USS Enterprise (CV-6) — universally known as the “Big E” — was a Yorktown-class aircraft carrier commissioned in May 1938 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. Enterprise participated in virtually every major WWII Pacific campaign — Pearl Harbor, Midway, the Solomons, the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, and the final operations against the Japanese home islands — earning the sobriquet “the most decorated US Navy vessel of WWII” with 20 Battle Stars. Enterprise was decommissioned in 1947 and later scrapped despite preservation efforts. As a 1930s-era carrier, Enterprise was built with asbestos insulation throughout her steam plant and interior spaces.

1930s-Era Steam Plant Asbestos

Enterprise’s Yorktown-class 1938 engineering plant was built entirely with asbestos insulation:

  • Boiler plant — Enterprise’s nine Babcock & Wilcox boilers used asbestos lagging on all exterior surfaces, asbestos refractory brick in combustion chambers, and asbestos sealing materials throughout the boiler plant. The 1938 construction predated any awareness of asbestos health hazards, with asbestos specified as the standard and only option for boiler insulation
  • Main steam piping — the main steam distribution from Enterprise’s six firerooms to the propulsion turbines and auxiliary loads used asbestos magnesia pipe covering throughout the high-pressure, high-temperature steam distribution system. The steam piping runs throughout the engineering spaces were all covered with asbestos magnesia block insulation that deteriorated under the WWII combat-tempo operating conditions
  • Propulsion turbines — Parsons geared steam turbines used asbestos-containing casing insulation in the 1930s-era construction

WWII Service and Asbestos Exposure Period

Enterprise’s WWII service created sustained crew asbestos exposure:

  • Enterprise’s crew of approximately 2,700 officers and enlisted personnel occupied the carrier’s asbestos-containing engineering and accommodation spaces throughout the entire Pacific War from Pearl Harbor through the Japanese surrender
  • The high-tempo combat operations of WWII Pacific warfare accelerated the deterioration of asbestos pipe covering insulation in the engineering spaces under sustained full-power operation

VA Claims for USS Enterprise CV-6 Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6) 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 Enterprise

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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.

Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.

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.