Asbestos Exposure in the Military
Asbestos was used on military bases, naval shipyards and in navy ships throughout the 20th century. The use of asbestos on ships was especially harmful to many navy veterans. Hundreds of thousands of our military veterans have suffered from asbestos-related illnesses, including mesothelioma.
Areas on the ships that were most dangerous were usually in the fire and engine rooms. However, most navy veterans can recall the asbestos insulation that covered pipes and wiring throughout the ship.
Some of the personnel most at risk include boilermen, electrician’s mates, enginemen, firemen, machinist mates, pipefitters and shipfitters. Seabees who helped with military construction and the civilian shipyard workers were also at high risk.
What follows is a list of shipyards where military personnel and civilian workers were exposed to asbestos. Areas on the ships that were most dangerous were usually in the fire and engine rooms. However, most navy veterans can recall the asbestos insulation that covered pipes and wiring throughout the ship.
Some of the personnel most at risk include boilermen, electrician’s mates, enginemen, firemen, machinist mates, pipefitters and shipfitters. Seabees who helped with military construction and the civilian shipyard workers were also at high risk.
What follows is a list of shipyards where military personnel and civilian workers were exposed to asbestos.
Naval & Private Shipyards (Navy, Liberty, and Victory ships):
Alabama
- Chickasaw, AL - Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation
- Mobile, AL - Alabama Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company
California
- Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Naval Shipyard
- Los Angeles, CA - California Shipbuilding Corporation
- Los Angeles, CA - Todd Shipyards, Inc.
- Oakland, CA - Moore Dry Dock Company
- Richmond, CA - Kaiser Company
- Richmond, CA - Permanente Metals Corporation
- San Francisco, CA - Bethlehem Steel Company
- San Francisco, CA - Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard
- San Pedro, CA - Bethlehem Steel Company
- San Pedro, CA - Western Pipe & Steel Company of California
- Sausalito, CA - Marinship Corporation
- Vallejo, CA - Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Connecticut
- Groton, CT - Electric Boat Company
Delaware
- Wilmington, DE - Dravo Corporation
Florida
- Jacksonville, FL - St. John’s River Shipbuilding Company
- Panama City, FL - J. A. Jones Construction Company
- Tampa, FL - Tampa Shipbuilding Company, Inc.
Illinois
- Seneca, IL - Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
Indiana
- Evansville, IN - Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company
- Jeffersonville, IN - Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company
Louisiana
New Orleans, LA - Delta Shipbuilding Company
Maine
- Bath, ME - Bath Iron Works Corporation
- Kittery, ME - Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
- South Portland, ME - New England Shipbuilding Company
Maryland
- Baltimore, MD - Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, Inc.
Massachusetts
- Charlestown, MA - Boston Naval Shipyard
- Hingham, MA - Bethlehem Steel Company
- Quincy, MA - Bethlehem Steel Company
Michigan
- Bay City, MI - Defoe Shipbuilding Company
- Houghton, WA - Lake Washington Shipyards
New Jersey
- Camden, NJ - New York Shipbuilding Company Kearny, NJ - Federal
- Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company Port Newark, NJ - Federal
- Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
New York
- Brooklyn, NY - New York Naval Shipyard
- Staten Island, NY - Bethlehem Steel Company
North Carolina
- Wilmington, NC - North Carolina Shipbuilding Company
Oregon
- Portland, OR - Oregon Shipbuilding Company
- Portland, OR - Willamette Iron & Steel Corporation
Pennsylvania
- Chester, PA - Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
- Philadelphia, PA - Cramp Shipbuilding Company
- Philadelphia, PA - Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
- Pittsburgh, PA - American Bridge Company
- Pittsburgh, PA - Dravo Corporation
Rhode Island
- Providence, RI - Walsh-Kaiser Company, Inc.
South Carolina
- Charleston, SC - Charleston Naval Shipyard
Texas
- Houston, TX - Brown Shipbuilding Company
- Houston, TX - Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation
- Orange, TX - Consolidated Steel Corporation
Virginia
- Newport News, VA - Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
- Portsmouth, VA - Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Washington
- Bremerton, WA - Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
- Seattle, WA - Associated Shipbuilders, Inc.
- Seattle, WA - Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc.
- Tacoma, WA - Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc.
- Vancouver, WA - Kaiser Company
Wisconsin
- Manitowoc, WI - Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corporation
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