Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) — over 900 vessels commissioned during 1943–1944 — were 160-foot amphibious vessels designed to carry approximately 210 infantry troops to beachheads in contested amphibious landings. LCI vessels were built at New York Shipbuilding, Consolidated Steel, and other yards, and served in both the European and Pacific theaters. The LCI class participated in the D-Day invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944, delivering infantry troops to the beaches under fire, and in virtually every Pacific island-hopping campaign including Tarawa, Kwajalein, Guam, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. LCI vessels were powered by eight General Motors diesel engines driving twin screws. The diesel engines used asbestos-containing gasket materials, and the vessel’s interior construction incorporated asbestos-containing materials consistent with WWII-era naval construction.

Diesel Engine Systems and Asbestos

LCI diesel propulsion systems used asbestos-containing materials:

  • General Motors diesel engine gaskets — the eight General Motors diesel engines used asbestos-containing exhaust manifold gaskets and head gaskets in the engine assemblies. Motor Machinist’s Mates and Enginemen performing diesel engine maintenance in the confined engine spaces of these amphibious vessels encountered asbestos fiber from the compressed asbestos gasket materials during engine overhaul
  • Diesel exhaust and cooling system piping — the diesel engine exhaust and cooling water piping systems used asbestos pipe insulation on heat-producing exhaust components and asbestos-containing gasket materials in pipe connections throughout the LCI machinery spaces
  • Auxiliary system piping and valve gaskets — the ship service water, bilge, and fire main systems used asbestos-containing gasket materials in pipe flange connections and asbestos rope packing in valve stems throughout the vessel’s service systems

D-Day and Pacific Amphibious Operations

LCI vessels served in the pivotal amphibious assaults of WWII:

  • LCI vessels participated in both the D-Day Normandy invasion and Pacific island-hopping campaigns, with crew members serving in the diesel engine spaces throughout sustained amphibious operational deployments in the most intensive amphibious campaigns of the war

VA Claims for LCI Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard Landing Craft Infantry vessels and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

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 LCI Landing Craft Infantry

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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.

Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.

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.