USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) — Asbestos Aboard the Midway Class Carrier

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42), second ship of the Midway class aircraft carriers and named for President Franklin D. Roosevelt who died during her construction, was commissioned at the New York Navy Yard in October 1945. Roosevelt served primarily in the Atlantic Fleet throughout her career, deploying repeatedly to the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet and providing the Atlantic Fleet carrier aviation capability during the early Cold War period. Roosevelt underwent a series of Cold War modifications including an angled flight deck conversion and received conventional weapon upgrades. She was decommissioned in 1977 after 32 years of service. Roosevelt’s steam propulsion plant — twelve Babcock & Wilcox boilers and four sets of Westinghouse geared turbines — powered her from her 1945 commissioning through her 1977 decommissioning, with the WWII-era steam plant asbestos construction maintained through her Cold War service. Boilermen and Machinist’s Mates serving aboard Roosevelt encountered the original WWII boiler insulation, steam main pipe insulation, and turbine insulation throughout her service life.

USS FDR Steam Plant Asbestos

Roosevelt’s twelve-boiler steam plant incorporated extensive asbestos throughout:

• Babcock & Wilcox boiler insulation — Roosevelt’s twelve Babcock & Wilcox boilers were insulated with asbestos-containing boiler casing insulation, steam drum insulation, and firebox refractory materials from WWII construction. Boilermen working in Roosevelt’s twelve firerooms accumulated asbestos exposure from the original boiler insulation throughout her 32-year service
• High-pressure steam main pipe insulation — the high-pressure steam mains throughout Roosevelt’s engineering spaces incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation from WWII construction. Engineering ratings working in Roosevelt’s machinery spaces encountered steam main insulation during normal operations and maintenance throughout her service life
• Main propulsion turbine insulation — Roosevelt’s Westinghouse main propulsion turbine sets incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation from WWII construction. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance worked in proximity to asbestos-containing turbine insulation
• Angled deck conversion construction — Roosevelt’s conversion to an angled flight deck configuration added new construction incorporating construction materials of the mid-1950s conversion period, supplementing the original WWII-era asbestos construction

USS FDR Hull Construction Asbestos

Roosevelt’s 1945 construction incorporated asbestos throughout the hull:

• Crew berthing and interior spaces — Roosevelt’s interior crew spaces were constructed using 1945 naval construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing floor tile, overhead insulation, and bulkhead construction materials at the peak of WWII-era asbestos use
• Aviation and hangar deck spaces — Roosevelt’s hangar deck, aviation fuel systems, and aviation support spaces were constructed using WWII naval construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing materials

VA Claims for USS FDR 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 Franklin D. Roosevelt 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.