When the Korean War began in 1950, the U.S. Navy rapidly reactivated hundreds of mothballed World War II ships and accelerated new construction. Every one of these vessels — the recommissioned WWII fleet and the new ships alike — was insulated with asbestos throughout its engineering plant. Korean War Navy veterans served in the same asbestos-saturated environment as their WWII predecessors.

Reactivated WWII Ships

A defining feature of the Korean War fleet was the return to service of WWII-built battleships, carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and support ships. These ships carried the original asbestos insulation installed during their wartime construction — insulation that was now a decade older and, in many cases, deteriorating. Sailors who brought these ships out of mothballs and kept them running were exposed to aging, friable asbestos.

Asbestos Aboard Korea-Era Ships

The exposure sources were the same as in every steam-powered Navy vessel of the era:

  • Boiler and turbine insulation in the fire and engine rooms
  • Asbestos-lagged steam and feed piping throughout the ship
  • Gaskets and packing on valves, pumps, and fittings
  • Overhead and bulkhead insulation in living and working spaces
  • Damage-control and fireproofing materials

Who Was Exposed

As always, engineering ratings — boilermen, machinist’s mates, watertenders, enginemen — had the heaviest exposure, but the whole crew shared the ship’s air. Sailors involved in reactivating and overhauling mothballed ships had additional exposure disturbing old insulation.

VA and Trust-Fund Claims

Korean War Navy veterans with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for VA benefits — with no filing deadline — and may separately pursue asbestos trust-fund and civil claims against the manufacturers. See VA claims and trust funds.

If you or a family member was diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease and was exposed to asbestos while serving aboard a Navy ship during the Korean War, you may be entitled to VA benefits and compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation.

(314) 237-6461 — Free Case Evaluation

Documented asbestos records are drawn from publicly filed U.S. Navy asbestos litigation and public records. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.