The Forrest Sherman class destroyers — DD-931 through DD-950 — were the first all-new destroyer design built for the US Navy following World War II, constructed between 1953 and 1958. Builders included Bath Iron Works, Bethlehem Steel (San Francisco), Puget Sound Shipbuilding, and Sperry Marine. The Sherman class used 1,200 PSI / 1,000°F steam plants — higher pressure and temperature than the WWII-era destroyers they succeeded — which required even more extensive asbestos insulation in their engineering spaces to manage the thermal environment of the boiler and engine rooms.

High-Pressure Steam Plant and Asbestos

The Forrest Sherman class was designed around a 1,200 PSI steam plant, a significant increase over the 600 PSI plants of the Gearing and Sumner classes. The higher operating pressures and temperatures demanded more comprehensive asbestos insulation:

  • Babcock & Wilcox or Foster Wheeler boilers operating at 1,200 PSI with extensive asbestos block insulation on casings, steam drums, and superheater sections
  • High-pressure main steam piping carrying asbestos block insulation specifically rated for 1,200 PSI service on all pipe runs from boiler to turbine
  • General Electric main propulsion turbines with asbestos block insulation on turbine casings and exhaust connections, plus asbestos cloth gaskets at all turbine flanges
  • Auxiliary steam systems serving ship’s hotel loads using asbestos-insulated distribution piping throughout interior spaces

Some Hulls Converted to DDG

Several Forrest Sherman class hulls were later converted to guided missile destroyers (DDG): USS Decatur (DDG-31), USS John Paul Jones (DDG-32), USS Parsons (DDG-33), and USS Somers (DDG-34). These conversions added missile handling and fire control systems while retaining the original steam plant and interior construction — veterans who served on converted hulls in either configuration served aboard asbestos-containing vessels.

Class Hull Roll

Forrest Sherman class destroyers included USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931), USS John Paul Jones (DD-932), USS Barry (DD-933), USS Davis (DD-937), USS Jonas Ingram (DD-938), USS Du Pont (DD-941), USS Bigelow (DD-942), USS Blandy (DD-943), USS Mullinnix (DD-944), USS Hull (DD-945), USS Edson (DD-946), USS Somers (DD-947), USS Morton (DD-948), USS Parsons (DD-949), and USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950).

VA Claims for Forrest Sherman Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy destroyers. Veterans who served in engineering ratings aboard Forrest Sherman class destroyers before the vessels’ decommissioning and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits. DD-214 records identifying a DD-931 through DD-950 hull number as a duty station document the qualifying assignment.

Product & Manufacturer Reference

The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Forrest Sherman Class (DD)

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:

VA Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.

Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.

How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.

VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit

Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.