USS John Hood DD-655

The USS John Hood (DD-655) was built between 12 October 1942 and 25 October 1943 by the Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation of Chickasaw, Alabama. The ship was a Fletcher-class destroyer that operated in the United States Navy until 1964.

World War II Service

The John Hood took its shakedown cruise in the Caribbean before departing for the Pacific in August of 1944. John Hood's World War II service was spent in the far north, operating in the stormy waters around the Aleutian Islands. She joined the Destroyer Squadron 57 under Admiral John L. McCrea.

The primary mission of this task force was to harass shipping lanes and threaten the enemy outposts in the Kuril Islands. By the end of the war, the task force made nine sorties against the Kurils and five offensive sweeps in the Sea of Okhotsk. Despite the severely adverse weather and dangerous circumstances, the John Hood participated in every action.

After the War

After the end of hostilities, the John Hood sailed for the home islands to participate in the occupation. She remained in the waters of northern Japan until 18 November when she sailed for home. In late December, the John Hood arrived in Charleston and remained there until her decommissioning in July 1946. Like so many other ships of its generation, the John Hood was brought out of retirement and recommissioned in 1951 due to the Korean War and the drain placed on the United States military infrastructure because of it. The ship underwent major modernizations before departing Norfolk on 29 June 1951.

Over the next five years, the John Hood joined the 7th Fleet for peacekeeping patrols off the coast of Korea and the 6th Fleet for duty in the Mediterranean. After a return to Norfolk in February of 1956 for repairs to storm damage, the ship was used for training until the Suez Crisis, when it was deployed to Lisbon as part of the deterrent force.

In 1957, after training exercises in the Atlantic and another cruise with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, the John Hood began training exercises with the Fleet Sonar School and engaged in anti-submarine exercises before transferring to the Reserve Destroyer Squadron in 1961. The John Hood was decommissioned for the final time in June 1964 and the vessel remained in dock for 10 years before being stricken from the registry on 1 December 1974. She was sold for scrap to Luria Brothers and Company in 1976 and was taken into custody by that company at the end of April of that year.

Asbestos Risks

Aboard every American navy ship through both world wars, the fibrous mineral asbestos was commonly employed as compartment insulation and as fireproofing. The boilers and engineering spaces generally were the common areas where a Navy file or dockworker might be exposed to asbestos particles, but nearly all of a ship such as the USS John Hood had a measurable level of asbestos risk. The greatest danger with asbestos comes from asbestos materials that are exposed, as tiny asbestos fibers escape into surrounding air where they are then inhaled by those in the area.

Historically, asbestos inhalation has been linked with mesothelioma, lung cancer and many other dangerous health conditions. Navy personnel exposed to asbestos fibers should immediately notify their physician since most asbestos-induced illnesses are hard to detect. Regardless of the absence of major combat damage and redesign, those who worked aboard the USS John Hood were still at risk for asbestos fibers in the daily conduct of their duty. The sailors who sailed or labored on board this destroyer, and those like her, should become well informed of the hazards raised by their wartime exposure to asbestos fibers.

Those who have contracted an illness related to asbestos exposure may have legal options for compensation. Many asbestos-contaminated materials were made by manufacturers who knew the dangers of asbestos but elected not to mention it to workers. Because of this, many have received financial assistance to help pay for medical expenses and lost wages. For more information, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a free informational packet.

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Destroyers Index