USS Jenkins DD-447

The USS Jenkins (DD-447) was a Fletcher-class destroyer that operated in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II, the Korean War, and in Vietnam. The ship was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company of Kearny, New Jersey in late 1941 and was launched on 21 June 1942.

First Operations

The Jenkins undertook training operations at Casco Bay, Maine before leaving for the North African campaign on escort duty. During the assault on November 8, the Jenkins operated as a screen for larger ships. After this operation, the Jenkins returned to New York to make ready for Pacific operations.

Duty in the Pacific

The Jenkins ran escort and patrol duty around the Solomon Islands and in the Coral Sea. During the invasion operations of June 29, surprisingly strong Japanese air resistance put the Jenkins' gunners to the test. The ship successfully downed several Japanese planes and contributed significantly to the allied victory in those operations.

The Jenkins was then assigned to TG-36 and departed on July 5 to engage a Japanese destroyer carrying reinforcements to Kolombangara. During the battle that ensued, fire from American ships sank two destroyers. The engagements continued for the Jenkins when, after being assigned to assist and escort the damaged USS Chincoteague, both ships came under heavy fire. Despite this, the Jenkins was successful in escorting the damaged ship to Espiritu Santo.

The Jenkins was involved in several more significant engagements of the Pacific Theater before striking a mine and being forced into Subic Bay and later to California for repairs. The ship remained in California for the rest of the war and was decommissioned on 1 May 1946.

The Korean War

Retirement did not last long for the Jenkins as she was recommissioned in November of 1951 and reclassified as DDE-447. The ship was sent to Pearl Harbor for training and then to the Korean Theater to join Task Force 77, which provided air support for ground troops. Between 1953 and 1963, the Jenkins took part in peacekeeping operations with the 7th Fleet, sailing annually to the Far East.

The Vietnam Era

These operations on the part of the 7th Fleet became increasingly important as the military involvement in Vietnam escalated. In 1966, beginning in February and ending in July, the Jenkins took up a role as gunfire support, shelling enemy troops in Vietnam to assist ground forces in the area. This fire support role continued after a major overhaul in Pearl Harbor in 1967, after which she returned to Vietnam for another tour of duty.

The Jenkins was decommissioned in February o1969 and was struck from the registry later that year. The ship was eventually broken up and sold for scrap in February 1971.

Asbestos Risks

Through both world wars and beyond, every American navy craft routinely installed the substance known as asbestos for insulating pipes and for fireproofing. The vessel's boiler room and engineering sections usually were the areas where seamen or maintenance workers were most likely to come into contact with air contaminated with asbestos, but essentially all sections of the USS Jenkins offered a real danger of asbestos exposure.

When a ship was damaged in battle, by catastrophic storms, or accidentally, it almost inevitably exposed asbestos-laden materials to the open air, which meant even greater risk of having high levels of asbestos inhalation. With asbestos, the greatest risk to human health is experienced whenever strands are fragile, because if minute asbestos filaments go into the surrounding air, the particles may then be inhaled by workers in the area.

Persistent asbestos intake has been conclusively linked with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and many other life-threatening medical issues. Those workers and sailors whose duties put them near asbestos fibers should promptly inform their primary physicians since many asbestos-induced diseases can be puzzling to distinguish from other illnesses.

As with servicemen on other vessels of this era, the men who lived and worked on board the Jenkins were constantly at risk for asbestos fiber inhalation. Regardless of the lack of important combat damage and redesign activity, those who served aboard the USS Jenkins were nevertheless in danger of inhaling asbestos fibers in the normal course of their duties.

This was especially the case for maintenance workers such as pipe fitters and carpenters who worked on the craft when the Jenkins spent time dry-docked. For servicemen who worked aboard this ship at any time in their career, as well as those who served on other naval vessels, it is vital to be thoroughly informed about the risks posed by past exposure to this toxic mineral.

For those who have contracted an illness related to asbestos exposure, compensation may be available to help pay for medical expenses and lost income. For information about compensation and treatment options, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a free informational packet.

Sources:

Destroyers Index