Mount McKinley Class Amphibious Command Ship (AGC) — Asbestos in the Converted Cargo Hull Command Ship

The Mount McKinley class amphibious command ships — six ships converted from Type C2 Maritime Commission cargo hulls to amphibious force command ships during World War II — served as the command and control platforms for major amphibious operations from WWII through the Cold War era. The class included USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), USS Estes (AGC-12), USS Eldorado (AGC-11), USS Pocono (AGC-16), USS Adirondack (AGC-15), and USS Taconic (AGC-17). Originally built as commercial-type cargo vessels and converted to amphibious command ships by the Navy’s shipbuilding program during WWII, Mount McKinley class ships served as the flagships for amphibious task force commanders coordinating beach assaults and amphibious operations throughout WWII and into the Cold War. Their C2 cargo hull origins and WWII conversion produced ships with WWII-era steam propulsion plants incorporating asbestos-containing boiler and steam plant construction, and WWII-era interior construction incorporating asbestos-containing pipe insulation and building materials throughout the command ship’s accommodations, operations spaces, and engineering areas.

Mount McKinley Class WWII Steam Plant Asbestos

Mount McKinley class command ships incorporated WWII-era steam plant asbestos:

• C2 hull steam plant boiler insulation — the steam propulsion plant boilers aboard Mount McKinley class command ships, derived from the C2 cargo vessel marine engineering plant, incorporated asbestos-containing insulation on the boiler casings and steam drum surfaces consistent with the WWII-era marine engineering construction specifications of the C2 hull conversion period. Engineering ratings maintaining Mount McKinley class propulsion plants worked in proximity to the WWII-era boiler casing insulation throughout their engineering watch assignments
• WWII-era steam main and auxiliary steam pipe insulation — the steam main piping and auxiliary steam distribution piping throughout Mount McKinley class engineering spaces incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with WWII-era merchant marine and Navy steam plant construction. Engineering ratings working in Mount McKinley class engine rooms and firerooms accumulated background asbestos exposure from the WWII-era steam system pipe insulation throughout their engineering assignments

Mount McKinley Class Interior Construction Asbestos

WWII conversion work incorporated extensive asbestos-containing construction:

• Command and flag spaces construction — the flag plot, combat information center, communications center, and command staff working spaces installed in Mount McKinley class ships during their WWII conversion incorporated interior construction materials consistent with the WWII-era amphibious command ship conversion specifications. The extensive communications and command facilities added to convert C2 cargo hulls to command ships incorporated WWII-era construction materials in the command spaces
• Crew berthing and accommodation construction — the crew berthing areas, wardroom, and accommodation spaces throughout Mount McKinley class command ships incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation, overhead insulation, and interior construction materials consistent with WWII-era C2 conversion construction. The large staff accommodations required to house both ship’s company and embarked amphibious staff incorporated WWII-era construction materials throughout the residential spaces
• WWII-era equipment insulation throughout hull — the engineering equipment, pipe runs, and auxiliary systems installed throughout the Mount McKinley class hull during their WWII conversion incorporated asbestos-containing insulation on equipment surfaces and pipe systems consistent with WWII-era naval conversion specifications

VA Claims for Mount McKinley Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy amphibious command ships. Officers and crew members who served aboard Mount McKinley class command ships and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

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.