USS New Orleans (LPH-11)

The USS New Orleans (LPH-11) was one of the United States Navy’s Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ships. As a Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH), the New Orleans served as a floating airbase for Marine helicopter units, as well as a staging base for smaller amphibious landing craft.

The New Orleans was built between 1966 and 1968 by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and commissioned on November 16, 1968. After her commissioning ceremony, the vessel conducted a brief shakedown and training cruise, which she completed successfully. Shortly afterwards, the New Orleans was deployed to the Pacific Fleet where she entered Vietnam waters. The ship participated in numerous amphibious assault exercises as well as five Vietnam campaigns, earning a total of five battle stars for her service. In the early 1970s, the USS New Orleans received the honor of being named the recovery ship for the Apollo 14 mission, which returned to Earth on February 9, 1971.

Service After the Vietnam War

The USS New Orleans spent the rest of the 1970s serving with the Navy’s Seventh Fleet in the western Pacific. In early 1981, she was recalled to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. This overhaul involved a major modernization program and much of the vessels’ interior equipment was removed and replaced. The high degree of metalwork required likely released significant amounts of asbestos into the air, exposing shipyard workers to the toxic substance.

In late 1990, as hostilities flared in the Persian Gulf, the USS New Orleans was deployed to the Middle East to support operations in the region. The New Orleans served in both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, providing minesweeping support for Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf. In November 1991, the New Orleans was ordered back to San Diego where she began a six-month long overhaul. Once again, the work required may have exposed those in the area to asbestos. When the overhaul was completed in 1992, the New Orleans returned to sea with the Pacific Fleet.

The vessel continued to serve with the Seventh Fleet until October 1997, when she was decommissioned and placed into the Naval Reserve Fleet. Over the course of her distinguished career, the New Orleans and her crew received one Navy Unit Commendation, one Meritorious Unit Commendation, and four Battle Efficiency Awards, among other medals.

Asbestos Risks

Navy veterans are at a particularly high risk for developing an asbestos-related disease because the majority of ships that were constructed for World War II and after contained asbestos-laden materials. Shipyard workers faced their greatest risk of asbestos exposure while performing routine overhauls and upgrades for military ships. During these overhauls, materials made with asbestos were often torn apart and removed from the vessel, enabling asbestos fibers to become airborne.

The inhalation of asbestos fibers is one of the primary causes of mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects about 3,000 Americans each year. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they typically become lodged in the lining of the lungs and remain there for several decades. Later in life, these fibers can cause irritations that have the potential to develop into cancerous mesothelioma tumors. Unfortunately, the severe latency period associated with this cancer often causes patients to become diagnosed during the advanced stages of development and at a time when treatment options are limited.

If you or a loved one have contracted or passed away from mesothelioma cancer after being exposed to asbestos, you may have legal options for compensation to help pay for treatments and other expenses. For more information about this and treatment options available for mesothelioma patients, please click here to receive a complimentary informational packet in the mail.

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Auxiliary Vessels Index