USS Dorsey DD-117

The USS Dorsey (DD-117) launched in April 1918 and was commissioned in mid-September of that year under the command of Commander G. F. Neal.

After two convoy runs to Ireland and the Azores during the autumn of 1918, Dorsey operated out of New York City for two months before she was ordered to the Caribbean for training exercises. This was followed by escort duty during in which she accompanied the vessel carrying President Woodrow Wilson to the Versailles treaty conference, then service in the Adriatic.

Dorsey was next stationed in San Diego. During her time on the west coast, she sailed from Valparaiso, Chile to Nagasaki, Japan, visiting several Pacific Rim ports before arriving in San Francisco in October 1922. She was mothballed at San Diego six months later and would remain in reserve for another seven years.

Dorsey was reactivated in 1930. After five years of duty in and around the Hawaiian Islands, she reported to the Mare Island Navy Yard near San Francisco, where she was converted into a high-speed, heavy-duty tugboat, designed to tow practice targets.

In July 1940, she was stationed at Pearl Harbor, where in November she was again converted, this time to a high-speed minesweeper and reclassified DMS-1.

World War II

Dorsey was en route to Johnson Island with Task Force 3 when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. Returning to base two days later, she was assigned to local patrols, escorts and training. She remained in the area nearly two years, except for an overhaul in San Francisco in January and early February 1943.

Dorsey was ordered to the war zone in late September 1943. Her duties over the next year and a half included minesweeping, towing and screening.

On 27 March, Dorsey was operating off Okinawa when she was hit by an incoming kamikaze pilot, killing three crewmen and injuring two. The damage was not severe enough to take her out of action, however, and she remained on duty until 4 April, when she headed back to Pearl Harbor for repairs.

Dorsey returned to Okinawa in July 1945, and stayed on after the war for mopping-up operations. On 9 October, however, she was caught in a typhoon that ran her aground and damaged her beyond repair. She was scuttled on New Year's Day in 1946.

Asbestos Risks

On board each United States Navy vessel through World War II, the fibrous mineral asbestos was widely employed for pipe insulation and as a fire control material. Asbestos possesses a natural resistance to heat and fire, making it ideal for use in many applications on destroyers like the USS Dorsey. The boiler room and engineering sections of a vessel were generally the areas where those aboard were most apt to come into contact with asbestos fibers, however, nearly all sections of a ship like the USS Dorsey offered a measurable level of asbestos risk. Whenever a warship was damaged, whether through battle or everyday wear and tear, asbestos fibers were often released into the air where anyone nearby could inhale or ingest the particles into the body.

Asbestos exposure can lead to the development of mesothelioma, asbestosis, tumors and a myriad of other health problems. Those who sailed on board the USS Dorsey were constantly in danger of asbestos exposure. Shipyard workers, machinists and mechanics who serviced vessels or worked on the construction of destroyers like the USS Dorsey may have also been exposed to the toxic mineral.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, or served aboard the USS Dorsey and wish to learn more about treatment and legal options, please click here and Asbestos.com will send you a complimentary comprehensive packet.

Sources:

Destroyers Index