USS Bairoko CVE-115

The USS Bairoko CVE-115 (named after a Solomon Islands site of American occupation in WWII) was a Navy escort carrier. She was built in Tacoma, Washington by the Todd-Pacific Shipyards at the very end of WWII, and she spent her early years at maneuvers, training exercises and fleet cruises. More than 1,000 enlisted men and officers served aboard the USS Bairoko.

Active During the Korean War

When the Korean Action started, the Bairoko reported to the Pacific Fleet and supported the United Nations forces in Korea. Her aircraft flew hundreds of missions. After her Korean service — for which she received three battle stars — the USS Bairoko participated in the atomic and hydrogen bomb tests at Eniwetok Atoll. Sixteen crewmembers incurred radiation burns during the Castle Bravo testing.

The USS Bairoko CVE-115 was decommissioned in San Francisco in 1955.

Asbestos and the USS Bairoko CVE-115
The Todd-Pacific shipyards where the USS Bairoko was built were probably typical of the shipbuilding industry in the 1940s, using asbestos widely in the construction of seagoing vessels. The shipbuilding technologies such as welding and machining often used asbestos, and many asbestos-containing parts were installed in Navy and commercial vessels.

Asbestos is highly fire- and friction-resistant, and it was used as an insulation material in many forms and hundreds of applications. However, scientists eventually confirmed that asbestos at high levels is carcinogenic — causing cancers that develop very slowly.

Long-Onset Asbestos Cancers

It is often a period of years or decades (even up to 50 years) between a human’s exposure to high-level asbestos and the manifestation of symptoms of mesothelioma or lung cancer. These symptoms include:

 difficulty breathing
 wheezing, coughing
 abdominal or chest pain
 excessive fatigue

If You Helped Build or Served Aboard the USS Bairoko

If you or your family member helped build or served aboard the USS Bairoko, you should be aware of the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases. If you have concerns about your future and your legal rights, contact an asbestos law firm to get the answers you need.