USS Reeves (DLG-24/CG)

The USS Reeves (DLG-24) was a Leahy-class cruiser laid built at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, in Bremerton, Washington. Construction began on 1 July 1960; the vessel was launched on 12 May 1962. She was commissioned exactly two years and three days later under the command of Capt. Wynne A. Stevens, Jr.

The Leahy-class was classified as a guided missile frigate; nine of these vessels were launched between 1962 and 1964, and all served well into the 1990s, making them among the longest-serving vessels in the Navy. Only the USS Missouri (a battleship) and several Fletcher-class destroyers have a longer active service record.

Off to Vietnam

Following an extended trial and shakedown cruise, Reeves was stationed at Long Beach, California. After undergoing yard availability and further crew training, Reeves sailed on 10 April 1965 for her first tour with the 7th Fleet in the Far East. This first deployment lasted just over six months; during this time, she operated primarily in support of Allied operations in Vietnam, serving as an anti-aircraft picket. She returned to Long Beach on 3 November, engaging in routine operations off the California coast into 1966.

On 26 May 1966, Reeves got underway for a two-year non-rotated tour with the 7th Fleet. Arriving at her new home port of Yokosuka, Japan, on 16 June, she sailed two weeks later, dropping anchor off Danang on 7 July. For the next two years, she regularly sailed south from Japan for air-sea rescue tours off the coast of Vietnam, compiling a total of 493 days at sea - 312 of which were spent in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Home Again

Rotated back to the United States in August 1968, Reeves operated out of Long Beach for the remainder of the year. In addition to routine patrols and training duties, the vessel was used for testing and evaluating radar systems.

In 1969, Reeves was ordered to Bath, Maine, for an overhaul and modernization upgrades. Arriving 31 March, she was decommissioned for the duration of her yard period.

The New Reeves

Reeves was recommissioned on 29 August 1970 at Bath, where Capt. W. S. Mayer took the helm as ship's master. Reeves sailed for Pearl Harbor on 10 September, arriving on 19 November; the inordinately long voyage was due to frequent stops along the way, which included additional upgrades and adjustments and a three-week refresher training period for her crew out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After arriving at Pearl Harbor, Reeves commenced routine exercises and operations in the area around Hawaii.

Back to 'Nam

In June 1971, Reeves got underway once again for the Gulf of Tonkin. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 20 December 1971 and patrolled the waters between Hawaii and California until September 1972. Her next Far East deployment began on 18 September; she arrived in Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, two weeks later, then proceeded to the Vietnamese coast, where she remained until February 1973. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 17 March of that year.

Reeves was reclassified as a guided missile cruiser and received a new registry, CG-24, on 30 June 1975.

Reeves in the 1980s

After a maintenance period and undergoing a series training exercises in the mid-Pacific, the Reeves was deployed to the Strait of Hormuz in late January 1980 in response to the embassy hostage situation in Iran.

During most of the 1980s, Reeves operated out of Yokosuka, Japan. During that time, she engaged in routine battle exercises as well as surveillance of Soviet vessels sailing out of nearby Vladivostok.

Diplomatic Functions

On 5 November 1986, Reeves led the USS Rentz (FFG-46) and USS Olendorf] (DD-972) into the harbor of Qingdao, China. It was the first port visit by US Navy vessels since 1949, when the communist advance forced the evacuation of Americans from China. The port visit was an important step in establishing Sino-American relations.

During their time in Qingdao, the crews of the visiting ships held lectures and discussion sessions on Navy shipboard organization, management, training, propulsion, logistics and weapons systems for their Chinese hosts. Although such navy-to-navy orientations are regularly conducted with those of other nations, this was the US Navy's first opportunity for such an exchange with China.

Reeves was again deployed to the Persian Gulf from July to December 1987. Here, her crew participated in the first of nine tanker reflagging operations; during this period, the vessel's primary duty was to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Tragedy

On 30 October 1989, an aircraft from the carrier USS Midway dropped a 500-pound general-purpose bomb in error; it landed on the deck of Reeves during training exercises in the Indian Ocean. The explosion created a five-foot hole in the bow and injured five crewmen.

Fate

The USS Reeves was decommissioned on 12 November 1993 and berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor until 2001. On 31 May of that year, she was used as a target ship during a joint US-Australian naval exercise and sent to the bottom of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Queensland.

Asbestos Risks

Whether serving during peace or war, sailors and soldiers have always known that being in the military brings with it expected dangers. However, what most U.S. military personnel in most of the 20th century, especially those aboard navy ships, did not know was that asbestos exposure could turn out to be nearly as life-threatening as enemy attacks.

Because flames on an ocean vessel can be quite difficult to deal with, fireproofing is an important factor in the design and construction of ships. Given asbestos' excellent ability to block flames, it was hailed as being eminently suitable for use in the construction of ships, and at the time cruisers like USS Reeves were built, materials containing asbestos were common. The downside with using asbestos is that the mineral has shown to be a cause of debilitating diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestos damages our bodies when it is friable (in other words, easily smashed into microscopic pieces) because it is then able to enter the body through inhalation.

During an enemy attack or while struggling to survive severe weather, the likelihood of eventually being diagnosed with lung cancer or mesothelioma was probably far from most sailors' thoughts. Asbestos exposure was definitely a significant secondary hazard when a naval vessel was damaged in battle or by misfortune, however, because such incidents almost inevitably exposed materials made of asbestos to people nearby. In addition, because nearly every compartment in ships like USS Reeves had parts made with asbestos, all onboard typically were faced with some amount of exposure to asbestos even as they performed their everyday tasks. With asbestos being widely used around pipes and mechanical areas, Navy personnel with duties in such areas were particularly in danger. Even shipyard workers such as pipefitters were subject to developing asbestos-related illnesses when they serviced ships like Reeves without proper safety equipment and procedures.

Asbestos-related diseases can be complicated to distinguish from other illnesses, because they share symptoms with less serious conditions. However, being aware of a patient's history of asbestos exposure can assist a doctor in being able to make an accurate diagnosis. If you lived or worked aboard USS Reeves during your career, you should become knowledgeable about the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases and talk about your asbestos exposure history with your health care provider. If you would like more information on available treatment options or financial assistance to help pay for treatments, please fill out the form on this page to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail. For more information or free assistance regarding VA benefits, programs and eligibility, please call 800-615-2270 or contact our Veterans Assistance Department by filling out this form.

Sources

1. NA. CG-24 Reeves. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/cg-24.htm
2. NA. "China: Three Navy Ships Make Historic Port Call." All Hands, February 1987.
3. NavSource Online: USS REEVES (DLG/CG-24). http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/1124/040124.htm
4. USN. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (Web site). http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r4/Reeves-ii.htm

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