Built and commissioned in 1944, the USS Bennington CV 20 was a U.S. aircraft carrier that honorably served in WWII, the Laotian Crisis and the Vietnam War. During her over 40 years of military service, the USS Bennington was involved in training military personnel and fighting in combat operations, between which she underwent various modernizations.
Unfortunately, however, like other aircraft carriers made during that era, toxic asbestos fibers were widely used throughout the ship, in parts ranging from boilers and engines to drywall and caulking. Over time, asbestos exposure can cause serious, chronic health problems, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
As a result, it is important that those who worked on or aboard the USS Bennington take time to understand more about the circumstances and effects of harmful asbestos exposure.
The USS Bennington CV 20 in WWII
At over 27,000 tons and 870 feet, the USS Bennington was a massive ship that the Navy regarded highly. In her first military operations, the USS Bennington sailed, via Pearl Harbor, to the Far East, where she joined Task Force 58 in fighting Japanese forces.
In her first operations, the USS Bennington:
• Participated in attacks of the Japanese Islands
• Bombarded the Volcano Islands
• Aided in strikes and raids proceeding at Okinawa.
After undergoing repairs in Leyte, the USS Bennington joined some of the final air strikes on Japan before the country ultimately surrendered. Upon the end of World War II, the USS Bennington played a role in flight celebrations over Tokyo, then traveled back to Norfolk, Virginia (via the Panama Canal) for a complete overhaul.
The USS Bennington CV 20 after WWII
Following WWII and her subsequent overhaul, the USS Bennington was put on reserve. During this time of inactive duty, she underwent further repairs and extensive modernizations. In fact, the Navy estimates that about 11 million hours of labor were invested in:
• Widening her deck by 8 feet
• Extending her deck by 42 feet (so that she could now support the take offs and landings of jets)
• Replacing existing artillery with more efficient 3-inch guns
By November 1952, the USS Bennington once again became active, as she was involved in training military personnel and patrolling various waters, including those surrounding Guantanamo Bay. At this point in her career, she had earned the title as the "most modern ship in the Navy's fleet."
However this distinction wouldn't last long, as an accidental explosion onboard her decks in 1954 would cause massive damages, kill 103 crewmembers and injure over 200 others. After this tragedy, the USS Bennington was completely rebuilt, and those affected by this accident were honored for their bravery.
In her final missions, the USS Bennington:
• Supported U.S. forces in the Laotian Crisis in 1960
• Completed three tours in Vietnam between 1965 and 1968
• Served as the main recovery ship for the Apollo 4 in 1967
She was finally decommissioned in 1970 and, in 1994, sold to an Indian company for scrap.
Asbestos Exposure aboard the USS Bennington CV 20
In addition to the many lives lost in combat and the accidental explosion, thousands of others' lives were also endangered by being exposed to toxic asbestos fibers. In fact, anyone who helped build, made repairs to or worked aboard this aircraft carrier at any time during her career likely experienced harmful asbestos exposure, as asbestos was rampantly used in:
• Boilers, kilns and industrial ovens
• Caulking
• Cements
• Drywall
• Fireproofed equipment
• Engine parts
• Insulation
• Shingles
• Tars
• Tiles.
Because long-term asbestos exposure can cause fatal diseases such as mesothelioma, it is vital that anyone who spent time aboard the USS Bennington contact us for more information and resources regarding asbestos exposure on aircraft carriers.
