Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek

The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek provides support services to many home-ported ships and thousands of personnel. Four naval bases were constructed in the early years of World War II as components of the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek in order to provide training for the Navy's Atlantic Fleet and Amphibious Forces.

Ships, Vessels, and Buildings at the Base

Landing ships (LSMs), ship tanks (LSTs), landing craft for infantry (LCIs), merchant ships and other vessels were kept, used and serviced at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek in the WWII years. Many buildings were constructed at the base sites, which had been empty farms and swamps at the start of the war.

Thousands of Personnel

Over 350,000 members of the Navy, Army and Marine Corps trained at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek for the war effort, and hundreds of servicemen and civilians worked there. Unfortunately, many of these individuals may have been exposed to toxic levels of asbestos, a mineral that was used widely in ship and building construction during WWII and for about 30 years after the war.

Asbestos Causes Cancer

After the ship disasters of the Titanic and the Moro Castle, asbestos was used as a fire retardant material for many ship parts. The cancer causing properties of asbestos, although known to some, were ignored in the rush to make ships less prone to on-board fires.

The shipyard workers and naval base personnel who were around the asbestos ship parts or working with them directly were at a higher-than-normal risk of contracting an asbestos-caused disease such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis.

Asbestos at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek

If you or your loved one worked at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek and have received an asbestos-related diagnosis, contact us for information about your rights and options.