Tarawa Class (LHA-1) Amphibious Assault Ships — Asbestos in Cold War Amphibious Flagships

The Tarawa class amphibious assault ships — USS Tarawa (LHA-1), USS Saipan (LHA-2), USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), USS Nassau (LHA-4), and USS Peleliu (LHA-5) — built between 1971 and 1980 at Ingalls Shipbuilding (Pascagoula, Mississippi), were the first “one-stop” amphibious assault ships, combining in a single 830-foot hull the helicopter operations of the LPH, the well deck amphibious capability of the LSD, and the cargo capacity of the LKA. Tarawa class ships used two steam turbine plants producing 70,000 shaft horsepower, and their massive interior — built to embark a Marine battalion landing team of approximately 2,000 Marines — required asbestos-containing construction throughout their WWII-era interior specifications still in effect during early-1970s construction.

Steam Plant and Asbestos

The Tarawa class two-boiler steam turbine arrangement required asbestos insulation in the engineering spaces consistent with the steam plant specifications of the era:

• Two boilers in two firerooms with asbestos block, sectional covering, and cement on boiler casings, steam drums, superheater sections, and uptakes
• Two steam turbine sets with asbestos block insulation on turbine casings and high-temperature exhaust connections in the engine rooms
• Main steam piping throughout the engineering spaces covered with asbestos block lagging
• Auxiliary steam systems serving the vast hotel load of a ship designed to operate 2,000 Marines and 1,000+ crew at sea — laundry, galley, hospital, and domestic systems using asbestos-insulated pipe distribution throughout the hull

Marine Berthing and Interior Construction

The scale of the Tarawa class interior — designed for full battalion-level Marine embarkation — meant asbestos-containing materials were present in an exceptionally large volume of interior construction:

• Marine troop berthing on multiple decks throughout the hull using asbestos floor tile, overhead lagging, and bulkhead insulation in spaces built for mass troop embarkation
• Well deck and vehicle storage areas with asbestos-containing overhead construction above vehicle embarkation spaces
• Ship’s hospital and medical spaces serving embarked Marine forces with asbestos-containing construction in medical ward and operating room spaces built to naval hospital standards
• Aviation maintenance spaces supporting the embarked helicopter and Harrier aviation element with asbestos in overhead fireproofing over maintenance work areas

Marine and Navy Personnel Exposure

Both Navy crew and embarked Marine forces aboard Tarawa class ships were present in the asbestos-containing interior throughout their embarkation periods. Marines who repeatedly embarked for training exercises and deployments aboard LHA-1 through LHA-5 in the 1970s and 1980s accumulated exposure from the asbestos-containing construction of the troop berthing and working spaces.

VA Claims for Tarawa Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy amphibious vessels. Navy sailors and Marine veterans who served aboard Tarawa class ships (LHA-1 through LHA-5) 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.