USCGC Ingham (WHEC-35) — Coast Guard Cutter Asbestos Exposure

USCGC Ingham (WHEC-35), a 327-foot Secretary-class Coast Guard cutter (commissioned 1936) with WWII and Vietnam service, preserved at Key West. Asbestos aboard and the Coast Guard exposure record.

By Rights Watch Media Group LLC •August 18, 2026 • 2 min read

Hull

WHEC-35

Class

Secretary (Treasury) class, 327-foot high-endurance cutter

Commissioned

1936

Built At

Philadelphia Navy Yard

MusterLog™ 0

The USCGC Ingham (WHEC-35) is a 327-foot Secretary-class (Treasury-class) high-endurance Coast Guard cutter, commissioned in 1936 and preserved today at Key West, Florida. Over a long career she served as a WWII convoy escort and on Vietnam gunline duty, one of the most decorated cutters in Coast Guard history.

Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard the Ingham

Like other 327-foot Secretary-class cutters of her era, the Ingham was built and maintained with asbestos-containing materials concentrated in her machinery spaces. Per public shipbuilding and litigation records, asbestos was allegedly used in materials of this construction era, including:

Boiler-room and engine-room lagging — insulation on the oil-fired boilers, steam drums, and steam turbines
Steam and exhaust pipe insulation — pipe covering and block insulation throughout the engineering spaces
Gaskets and valve packing — in steam, feedwater, and fuel-oil systems
Turbine casings, evaporators, and auxiliary machinery insulation
Bulkhead and overhead panel insulation in machinery and habitability spaces

These materials were most hazardous when disturbed during maintenance, repair, or overhaul — releasing airborne fibers into the enclosed machinery spaces where the crew worked.

Who Was Exposed Aboard the Ingham

The 327-foot cutters were driven by an oil-fired steam-turbine plant, and asbestos insulation lined the boilers, turbines, and steam piping in the engineering spaces. Coast Guard engineering ratings — machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, and damage-control personnel — worked in and around asbestos-containing lagging that released fibers when disturbed during watches, maintenance, and overhauls.

VA Benefits for Coast Guard Veterans

The U.S. Coast Guard is a branch of the armed forces, and Coast Guard sea service is qualifying military service for VA purposes. Coast Guard veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for VA disability compensation when the record shows in-service asbestos exposure, a current diagnosis, and a medical link between them.

Diagnosed with mesothelioma after exposure aboard the Ingham? Coast Guard veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease after exposure aboard the Ingham (WHEC-35) may be able to pursue a claim against the makers of the asbestos products used aboard. Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 237-6461

Documented asbestos records are derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation and public shipbuilding records addressing vessels of this construction era. RightsWatch Media is an independent publisher, not a law firm; this is not legal or medical advice.

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™

Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service

Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.

Boiler Room Sailor stands watch in the aft machinery room of USS Iwo Jima. (35298984822) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Drydock Overhaul USS Newport News (CA-148) in drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard 1965 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engine Room Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - USS Sterett Sailor takes equipment readings in ship's engine room. Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engineering Watch USS Bataan Stands Full Female Engineering Watch Team (8442031) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry … — Machinist Mate US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry Rivera work on a rotor … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Navy Fireroom Fireroom aboard USS Rochester (CA-124), in 1955 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the … — Shipyard Worker US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.

USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35 — Frequently Asked Questions

Are USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?

Yes. USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.

Which shipboard components on USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35 contained asbestos?

Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.

What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35?

Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.

Do USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?

Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.

Veterans' Firsthand Accounts

Were you aboard USCGC Ingham? Add your account.

No one knows this ship like the crew who ran her. If you served aboard, tell us what you remember — the spaces, the equipment, where the dust and lagging were, what the work was really like. Every firsthand account helps another USCGC Ingham veteran or family understand where they may have been exposed, and where to find help.

About these accounts: they are personal recollections shared by veterans and their families — individual memory and experience, not archival records, and not independently verified. The ship's documented history, equipment manifest, and exposure record on this page are drawn from NARA, BUSHIPS, DANFS, and VA sources. These accounts sit alongside that documented record — they add to it, they don't change it.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.

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Connect With a Navy Asbestos & Mesothelioma Attorney

Navy veterans and civilian shipyard workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may have grounds for a civil claim against the asbestos product manufacturers whose materials were installed aboard. O'Brien Law Firm represents veterans and their families in the civil track at no upfront cost — separate from any VA disability benefits you may be eligible for.

Living with a diagnosis?

If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.

Lost a loved one to mesothelioma?

Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.

Free case evaluation — no obligation to hire
No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
Civil claims against asbestos manufacturers & bankruptcy trust funds
Maritime statute of limitations: 3 years from diagnosis (46 U.S.C. § 30106)
Runs in parallel with VA benefits — civil recovery does not reduce VA disability compensation

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Civil mesothelioma & asbestos litigation — veterans and their families.

VA disability benefits are a separate government process. To file a VA disability claim for asbestos exposure, visit VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or contact a Veterans Service Organization (DAV, VFW, American Legion) for free claim assistance.

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If you served aboard USS USCGC Ingham — WHEC-35 and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or another asbestos disease after exposure to asbestos aboard ship, you may have a legal claim. Speak with O'Brien Law Firm — (314) 237-6461.

navyshipexposure.com is published by Rights Watch Media Group LLC, an independent publisher, and is sponsored by O'Brien Law Firm. This page is a public-records reference and is not legal or medical advice.