USS Forrest Royal (DD-872)

The USS Forrest Royal (DD-872) was a Gearing-class destroyer, launched 17 January 1946 from the Bethlehem Steel Company's Staten Island shipyard. She was commissioned on 29 June of that year under the command of Cmdr. J. M. Clute.

The Late 1940s

Initially based out of Pensacola, Florida, the Royal was used in the Caribbean for Bureau of Ships testing when not serving the routine duties of destroyers (primarily acting as a carrier escort and plane guard) and participating in battle exercises and war games. The crew of the Royal was also instrumental in the development of the destroyer's new role in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tactics.

Korea

In September 1950, Forrest Royal got underway for her first tour of duty in Korea, arriving at the U.S. Naval base in Sasebo, Japan, on 27 October. Her activities in the combat zone included shore bombardment, blockade and escort as well as extensive operations with carriers from which air strikes were launched.

Between 20 and 24 December, Royal took part in the bombardment of Hungnam. Upon completion of this assignment, she joined the blockade off Korea's northeast coast, turning her guns on shore positions near Kisamon Tan. She continued in her fire support and bombardment roles in the vicinity of Kingnang and Sachonjin Ni as well as operations with carrier task forces until the end of May. Royal departed for home 6 June 1951, arriving at Norfolk, Virginia, a month later.

Peacetime Deployments

Forrest Royal's next overseas deployment took place between 26 August 1952 and 29 January 1953. She participated in NATO exercises off the coast of Norway, visited major ports in northern Europe, conducted anti-submarine exercises with Britain's Royal Navy off the coast of Ulster and made a two-month tour of the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet.

Stationed out of Newport, Rhode Island, upon her return, Forrest Royal spent the next 18 months engaged in exercises along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean, often serving with carriers out of Pensacola.

During a circumnavigation the globe between 2 August 1954 and 14 March 1955, Forrest Royal served a tour with the 7th Fleet in the Far East before proceeding westward to the Indian Ocean to join the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. Her next visit to the Mediterranean was between 14 September 1956 and 3 April 1957. During the Suez Crisis, Forrest Royal patrolled along the Egyptian and Levant coasts. When she was ordered to the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Gulf of Suez, however, she was forced to make the long voyage around the African continent, as the Suez Canal was still closed.

Forrest Royal hosted a midshipman cruise to South America during the summer of 1957. NATO operations took her back to European waters that fall.

Forrest Royal sailed from Newport in early July 1958 for Morehead City, North Carolina, and from there to Puerto Rico for amphibious landing exercises with Marine units in preparation for their deployment to Lebanon in August. After landing the Marines, Forrest Royal continued on to the Far East via the re-opened Suez Canal for a tour of duty with the 7th Fleet. She sailed for home via Cape Town, South Africa, returning to base on 18 November.

In 1959, Forrest Royal took part in Operation "Inland Sea," observing the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The 1960s

In March 1960, Forrest Royal sailed once more to the Mediterranean for a deployment with the 6th Fleet, adding a brief tour with the Middle East Force prior to her return to the States in October. She operated out of Newport for the remainder of the year.

In the spring of 1961, Forrest Royal entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for her FRAM (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization) conversion, which consisted primarily of upgrades to her ASW weapons systems.

Forrest Royal was based out of Mayport, Florida, in October 1961 when President Kennedy ordered the quarantine of Cuba. The Royal was among the first destroyers to arrive in the area. When the crisis ended, she returned to testing her new weapons systems.

In August 1963, Forrest Royal was again deployed to the Mediterranean. Early in 1964, she participated in Polaris test firings at Cape Kennedy, Florida, followed by a midshipman cruise to Northern Europe. In January 1965, Forrest Royal operated as part of the recovery team for the unmanned test flight of Gemini II. The following year, she was part of the recovery force for the two-man Gemini XI space flight.

Late in 1966, Forrest Royal took part in LANTFLEX-66, one of the largest fleet exercises in 10 years.

Vietnam

In February 1967, Forrest Royal made her first and only combat tour of Vietnam. She became the flagship for Destroyer Squadron 16, commanding all naval gunfire support ships in the area. From 23 April to 6 May the Forrest Royal expended some 2,600 rounds of ordnance in the I and II Corps area

Following operations on Yankee Station, Forrest Royal joined Operation Sea Dragon on 20 May. On the 29th, she moved south to the Demilitarized Zone. She began her trip home on 3 August, arriving in Mayport on 19 September 1967.

Fate

The USS Forrest Royal spent the last four years of her U.S. Navy career as a training vessel, including service with the Sonar School. She was decommissioned on 27 March 1971 and transferred to the Turkish government. Renamed TCG Adatepe, she served under the Turkish flag until the early 1990s.

Asbestos Risks

Since man first began fighting wars, solders and sailors in the military have accepted that their service means facing many dangers. What many did not understand even until near the end of the 20th century, however, was a danger that was unrelated to mortar fire or attacks by the enemy: the danger of diseases related to asbestos exposure.

Being able to control the spread of fire onboard a ship is vital; many maritime disasters attest to the hazards of fire at sea. During the timeframe when USS Forrest Royal and her sister ships were constructed, the substance known as asbestos was commonly used on ships because of its property of being able to withstand flames. Asbestos was known even in ancient times for its insulation properties, but it has also been demonstrated to be the primary factor in the development of such serious illnesses such as lung cancer and peritoneal mesothelioma. Asbestos causes damage to the body when it is friable (i.e., easily smashed into small particles) because it can then enter the body by being breathed in.

During an enemy attack or while struggling to survive severe weather, the likelihood of eventually coming down with lung cancer or mesothelioma was undoubtedly the furthest thing from most people's thoughts. Asbestos exposure was certainly a significant secondary hazard if a vessel was attacked or was involved in an accident, however, since such circumstances almost inevitably exposed asbestos-containing materials to the elements. And even outside of battle conditions, sailors who served on destroyers like USS Forrest Royal still were faced with at least a certain amount of exposure because nearly every area of the ship contained asbestos. Since asbestos was common near conduits and boiler rooms, service personnel whose jobs placed them in such areas were especially in danger. Those who worked on Forrest Royal or other destroyers like her when she was in dry dock for overhaul were subject to the chance of asbestos contact too.

Diseases associated with asbestos exposure are hard to tell apart from a variety of other disorders, since they can have similar symptoms to those conditions. To be able to accurately diagnose such diseases, a doctor needs to know about a patient's history of contact with asbestos. All those who overhauled or lived aboard USS Forrest Royal, therefore, are advised to discuss their service history with their healthcare providers. To learn more about the diagnostic process, available treatment options and financial assistance to help pay for medical costs, please fill out this form to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail.

Sources

Destroyers Index