USS Eldorado (AGC-11), commissioned 25 August 1944, was a Mount McKinley-class amphibious force command ship converted from the Type C2-S-AJ1 cargo ship hull by Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Brooklyn, New York. Launched 26 October 1943 by North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in Wilmington, North Carolina, Eldorado served as the floating command post for amphibious force commanders throughout the Pacific War and Cold War era. The ship carried Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner and served as the fleet flagship at Iwo Jima (February–March 1945) and Okinawa (April–May 1945) — the two largest amphibious assaults of the Pacific War. Eldorado served in Korea earning 8 battle stars and in Vietnam earning 10 campaign stars before decommissioning on 8 November 1972. The WWII-era conversion installed asbestos-containing insulation on the Babcock & Wilcox boilers and GE steam turbine propulsion system, and the Bethlehem Steel conversion incorporated asbestos-containing building materials throughout the converted cargo spaces transformed into command, communications, and combat information center spaces.
Propulsion System and Asbestos
Eldorado’s steam plant incorporated asbestos materials throughout:
- Babcock & Wilcox 450 psi boilers — the two header-type Babcock & Wilcox boilers providing steam for Eldorado’s propulsion used asbestos block insulation on boiler casings and asbestos pipe covering on the high-pressure steam distribution lines from the boiler rooms to the turbine. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining the boilers in Eldorado’s engineering spaces accumulated asbestos exposure from the installed boiler and steam system insulation throughout WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam-era service
- General Electric geared steam turbine — Eldorado’s single GE geared turbine driving the single propeller shaft operated at 6,000 SHP. The turbine and its associated steam piping used asbestos block insulation on the turbine casing and asbestos pipe covering on the turbine room steam system throughout the engineering plant
WWII Bethlehem Steel Conversion and Asbestos
The cargo ship conversion incorporated asbestos in the converted spaces:
- Command and communications spaces — Bethlehem Steel’s 1944 conversion of the C2 cargo hull into an amphibious force command ship incorporated extensive communications equipment installations, combat information center construction, and command space buildout using WWII-era military construction materials with asbestos-containing insulating board on bulkheads and overhead surfaces throughout the converted command spaces
- Electrical system installation — the extensive communications and electrical system installations required for the amphibious force command mission incorporated asbestos-containing electrical insulation on cables and asbestos-containing materials in the electrical distribution systems installed throughout the vessel
Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Korea, and Vietnam Service
Eldorado’s operational history created extended crew service periods:
- Eldorado served as the fleet flagship at the two largest Pacific War amphibious operations (Iwo Jima and Okinawa), then in Korea and Vietnam earning 20 total battle and campaign stars, with engineering and communications ratings serving in the steam plant and converted command spaces throughout the ship’s 28-year commissioned service life
VA Claims for USS Eldorado Veterans
A verified equipment manifest documenting Eldorado’s machinery is available: USS Eldorado Equipment Manifest ›
VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy amphibious command ships. Engineering ratings and communications personnel who served aboard USS Eldorado and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.
Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956
Equipment data derived from publicly available Wikipedia/DANFS records and U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History (Naval Institute Press). This does not constitute 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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Eldorado
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.
