USS Benham DD-796

The USS Benham (DD-796) was a Fletcher-class destroyer, the most common type of U.S. naval ship of World War II. The USS Benham (DD-796) was built at the Bethlehem Steel Company's Staten Island shipyard and her keel was laid on 23 April 1943. She launched on August 30 and was commissioned on 20 December under the command of Commander Erle V. Dennet.

After her shakedown cruise, the Benham proceeded to Kingston, Bermuda in January 1944 for combat exercises for a month. She returned to New York on 13 February for post-shakedown maintenance and repairs before sailing for Pearl Harbor.

While at Pearl Harbor, the USS Benham engaged in training exercises in preparation for the invasion of the Mariana Islands, but collided with one of her sister ships on 24 April, damaging her bow and putting her out of commission for three weeks.

She joined Task Group 52.11 at the end of May and proceeded for the Marianas, arriving two weeks later. Japanese air strikes kept the crew of the Benham busy for a day until U.S. aircraft were able to drive them off.

The crew of the Benham continued to see a great deal of action over the next few weeks until the end of August, when she joined a flotilla in the campaign to retake the Philippines. The ship continued to serve under heavy combat conditions until 24 October, when she was ordered to the base on Manus Island off the coast of New Guinea for maintenance and refit. She returned to action on 11 November.

The Benham and her crew were caught in a typhoon on 18 December en route to Mindanao. Water surged through the ventilation systems, shorting out her communications and vent fans, forcing crewmen to bail water below decks without fresh air for several hours. The damage required her to enter a repair facility at Ulithi Island.

Benham was back in action a week later then, on 31 March 1945 an attempted kamikaze strike managed to take out Benham's radar while tragically killing a crewman and injuring 14. Temporary repairs were made that enabled Benham to return to Ulithi for more extensive work.

The USS Benham remained in the Far East after the Japanese surrender, finally sailing for home on 26 October 1945. She was decommissioned a year later and put into reserve at San Diego.

The 1950s

With the outbreak of the Korean conflict, the Benham was recommissioned in March 1951 under the command of Commander Allen P. Cooke. During the spring and summer of 1951, the Benham underwent a complete overhaul and upgrade at the Boston Naval Shipyard, during which her 40-mm cannons were replaced with larger three-inch cannons. The next few years were spent on publicity tours and completing routine patrols and training exercises all over the world.

She returned to the Boston Naval Shipyard in January 1956 for yet another overhaul and systems upgrade. During the summer of that year, the Benham served as an OT vessel before departing for the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in September for two weeks of maintenance.

Her next service was completed in Boston in January of 1958 after an extended deployment to the Mediterranean during the Suez Canal crisis. Afterward, she returned to the eastern Mediterranean where she remained until October. The following year she participated in a number of training exercises off the coast of Florida and in the Caribbean.

Final Years

In June 1960, the Benham was ordered to the Boston Navy Shipyard for extensive repairs and maintenance. She was decommissioned by the U.S. Navy on 30 June 1960 and transferred to the Peruvian Navy under the Military Assistance Act. The destroyer continued to serve under the Peruvian flag as the BAP Villar for another 20 years.

Asbestos Risks

On every Navy ship through the 1960s, asbestos was widely utilized to insulate pipes. Since the mineral possesses a natural resistance to heat and fire, it was commonly used aboard ships and vessels for its fireproofing abilities. Nearly all areas of a ship like the USS Benham presented a danger os exposure to asbestos, though the ship's boiler room and engine sections were areas where exposure was especially common. Experiencing major exposure was even more likely when a destroyer incurred damage in battle or through daily operation, causing asbestos fibers to break off into the air where they could be inhaled or ingested by anyone nearby.

Exposure to asbestos can cause the development of a serious disease such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. If you served aboard the USS Benham or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare asbestos-related cancer, and wish to learn more about symptoms, treatment and legal options, please click here to receive a complimentary informational packet from Asbestos.com.

Sources:

Destroyers Index