“Our first impression of Frank Pasternak was that he was an honest man, and that he was a good man and that he had compassion for people and he was sensitive to our needs and he proceeded all the way through our case demonstrating those qualities.”
– Harvey Kurtz, former client
U.S. Navy Veterans & Asbestos
U.S. Navy ships used asbestos as insulation and in other products. This was especially true around pipes and boilers and from the 1930's to the mid-1970's. Navy Veterans often had direct or indirect exposure from jobs or removal operations, like ripouts. Some naval ships still have asbestos. Asbestos can be found in many gaskets, brakes, clutches, and older building materials. Numerous WWII veterans including Navy veterans and ship personnel were exposed to this whitish powder or fine asbestos debris from frayed materials, insulation or overheads. The U.S. Navy used asbestos products in ship construction, repair and overhaul at naval shipyards and involved many asbestos companies.
Asbestos, asbestosis and mesothelioma continue to take a heavy toll on U.S. veterans and especially Navy veterans. Asbestos was widely used by the military, particularly in U.S. Navy ships. Many veterans are being diagnosed today with asbestos disease due to exposure that occurred during military service. Asbestos insulation and other asbestos containing materials could be found in various naval boats and Navy ships including:
- Aircraft Carriers
- Airships
- Amphibious Ships
- Auxiliary Ships
- Battleships
- United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
- Cruisers
- Destroyers
- Destroyer Escorts
- Escort Aircraft Carriers
- Frigates
- Minesweepers
- Patrol Boats
- Submarines
Asbestos materials, such as most gaskets, floor coverings and cements were hazardous when worked by punching, grinding, machining or sanding or when the material was deteriorated. Whenever asbestos had the potential to become airborne the friable asbestos was a health hazard since inhalation of asbestos fibers has been demonstrated to cause asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Naval records for asbestos materials used in shipyards, ship construction or ship repairs still exist and are used in investigating mesothelioma, asbestosis and asbestos cases. Ship databases, war diaries and ships history records are also used to identify specific products used as can private shipyards records and naval shipyard records relating to ship construction or overhaul. Military specifications have helped to identify many asbestos-containing products for veterans asbestos claims including: Instruments, Meters, Panel, Insulating Materials, Packing Material, Prefabricated-Forms, Tubes, Cables, Capacitors, Paper-Dielectric, Mixes, Block Insulation, Pipe Covering, Deck Covering Materials, Adhesives, Insulation Felts, Thermal Materials, Gaskets, Refractory, Mortar, Aggregate Mixtures, Rods, Valves, Boilers, Bonds, Compounds, Bedding Compounds, Coatings, Packing Assemblies, Hydraulic Assemblies, and Grinders. Enlisted veterans exposed to asbestos may include Boiler Technicians, Construction Mechanics, Damage Controlmen, Electronics Technicians, Enginemen, Fire Control Technicians, and many others.
Navy shipyards involved with veterans asbestos claims may include:
- Brooklyn Navy Yard (aka New York Navy Shipyard), Brooklyn, New York
- Charlestown Navy Yard (aka Boston Navy Yard), Boston, Massachusetts
- Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Long Beach, California
- Mare Island Naval Shipyard (aka Mare Island Naval Station), California
- New London Shipyard (aka New London Naval Submarine Base), Groton, Connecticut
- Norfolk Naval Shipyard (aka Gosport Shipyard), Portsmouth, Virginia
- Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (aka Philadelphia Naval Base), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Maine
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington
- San Francisco Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, California
- Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.