USS Hancock (CVA-19) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned in April 1944 at Bethlehem Steel’s Quincy, Massachusetts shipyard and extensively modernized under the SCB-125 program for angle-deck and enclosed bow configuration. Hancock served four Vietnam combat cruises (1966-67, 1968-69, 1972, and 1975) — among the highest deployment totals of any Vietnam-era carrier — and participated in the final evacuations from Vietnam in April 1975 as one of the last US Navy carriers to operate in the South China Sea during the fall of Saigon. Hancock was homeported at Naval Air Station Alameda, California through much of her Vietnam-era service. The ship’s WWII-era construction incorporated asbestos throughout her engineering spaces, steam systems, and accommodation spaces.

Engineering Plant Asbestos

Hancock’s Essex-class steam plant reflected WWII-era construction materials:

  • Boiler plant insulation — Hancock’s Babcock & Wilcox boilers used asbestos lagging on boiler exterior surfaces, asbestos combustion chamber refractory brick, and asbestos sealing materials at boiler access openings. The boiler plant was maintained by BT ratings whose daily duties included proximity to and periodic maintenance of the asbestos-containing boiler lagging
  • Main steam piping — the main and auxiliary steam distribution piping from boilers to propulsion turbines, ship’s service turbine generators, and auxiliary steam consumers used asbestos pipe covering insulation throughout the engineering spaces. The pipe covering insulation in the firerooms and enginerooms — where MM, BT, and other engineering ratings stood watch and performed maintenance — was asbestos-containing throughout the WWII and early Cold War construction era
  • Propulsion turbine insulation — the main propulsion turbines and reduction gears used asbestos-containing casing insulation and steam chest lagging in the WWII-era engineering plant construction

Accommodation and Interior Construction

Hancock’s interior construction used asbestos-containing materials throughout:

  • Berthing compartments and working spaces — crew berthing compartments accommodating Hancock’s complement of over 3,000 sailors used asbestos-containing deck tile and overhead insulation in the WWII-era construction. The mess decks, working spaces, and administrative spaces used asbestos-containing construction materials throughout
  • Aviation spaces — the hangar deck, ready rooms, and aviation maintenance workshops aboard Hancock used asbestos-containing construction materials in the building structure and interior finishes consistent with WWII naval construction standards

VA Claims for USS Hancock 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 other crew members who served aboard USS Hancock 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 Hancock

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.