USNS Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup (T-AG-175)

The USNS Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup (T-AG-175) was the last of the U.S. Navy’s Alamosa-class cargo ships. The Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup was named after a World War II Medal of Honor recipient. The USNS Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup was built in 1945 by Kaiser Cargo Incorporated in Richmond, California and launched in May of that year as the Spindle Eye. The Spindle Eye was activated too late in 1945 to see any World War II service, and soon after her launch the ship was placed into the Navy’s Pacific Reserve Fleet just outside of San Francisco Bay.

The Spindle Eye remained on inactive reserve with the Navy for nearly 20 years, but in early 1963 the Navy’s burgeoning force requirements necessitated a reactivation of the Spindle Eye. The ship was renamed the Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup on January 16, 1963 when she was acquired by the Military Sea Transport Service and ordered to Portland, Oregon for outfitting as a military vessel. The Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup entered the Willamette Iron & Steel Works facility in Portland in early 1963 for a months-long overhaul and modernization program that converted the vessel into a full-fledged helicopter freighter.

The conversion process required significant reworking of the Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup’s deck arrangement in order to accommodate the large number of helicopters that she would carry. The extensive metalwork undoubtedly released significant quantities of asbestos fibers into the ship’s hull. The toxic asbestos fibers likely lingered inside the vessel for months, subjecting not only the shipyard workers but also the ship’s crew to asbestos inhalation. When the overhaul and conversion was completed in June of 1963, the USNS Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup deployed with the Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

Although she was capable of carrying a large detachment of helicopters, the Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup never saw action during the Vietnam War, a war which has been called the first “helicopter war.” Instead, the Navy used the ship as a survey and research vessel, providing survey support for missions that were vital to America’s missile and space programs. In the late 1960s, the USNS Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup was reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet where she made several deployments to the Mediterranean in the waning years of her career. On December 20, 1969, the USNS Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup was decommissioned and placed into the Pacific Reserve Fleet. The inactive research ship was ultimately struck from the Naval Register on April 28, 1970.

Asbestos Risks

Asbestos was often used on ships such as the USNS Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup in order to insulate and fireproof materials onboard. Unfortunately, using asbestos has caused thousands of past shipyard workers and crew members to develop asbestos-related diseases from being exposed to asbestos. Boiler rooms and engine rooms were two of the most common areas for asbestos exposure. In addition to these locations, pipes, walls and ceilings insulated with asbestos often exposed crew members as well. 

Exposure to asbestos has been linked to several serious illnesses, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The latter is especially harmful due to the latency period for symptoms to arrive. In most cases, symptoms of mesothelioma can take as long as 20 to 50 years to develop, leaving patients completely unaware of their condition. By the time the majority of patients are diagnosed, the cancer has often reached the advanced stages of development.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, you may have legal options for compensation. Many have received financial assistance to help cover medical costs, lost income and any other expenses. For more information about compensation and treatment options, please click here to receive a complimentary informational packet.

Sources:

Auxiliary Vessels Index