USS Dyess (DD-880)

The USS Dyess (DD-880) launched 26 January 1945 by the Consolidated Steel Corp., in Orange, Texas. She was sponsored by Mrs. A. J. Dyess, widow of Lieutenant Colonel Dyess and was commissioned 21 May 1945 with Commander R. L. Fulton at the helm. She was reclassified DDR-880 18 March 1949.

After shakedown trials and radar picket conversion, Dyess departed from Norfolk on 7 November 1945. She reported to the 5th Fleet at Tokyo Bay on 19 December for occupation duty, returning to Norfolk on 23 January. She served in local training cruises until August of that year.

From 29 October to 14 February 1948, Dyess made her first deployment to the Mediterranean. She then returned to her home port of Norfolk. She continued to make yearly deployments to the region for the next 10 years on peacekeeping and diplomatic missions as well as joint NATO exercises. While away from the Mediterranean, Dyess carried out a wide range of duties including carrier operations, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises and midshipman's training cruises.

On 25 July 1959, Dyess was assigned to a new home port in Charleston, South Carolina. On 29 January 1960 she departed for her 10th Mediterranean deployment. Upon her return to port, she entered Charleston Naval Ship Yard, where she remained through the year, receiving upgrades to her radar equipment. 1962 consisted of training exercises with the naval forces of NATO allies, followed by an amphibious battle simulation in the Caribbean.

In 1964, the Dyess again entered the Charleston Navy Yard, where she began her Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) conversion, designed to enhance ASW capabilities and extend her service life.

Vietnam

The Dyess departed for her first combat tour of Vietnam in early 1966. In addition to serving as a gunship for the nuclear-powered USS Bainbridge, the Dyess also performed carrier operations in the Tonkin Gulf and provided gunfire support for troops on shore.

Upon her return to port, the Dyess underwent maintenance, during which it was discovered that her evaporators were malfunctioning. She was sent to the Boston Naval Shipyard for repairs at the beginning of 1967. Returning to Newport, Rhode Island, in April, she got ready for another Mediterranean deployment, which was scheduled to begin in May. She returned in October, spending a few months as an ASW School Ship out of Key West, Florida. In December, she was sent to Boston for a five-month overhaul.

After undergoing shakedown following her overhaul, Dyess ran aground while attempting to enter Boston Harbor, necessitating another month of repairs.

After crew refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay, Dyess got underway for another Mediterranean deployment in September 1968. This five-month deployment was eventful and included a foray into the Black Sea.

Mechanical Issues

In February and March 1970, Dyess was assigned to a restricted availability for major boiler problem as well a pre-deployment tender availability alongside the USS Puget Sound. After a month of testing and further repairs, the Dyess departed for Europe and additional NATO exercises, which would last through the summer. She arrived in Newport on 8 October.

During another Mediterranean deployment in 1972, engineering problems made it necessary for Dyess to drop anchor in Naples for a month of repairs. They were among the first of mechanical problems that the vessel encountered that year.

In February 1973, Dyess began a 13-week restricted yard availability for the purpose of converting her engines, enabling them to burn Navy Distillate fuel. The fuel conversions took several weeks longer than anticipated. The work was finally completed by 10 May.

Dyess departed on 16 May, but a small hole in the hull was discovered and when the ship went into dry dock, a crack in the hull was found as well. The vessel was finally seaworthy again by mid-June.

The 1974 Arab Oil embargo put a halt to many scheduled operations though during this time the USS Dyess placed second during a fuel conservation contest. In 1975, Dyess was moved to the former New York Naval Shipyard. During the first part of the year, the USS Dyess participated in ASW operations off the Florida coast. During a routine cruise on 7 July, Dyess was involved in a minor collision with the USS Fox.

Upon her return in late August, Dyess went into the Sun Shipyard and Drydock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania for an overhaul. After 10 months of work that included sea trials, Dyess returned to her home port on 1 July 1976.

Over the next four years, the Dyess remained close to home, engaging primarily in training exercises and war game simulations.

The USS Dyess was decommissioned in 1980. According to a former crewman, the vessel was cut up for scrap the following year and her parts were sold to the Greek Navy.

Asbestos Risks

For as long as there have been wars, soldiers and sailors in the military have accepted that they face serious dangers. However, many were unaware of the serious risk of asbestos exposure that was present aboard Navy vessels throughout the 20th century.

In each ship utilized by the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, asbestos, a fibrous mineral, was widely installed for insulating pipes and for fire control. Asbestos possesses a natural resistance to heat and fire, making it ideal for use in many applications on destroyers like the USS Dyess. 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 Dyess 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 Dyess 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 Dyess 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 Dyess 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