USS Peterson (DD-969)

The USS Peterson (DD-969) was a Spruance-class destroyer built at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was laid down on 29 April 1974, launched on 21 June 1975 and commissioned on 9 July 1977.

Early Years

In the five years following her initial shakedown trials, Peterson was deployed to the Mediterranean three times. She was also sent to the Persian Gulf once between September 1980 and March 1981, monitoring the situation as hostilities broke out between Iraq and Iran.

Beginning in July 1982, she underwent a nine-month overhaul during which her weapons systems were upgraded. She returned to the Mediterranean in 1984 as part of the USS Saratoga carrier group and was stationed off the coast of Lebanon.

In the fall 1985, Peterson participated in the NATO Operation Ocean Safari in the North Atlantic, earning the title of "Blue Nose" for the crossing of the Arctic Circle. She returned to warmer waters in the Mediterranean three more times over the next five years. Her 1990 deployment included a mission to Liberia when civil war broke out in that nation; she stood by for the evacuation of U.S. citizens and later helped to move 1,600 refugees.

Peterson returned to the Ingalls yard in Mississippi in March 1991 for a 13-month overhaul, which included installation of an Mk 41 Vertical Launch System, a new sonar system and helicopter facilities.

On 16 February 1993, Peterson commenced a six-month Middle East deployment in the Red Sea, where she intercepted and boarded 247 vessels in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq. The following year saw Peterson off the coast of Haiti as a participant in Operation Support Democracy.

Peterson's 1995 Mediterranean deployment included an active role in several community service projects in the region, including the highly visible Project Handclasp program. On October 22 Peterson commenced three and a half months of yard availability, which included the installation of further missile upgrades.

In 1996, Peterson was assigned to counter-drug operations off the Pacific coast of Latin America. This was followed in 1997 by NATO operations in the Atlantic; she ended the century with a Mediterranean deployment.

Persian Gulf II.

Peterson was deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2001, remaining in the area for six months, enforcing the U.N. sanctions against Iraq. During this time, she conducted some 600 queries as well as four actual boardings.

Fate

The USS Peterson was decommissioned on 4 October 2002. She was scuttled during weapons-effect tests for the new DD-21 program.

Asbestos Risks

Regardless of whether they were acting in times of peace or battle, troops have always accepted that working in the armed forces brings with it inherent dangers. However, what many U.S. servicemen and servicewomen in the 20th century, especially sailors aboard navy ships, did not realize was that contact with asbestos could eventually turn out to be just as life-threatening as enemy attacks.

To protect the ship's crew, as well as the ship itself, from flames and excessive heat, materials with excellent insulating properties are necessary when constructing a ship. Therefore, it was normal (and in many cases required by law) for fire blockers such as asbestos to be utilized at the time that ships like USS Peterson were built. Asbestos has been known for centuries for its insulation properties; however, it was also proven to be the primary factor in the development of such debilitating illnesses such as asbestosis and pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos damages the human body when the mineral is friable (that is, easily crushed into microscopic pieces) because it is then able to enter the body by being inhaled.

The consequences of asbestos exposure weren't likely uppermost in the minds of most sailors while they were focused on defending against enemy weapon fire or dealing with collisions with other ships. But exposure to asbestos was a significant secondary hazard of such circumstance, since large-scale damage to a navy ship often also damaged asbestos so that the fibers could be inhaled or ingested by those nearby. And even when not faced with crisis conditions, those who served on naval vessels like USS Peterson still faced some amount of exposure since nearly every area of the ship had asbestos. In addition, a sailor toiling in enclosed areas where asbestos was present, such as a ship's mechanical sections or engine room, was especially at risk. Even land-based workers like pipefitters were subject to developing asbestos-related diseases if they serviced ships like Peterson without using safety equipment and procedures.

Because asbestos-related illnesses such as pleural mesothelioma often do not appear until as many as 20 or 30 years after the patient was exposed to asbestos, they can be very hard to spot. However, knowing about a patient's job-related asbestos contact can aid a doctor in being able to make an accurate diagnosis. If you lived or worked on USS Peterson during your career, you should learn more about the signs of diseases associated with asbestos and discuss any concerns you have with your doctor. 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