USS America (CV-66) was the fifth Kitty Hawk class attack carrier, commissioned in January 1965 at Newport News Shipbuilding. America served as an Atlantic Fleet carrier for 31 years — homeported at NS Norfolk — conducting three Vietnam War combat deployments to Yankee Station and extended Cold War Mediterranean deployments through 1996. Built in 1961-1965 at the height of asbestos use in naval construction, America’s eight-boiler engineering plant was insulated with asbestos throughout, and the ship served across the full asbestos era with engineering ratings standing watch in the asbestos-insulated engineering spaces throughout her service.

Engineering Plant and Asbestos Construction

USS America’s engineering plant was consistent with other Kitty Hawk class carriers:

  • Eight-boiler main propulsion plant — America’s eight Babcock & Wilcox high-pressure boilers in four fire rooms generated steam for propulsion and ship services, with asbestos insulation on boiler casings, steam drums, superheater headers, and associated steam piping throughout the fire rooms. BTs standing fire room watch throughout America’s service were in heavily asbestos-insulated fire room environments during each watch rotation
  • Main steam distribution system — high-pressure superheated steam piping from four fire rooms to four engine rooms used asbestos pipe covering throughout the carrier’s main steam system
  • Engine room turbine insulation — main propulsion turbine casings in four engine rooms had asbestos insulation on turbine external casing surfaces
  • Interior structural asbestos — the ship’s interior construction from 1961-1965 used asbestos-containing deck tile, overhead materials, and structural insulation throughout crew habitability spaces and working areas

Vietnam War Service

USS America conducted three combat deployments to Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War:

  • Engineering ratings aboard America during Vietnam combat deployments stood continuous fire room and engine room watch rotations during sustained air wing operations, accumulating asbestos exposure in the asbestos-insulated engineering spaces throughout each combat cruise

Mediterranean Operations

As an Atlantic Fleet carrier, America conducted numerous Mediterranean deployments throughout the Cold War — with engineering departments maintaining continuous steam plant operation during extended underway periods in the Mediterranean Sea.

VA Claims for USS America Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy carriers. Engineering ratings who served in fireroom and engine room billets aboard USS America during her Vietnam War or Cold War service 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 America

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.