USS Valley Forge CV

The Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge (CV) was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in the early 1940s with funds raised in a war bond drive. It was launched in 1944 and soon joined the Pacific Fleet. As the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after Valley Forge, the campsite of General George Washington’s troops in the Revolutionary War, the USS Valley Forge served very ably in:

 The post-WWII years
 The Korean War
 The Vietnam War
 Multiple other capacities

Antisubmarine Warfare Support Carrier

With a crew of more than 3,400 enlisted men and officers, the Valley Forge initially had San Diego as her home port. In 1953, she underwent a complete overhaul to become an antisubmarine warfare support carrier, and she joined the Atlantic Fleet.

Amphibious Assault Ship

In 1961, the USS Valley Forge was modified and overhauled again, becoming an amphibious assault ship. After many years of service — earning the ship eight battle stars for her Korean War service and nine for Vietnam War service — the Valley Forge was retired. In October 1971, she was sold for scrap.

The USS Valley Forge and Asbestos Exposure

Navy shipyards (such as the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard, where the Valley Forge was built) and private shipyards did not use adequate safety measures to protect their workers from toxic asbestos exposure. Many shipyard employees remember seeing clouds of asbestos fibers as a common presence in their environment, but the workers weren’t told of the health hazards of asbestos.

Those clouds of asbestos — both during the construction of Navy ships and during the crew’s service, when the guns were fired, for example — were the direct cause of respiratory diseases and cancer in many people. Asbestos-based components of an aircraft carrier such as the Valley Forge may be the source of the life-threatening illnesses of some Navy vets and shipyard workers.

Contact an Asbestos Lawyer about Your Work on the USS Valley Forge

If a diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis has befallen you or your family member, contact an asbestos lawyer to discuss your rights.