USS Clarence K. Bronson DD-668

The USS Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668) was a Fletcher-class destroyer and was a product of the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Kearny, New Jersey (a private contractor and not connected with the Federal government). Her keel was laid in December 1942, and she launched on 18 April 1943. Bronson was commissioned two months later and Commander W. S. Veeder served as her master and commander.

World War II Action

Bronson reported to Pearl Harbor on 21 November. Her crew remained in Hawaii for training until the following January, when she was attached to the spearhead Fast Carrier Task Force. Her primary duty was screening, which meant sailing at the perimeter of the fleet to detect incoming enemy subs and/or aircraft, provide advance warning, and defend the carriers as necessary. Bronson stayed busy in this capacity during several landing operations until the end of April 1944.

During May, Bronson was in dry-dock at the Majuro naval base in the Solomon Islands for repairs and maintenance. On 6 June, she rejoined the Fast Carrier Force for the invasion of the Mariana Islands, then went on to Saipan and Guam. On 19-20 June, Bronson screened for carriers as they launched their planes during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

For the next nine months, Bronson was involved in heavy fighting, and fortunately avoided any hits. However, action took its toll on the machinery and the vessel returned to California on 29 March 1945 for an overhaul and refit.

Bronson returned to Pearl Harbor on 9 July, where her crew underwent refresher training before proceeding to Wake Island for bombardment duty. Following Japan's surrender, she served with the post-war occupation until 10 December, then sailed for Charleston, South Carolina, stopping at San Diego and New York. She was decommissioned on 16 July 1946.

After the War

Clarence was reactivated for Korea on 4 July 1951. She spent two years as a training vessel, operating along the eastern seaboard and the Caribbean until she was ordered to Korea in July 1953. Her tour there lasted until 10 November, after which she continued westward to circumnavigate the globe. She arrived at Narragansett Bay on 15 January 1954.

Throughout the next four years, Bronson was busy working as a training ship for prospective electrical engineers and participating in periodic NATO exercises. In 1958, she was assigned to the Underwater Sound Laboratory for experiments with new sonar technology, then spent two years completing naval reserve training cruises along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean. She was decommissioned in Orange, Texas in 1960.

Bronson was sold to the Turkish Navy in 1967, where she served as the TCG Istanbul until she was scrapped in 1987.

Asbestos Risks

Throughout World War I and World War II vessels utilized by the United States Navy commonly used the mineral asbestos for insulation and fireproofing materials. A ship's boilers and mechanical compartments were often the areas of a vessel where exposure to asbestos was likely to occur though essentially all parts of a ship such as the USS Clarence K. Bronson presented a significant risk of asbestos exposure. The hazards associated with exposure were elevated when asbestos fibers broke off into the air. The chance of this happening increased when a ship was damaged in battle or became worn during daily operations.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested into the body they can become lodged in organs and cavities, causing inflammation or infection and, overtime, the development of a serious asbestos-related illness such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer that typically develops in the lining of the lungs. Patients typically do not demonstrate symptoms of the illness until 20 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos occurred.

Today, veterans comprise approximately 30 percent of mesothelioma patients. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or served aboard the USS Clarence K. Bronson and wish to learn more about the cancer, please click here and Asbestos.com will send you a complimentary comprehensive packet in the mail.

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Destroyers Index