USS Dyson DD-572

The Fletcher-class destroyer USS Dyson was built by the Consolidated Steel Corporation in Orange, Texas, and launched in April 1942. She was commissioned at the end of December and placed under command of Commander Roy A. Gano, who went on to retire 20 years later at the rank of Admiral.

Following her shakedown and a period of escort and screening duty along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean, Dyson left for the Pacific. After taking part in several combat actions, she was assigned to the spearhead group Fast Carrier Task Force on 25 March 1944. Between then and the Battle of the Philippine Sea, she provided support for virtually every major campaign in the area before returning to the west coast for an overhaul and refit.

Dyson returned to the Fast Carrier Group in November for the invasion of the Philippines, and remained with the group until February 1945.

Her next assignment was with Task Force 78, escorting convoys between San Pedro and Subic Bays in the Philippines and supporting landings on Panay, Los Negros and Mindanao.

From 16 May until the end of the war, Dyson was stationed at Okinawa for radar picket and escort duty as well as search and rescue operations. She sailed for home on 10 September, arriving five weeks later. During the war, she accounted for the sinking of two enemy merchant-freighters and three warships and the downing of seven enemy aircraft. She also participated in eight shore bombardments.

After functioning as a massive electrical generator for decommissioned destroyers moored at the NB at Charleston, South Carolina for the next several months, Dyson was decommissioned on 31 March 1947. Thirteen years later, she was loaned to the West German Navy until she was transferred to the Greek Navy in 1982, and stripped for spare parts.

Asbestos Risks

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 Dyson. 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 Dyson 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 Dyson 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 Dyson 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 Dyson 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