USS Forrestal (CV-59) — Asbestos Aboard the Lead Forrestal Class Carrier

USS Forrestal (CV-59), lead ship of the Forrestal class supercarriers and the first purpose-built supercarrier in the United States Navy, was commissioned at Newport News Shipbuilding in October 1955. Forrestal served primarily in the Atlantic Fleet, deploying to the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet and conducting Atlantic Fleet carrier operations. Forrestal suffered one of the worst peacetime disasters in US Navy history in July 1967 when an accidental rocket firing on the flight deck triggered a catastrophic fire that killed 134 sailors and injured 161. The 1967 fire required extensive repair work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard involving the replacement of fire-damaged equipment and structures, work that involved Forrestal’s asbestos-containing construction materials. Forrestal’s conventional steam propulsion plant — eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers and four sets of Westinghouse geared turbines — powered her from her 1955 commissioning through her 1993 decommissioning. Commissioned in 1955 at the peak of asbestos use in naval construction, Forrestal incorporated extensive asbestos-containing boiler insulation, steam pipe insulation, turbine insulation, and hull construction materials consistent with mid-1950s naval construction specifications.

USS Forrestal Steam Plant Asbestos

Forrestal’s eight-boiler steam plant incorporated extensive asbestos throughout:

• Babcock & Wilcox boiler insulation — Forrestal’s eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers were insulated with asbestos-containing boiler casing insulation, steam drum insulation, and firebox refractory materials consistent with mid-1950s naval construction specifications representing the peak asbestos use period. Boilermen working in Forrestal’s eight firerooms accumulated asbestos exposure from the boiler insulation throughout her nearly 38-year service
• High-pressure steam main pipe insulation — the high-pressure steam mains throughout Forrestal’s engineering spaces incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with 1955 naval construction specifications. Engineering ratings working in Forrestal’s machinery spaces encountered steam main insulation throughout the propulsion plant
• Main propulsion turbine insulation — Forrestal’s four Westinghouse main propulsion turbine sets incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation consistent with mid-1950s construction specifications. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance worked in proximity to asbestos-containing turbine insulation
• Steam catapult and aviation steam systems — Forrestal’s steam catapult systems and aviation support steam distribution systems incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation at the catapult supply lines and the aviation support steam system

USS Forrestal 1967 Fire Repair Asbestos Exposure

The 1967 flight deck fire and subsequent repair created additional asbestos exposure:

• Post-fire repair work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard — the extensive repair of Forrestal’s fire damage at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1967–1968 involved the replacement of fire-damaged flight deck equipment, replacement of damaged below-deck structures, and work in the engineering spaces and aviation spaces affected by the fire. Repair workers encountered asbestos-containing insulation and construction materials throughout the repair process

VA Claims for USS Forrestal Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy carrier steam plant service. Machinist’s Mates, Boilermen, and crew members who served aboard USS Forrestal 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.