USS Mullinnix (DD-944)

The USS Mullinnix (DD-944) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer built at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 18 March 1957 and commissioned on 7 March 1958 under the command of Commander Clyde B. Anderson.

Early Service History

Following shakedown trials out of Guantanamo Bay, the Mullinnix escorted the carrier USS Ranger to Brazil, returning to Boston in September 1958. After a second cruise to the South Atlantic, she was deployed to the Mediterranean on 7 August 1959 for a tour of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. During the next two years, she engaged in NATO exercises in the Atlantic and patrol duty in the Caribbean.

The 1960s

The latter part of 1961 found the Mullinnix cruising in the Mediterranean. Between 24 October and 19 November, the Mullinnix joined a task force of Argentine, Venezuelan and Dominican warships in the blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis.

Over the next two years, the Mullinnix operated primarily in the Caribbean and Atlantic, taking part in Operation Steel Pike I off the coast of Spain in October 1964. The following year, she took part in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training off the east coast. In March of 1965, she participated in the NASA Project Gemini, serving as part of the vehicle recovery team.

Vietnam

After a three-month deployment in the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet during the first part of 1966, the Mullinnix sailed for the coast of South Vietnam. Her duties during this deployment took her from the DMZ to the Saigon River, providing gunfire support for shore operations. Upon being relieved of this assignment, she sailed for the east coast through the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, arriving in Norfolk on 17 December.

In August 1967, the Mullinnix again participated in NASA tests involving the new Apollo space vehicle, plus she participated in that year's Operation UNITAS VIII with naval vessels from South American countries. She continued her training exercises in the Atlantic and Caribbean from her base at Norfolk over the next several months before returning to Vietnam in January 1969. It was the second of a total of three combat tours the Mullinnix would make to Vietnam, the last of which was in 1972.

In 1971, the Mullinnix took part in Operation Springboard. The following year, prior to her last deployment to Vietnam, the vessel undertook a diplomatic cruise in the eastern Mediterranean. Following her return from Vietnam in December 1972, the Mullinnix went into the Norfolk Navy Yard for an extensive overhaul that was not completed until October 1973. During 1974, her crew underwent several months of refresher training.

The next three years took the Mullinnix to the Middle East (1974), the Mediterranean (1975) and the North Atlantic (1976). In 1977, she went into the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard for more repairs and refits. Except for a period in port at Charleston, South Carolina in 1981, the Mullinnix spent most of her duties operating in the waters around the Middle East.

The USS Mullinnix was decommissioned in 1983. She was berthed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for several years before she was sunk in a target exercise off the coast of North Carolina in 1992.

Asbestos Risks

The mineral asbestos was widely installed for insulation and as fire control in each U.S. Navy destroyer until the 1970s. While nearly every part of a ship like the USS Mullinnix offered at least some asbestos exposure, the vessel's boilers and engineering compartments were the workspaces where sailors and shipyard workers were apt to be in danger of inhaling asbestos fibers.

When dealing with asbestos, the highest level of danger to human health happens in situations where items containing the mineral become damaged and breakable, because if the asbestos filaments escape into the air, the particles can be inhaled by those near the hazard. Numerous studies have shown that dangerous medical conditions such as mesothelioma are caused by even modest levels of asbestos exposure. Naval veterans with a history of exposure to this mineral should immediately tell their primary physician as related conditions can often be misdiagnosed.

If you have already been diagnosed with an illness related to asbestos exposure, you may have legal options for compensation. Many have received financial assistance to help pay for medical expenses and lost income. If you would like to learn more about this and treatment options, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a complimentary packet.

Sources

Destroyers Index