USS Houston (CA-30), a Northampton class heavy cruiser commissioned June 17, 1930 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (Newport News, Virginia), served as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet and as President Roosevelt’s at-sea transport before the outbreak of WWII. Houston was powered by eight boilers driving four sets of Westinghouse geared turbines producing 107,000 shaft horsepower. She participated in the Allied attempt to defend the Dutch East Indies, engaging Japanese forces in multiple battles before being sunk along with HMAS Perth in the Sunda Strait on March 1, 1942 — the day after the Battle of the Java Sea. Houston’s survivors were taken prisoner by Japanese forces. The crew who served aboard Houston during her pre-WWII and early WWII service accumulated asbestos exposure from the ship’s interwar engineering spaces and construction materials.

Interwar Steam Plant and Asbestos

USS Houston’s eight-boiler interwar steam plant used asbestos throughout the engineering spaces:

  • Main boiler insulation — Houston’s eight boilers used asbestos block insulation on boiler casings and asbestos-containing refractory in firebox construction from the original 1930 commissioning. Boiler Tenders maintaining Houston’s boilers worked in direct proximity to asbestos-insulated boiler surfaces in the cruiser’s fire rooms during interwar operations and early WWII Pacific service
  • Main steam system pipe insulation — the main steam piping from Houston’s eight boilers to four turbine sets was insulated with asbestos pipe covering from the original 1930 construction. Engineering ratings in the fire rooms and engine rooms were in continuous proximity to asbestos-insulated steam piping during Houston’s interwar and WWII operations
  • Turbine insulation — Houston’s Westinghouse main propulsion turbines used asbestos-containing thermal insulation lagging consistent with early 1930s heavy cruiser construction specifications

Presidential Use and Asiatic Fleet Operations

Houston served in high-profile interwar operations:

  • Houston served as President Roosevelt’s at-sea transport in the 1930s and served as the Asiatic Fleet flagship before the war, with crew members throughout these interwar periods serving aboard a ship with original 1930 asbestos-containing construction materials throughout the engineering spaces and interior

VA Claims for USS Houston Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy heavy cruisers. Engineering ratings and crew members who served aboard USS Houston (CA-30) during her operational career prior to her 1942 loss 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 Houston

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.