommission Date: 10/15/1993
The USS Sierra served in the Pacific during World War II. Two of her most notable accomplishments were the replacement of a complete 5-inch gun mount on the USS California and rebuilding the starboard stern of the USS Claxton which was damaged by a kamikaze. After the war the USS Sierra was deployed to the Mediterranean with a few cruises to the Indian Ocean.
USS Yosemite (AD 19) – Navy Destroyer Tender
- Classification: Destroyer Tender
- Status: Disposed of in support of Fleet Training Exercise
- Fleet: Pacific/Atlantic
- Launch Date: 5/16/1943
- Commission Date: 3/26/1944
- Decommission Date: 1/27/1994
The USS Yosemite tended the Pacific Fleet during World War II in the Philippines and Japan. After the war, she began a long series of Mediterranean deployments. The USS Yosemite also participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Gulf War.
We Can Help
Asbestos lung cancer and mesothelioma lawsuits involving active-duty or retired members of the U.S. military involve additional, complex legal issues and considerations.
At The Gori Law Firm, you’ll find lawyers with extensive experience in military asbestos and mesothelioma cases, and a staff that is highly qualified and specially trained to assist us in handling these difficult cases. We also work diligently to help people living with mesothelioma obtain a trial date within six to nine months from the time their lawsuit is filed.
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