Merchant Marine Ships
The U.S. Merchant Marine consists of a fleet of civilian ships that carries cargos in and out of U.S. ports in times of peace. During times of conflict, the Merchant Marine (also known as the U.S. Maritime Service) becomes an adjunct branch of the U.S. Navy. The branch's mission is to carry troops and supplies to combat zones. During the height of World War II, the War Department (later the Defense Department) contracted with private merchant ships and placed sensitive cargos, armed personnel and machine guns on board.
From 1937 to 1947, nearly 6,000 merchant marine ships were constructed. These vessels included tankers, hospital ships, and the famous Liberty ships that carried precious ammunition and other war materials to U.S. soldiers, sailors and Marines around the world. With such prolific production, the demand for fireproofing material to protect the ships’ engine rooms and other vital areas was at an all-time high. Navy officials and civilian construction supervisors found what they considered the perfect material: asbestos.
During the 1930s and 1940s, manufacturers used asbestos – a tough, lightweight mineral whose fibers show a strong resistance to extreme temperatures – as a major ingredient in insulation, gaskets, brake pads, adhesives and other surfaces that would be in contact with high heat. Hundreds of components on the thousands of merchant marine vessels contained asbestos, which resulted in thousands of dockworkers and sailors becoming exposed to loose asbestos fibers.
Those asbestos fibers left sailor and dockworkers susceptible to mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by extensive or long-term asbestos exposure. That makes sailors and other war veterans a high-risk group for asbestos related illnesses. To understand the relationship between asbestos and those diseases, get a free informational packet from the Mesothelioma Center. Fill out this form and a packet will come to you in the mail at no charge.
Mesothelioma and Merchant Marine Ships
For mariners who survived the ordeals of war, mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases represent a long-term life threat. The latency of the diseases is 10 to 50 years, depending on several lifestyle and genetic factors.
As workers and sailors inhaled the glasslike fibers from Merchant Marine ships, the microscopic shards would cut through the lung tissue and damage the air sacs. The most serious disease that arose from chronic asbestos exposure was mesothelioma, a previously rare form of cancer that strikes the lining around the lungs.
Many sailors aboard ships in the U.S. Maritime Service fleet worked below decks, in cramped quarters and confined spaces. The service depended on the men working in the boiler rooms, fire control rooms and engine compartments to keep the ships on course and on time to deliver the supplies ground troops needed to carry out their missions.
In these small spaces, asbestos exposure was a real hazard. In 1939, a report from the Navy Surgeon General showed that asbestos dust from pipe covers and insulation sheets posed a danger to personnel. Decades later, as more veterans of the Maritime Service reported symptoms of lung diseases such as mesothelioma, the level of that danger was soon to be made apparent.
Asbestos and Merchant Marine Shipyards
More than a dozen shipyards built U.S. Merchant Marine ships. Some of these sites include:
Shipyards That Built U.S. Merchant Marine Ships
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| American Ship Building Company | Loraine, Ohio |
| Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, Inc | Baltimore, Maryland |
| California Shipbuilding Corporation | Los Angeles California |
| Delta Shipbuilding Company | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| J. A. Jones Construction Company | Brunswick, Georgia and Panama City, Florida |
| Kaiser Company | Vancouver, Washington |
| Marinship Corporation | Sausalito, California |
| New England Shipbuilding Company | South Portland, Maine |
| North Carolina Shipbuilding Company | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Oregon Shipbuilding Company | Portland Oregon |
| Permanente Metals Corporation, #1 & #2 Yard | Richmond, California |
| Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation | Savannah, Georgia |
| St. John's River Shipbuilding Company | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation | Houston, Texas |
| Walsh-Kaiser Company, Inc. | Providence Rhode Island |
Veterans and VA Claims
If you served on a merchant marine ship,, read our veterans claims page to learn about benefits that may be owed to you or your spouse. Mesothelioma because of asbestos exposure can be a reason why you are eligible for additional benefits.
-
05/23/2012 -
A new class of anti-cancer drugs is nearing the clinical trial phase and may eventually be available for treatment of aggressive diseases like pancrea ..
-
05/23/2012 -
School districts all across America have been wrestling in recent years with the task of removing and disposing of toxic asbestos from older buildings ..
-
05/21/2012 -
Five asbestos workers are on strike demanding a safer working environment and higher wages. The group was removing asbestos from the roof of the Parkl ..
© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Monday, February 20th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.
