USS Cabot CVL 28

Initially known as the "Wilmington CL 79," the USS Cabot CVL 28 was renamed in June 1942 and, subsequently, provided honorable service to the U.S. in World War II. Although she would eventually work with Spain near the end of her 60-year career, the USS Cabot’s remarkable performance in WWII would earn her nine battle stars, as well as a Presidential Unit Citation.

Throughout her decades of courageous service, the USS Cabot was involved in a number of critical and decisive missions, during which she trained troops, led combat operations and suffered devastating enemy attacks.

Unfortunately, the lives destroyed by such attacks weren't the only ones cut short due to their time aboard the USS Cabot. Like other aircraft carriers of this period, the USS Cabot was built from various components that contained unsafe amounts of toxic asbestos particles. Over years, exposure to asbestos causes irreversible, deadly conditions, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.

It is therefore important that anyone who helped build, repair, or otherwise worked on the USS Cabot take time to learn more about the forums for and effects of asbestos exposure aboard aircraft carriers.

The USS Cabot CVL 28 in WWII

In her first missions of WWII, the USS Cabot headed for Pearl Harbor and participated in the invasion of Majuro in 1944. Subsequently, she:

• Aided the Marshall Islands invasion, during which she joined strikes on Truk, Roi and Namur
• Bombarded Palaus, Yap and Woleai
• Protected crafts invading Hollandia
• Fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, a pivotal WWII engagement.

While the Battle of the Philippine Sea would prove to be a turning point in the war due to the massive losses and damages the Japanese suffered, the war wasn't yet over. Consequently, in her following missions, the USS Cabot:

• Aided air strikes on Mindanao, Luzon and the Visaya Islands
• Supported raids on Okinawa
• Fought in the Battle of Leyte
• Underwent repairs needed due to damaging kamikaze attacks
• Supported the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

These invasions would prove to be the USS Cabot’s last combat operations in WWII, as she was involved in training missions during the Japanese surrender. Upon the end of WWII, the USS Cabot returned to the U.S., was decommissioned and placed on reserve until 1948.

The USS Cabot CVL 28 after WWII

Re-commissioned in 1948, the USS Cabot joined the Naval Air Reserve training program and then, four years later in 1952, performed a tour of European waters. Shortly after, however, the USS Cabot was again decommissioned and would remain out of service until 1967.

In her third commission, the USS Cabot worked exclusively with the Spanish Navy, as the U.S. had loaned her to support mutual interests. Soon, though, the USS Cabot was sold to Spain and, subsequently, renamed "Dedalo." As the Dedalo, this aircraft carrier would proudly serve the Spanish Navy for about 22 years until she was ultimately decommissioned in 1989 and sold for scrap.

USS Cabot and Asbestos

Although her decorated service history is still admired to this day, the legacy of the USS Cabot isn't without its negative aspects, especially when it comes to the loss of life associated with her. Along with the lives cut short by combat, many others have or will develop incurable, potentially fatal diseases as a result of being exposed to carcinogenic asbestos fibers while working aboard the USS Cabot.

Because it can take decades for asbestos cancers to make themselves present, anyone who spent time aboard the USS Cabot should contact us for more information.