USS Saratoga CV 3

Constructed in 1922 and first commissioned in 1927, the USS Saratoga CV 3 was the second aircraft carrier that the Navy ever built. During her over 20 year of service, the USS Saratoga CV 3 was involved in various training operations, many pivotal WWII missions and regular modernization projects.

However, just like all other 20th Century aircraft carriers, the USS Saratoga CV 3 was largely made with asbestos-filled parts and substances. Asbestos, a durable and resilient mineral, can be extremely toxic when its fibers are disturbed and inhaled, causing mesothelioma, asbestosis and other irreversible, possibly deadly conditions.

Since those who spent time aboard the USS Saratoga CV 3 likely experienced unsafe levels of asbestos exposure, it's vital that they educate themselves on the avenues and risks of asbestos exposure aboard aircraft carriers.

The USS Saratoga CV 3's Early Missions

In her first set of military operations, the USS Saratoga CV 3 joined the "Battle Fleet" of the Pacific and:

• conducted various training operations that showcased the usefulness of such carriers
• participated in shakedown tours with her fleet-mates
• helped create future carrier strategies and tactics through exercises such as "Fleet Problem X."

After undergoing a badly needed overhaul in 1941, the USS Saratoga CV 3:

• provided crucial relief to U.S. forces after the Pearl Harbor attack (December 1941)
• was hit by a Japanese torpedo (1942) and underwent repairs in Bremerton, Washington
• bombarded Guadalcanal, during which she sank the Japanese aircraft carrier "Ryujo."

Unfortunately, following this brave stint of combat, the USS Saratoga CV 3 was again damaged by a torpedo and received the necessary repairs in New Orleans. In her next set of WWII missions, the USS Saratoga CV 3:

• led operations in Noumea
• conducted pivotal attacks on the Japanese at Rabaul
• joined the "Relief Carrier Group," with whom she protected troops traveling to Makin and Tarawa
• supported the invasion of the Marshall Islands.

After a brief tour with the British Eastern Fleet in Sumatra and Java, the USS Saratoga CV 3 conducted air strikes against Iwo Jima and participated in attacks on mainland Japan. During the final years of WWII, the USS Saratoga CV 3 underwent further repairs and continued training military personnel in Pearl Harbor.

The Final Years of the USS Saratoga CV 3

With the end of WWII, the USS Saratoga CV 3, like many of her fellow carriers, helped bring troops home as part of "Operation Magic Carpet." Subsequently, she played a crucial role in the nuclear testing conducted at the Bikini Islands, which was officially known as "Operation Crossroads." During these bombings, the USS Saratoga CV 3 was ultimately sunk on July 25, 1946.

While she would be omitted from the Navy List less than a year later, the USS Saratoga CV 3 was honored with seven WWII battle stars. However, this glowing legacy has not gone untarnished - the lives cut short by combat and asbestos exposure muddy her otherwise heroic past.

Although many crewmembers voluntarily agreed to risk their lives in the war effort, thousands of others - including military personnel, shipbuilders and repair workers - didn't willingly assent to experiencing asbestos exposure, which, over time, causes serious and incurable diseases.

In fact, many of those who spent time aboard the USS Saratoga CV 3 likely endured toxic levels of asbestos exposure. If you are among this group, contact us for more information and resources regarding asbestos exposure aboard aircraft carriers - it could save your life.