USS Fullam DD-474

The Fletcher-class destroyer was the first of the fifth generation of modern naval vessels of this type. The basic design was so successful that only relatively minor modifications were included on the subsequent two classes, the Sumner and Gearing. The USS Fullam (DD-474), one of 175 Fletcher-type destroyers built during the Second World War, was laid down at the Boston Naval Yard on 10 December 1941 and launched a little over 120 days later. Her commission came in March 1943; Cmdr. H. C. Daniel was her first captain.

1943-44

After a short time operating along the Atlantic coast, Fullam was ordered to the Pacific. She arrived in the combat zone on 28 August, carrying out the standard tasks assigned to destroyers, primarily escort and screening (guarding) larger and/or unarmed vessels. Her secondary function in her early days was troop transport and providing support fire for landings at the various islands.

In June 1944, she was ordered to hunt down a Japanese naval task force that was moving into position in order to oppose the Allied invasion of the Marianas. When she rejoined her carrier force on the 19th, all hell broke loose as the Battle of the Philippine Sea got underway. At the end of the two-day engagement, the IJN Naval Air Service had been fatally crippled.

During the invasion of the nearby Palau Islands in mid-September, Fullam was damaged in a collision with a converted Clemson-class vessel, the USS Noa. There were no casualties, although the Noa sank six hours later, and after completing a combat assignment, Fullam had to retire to the nearby facility on Manus Island, then proceed to the States for extensive repairs.

Fullam returned to action in late December 1944.

1945

Fullam continued her duties as Allied forces drew closer to the Japanese mainland throughout 1945. She remained in the western Pacific, participating in the assaults on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In August, she was ordered to Adak Island off the coast of Alaska in preparation for an assault on Hokkaido, but Japan's military government surrendered before she arrived. She remained in the Aleutians on patrol until sailing for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, for maintenance.

In March 1946, she left the Pacific Northwest for Southern California. She was mothballed in San Diego in January 1947. Fifteen years later, she was sunk as a training target.

Asbestos Risks

Asbestos was commonly employed for compartment insulation and for fireproofing in each U.S. Navy destroyer of the World War II era. Though essentially all areas of the Fullam presented a measurable level of asbestos exposure, a vessel's engines and engineering spaces generally were where sailors as well as civilian workers were likely to come into contact with airborne asbestos. When a ship was damaged in battle, by catastrophic storms, or accidentally, it almost inevitably exposed asbestos-laden materials to the open air or subjected them to flames or water, which meant even greater risk of undergoing harmful levels of asbestos inhalation.

With asbestos, the worst hazard of exposure is experienced when fibers become damaged and easily broken (or "friable"), because when very small asbestos strands are released into the surrounding air, the particles may then be breathed in by those nearby. Numerous studies have proven that grave medical issues such as asbestosis, cancer of the lungs and several types of mesothelioma are linked to even low levels of asbestos ingestion.

Naval veterans with a history of exposure to this mineral should definitely notify their doctor, as most asbestos-related problems are hard to diagnose because the symptoms can be mistaken for those of other illnesses. 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.

It is one of the unfortunate realities of World War II that along with normal hazards of enemy encounters, crewmen who served on board the Fullam were, as with people on other destroyers of her type, constantly endangered by asbestos inhalation, particularly as the Fullam saw heavy combat damage and underwent major renovations and patch jobs. Besides the serious damage and retrofit work, the troops who lived and worked on board the Fullam were often endangered by asbestos in the ordinary course of their duties, as were repair personnel such as pipefitters and carpenters who worked on the ship when the Fullam was dry-docked.

Considering the USS Fullam's record, it is imperative that servicemen who at any time in their career served or worked aboard this vessel, as well as those who served on her sister ships, find out about the serious risks posed by service-related exposure to this deadly fiber, particularly in light of what we now know about the outcome of prolonged contact with asbestos.

Sources:

Destroyers Index