USS Midway (CV-41) — Asbestos Aboard the Cold War's Longest-Serving Carrier

USS Midway (CV-41), lead ship of the Midway class aircraft carriers and the longest-serving American aircraft carrier of the twentieth century, was commissioned at Newport News Shipbuilding in September 1945 — arriving too late for World War II combat but entering a nearly five-decade career as one of the most active carriers in the fleet. Midway was the first US carrier too large to transit the Panama Canal and underwent a series of major modernizations including a 1966–1970 SCB-101 reconstruction that substantially changed her hull form and flight deck, adding an angled flight deck and enclosed hurricane bow. Midway served as the homeport ship at Yokosuka, Japan from 1973, providing continuous carrier presence in the Western Pacific and becoming the most forward-deployed American carrier in the fleet. Midway’s steam propulsion plant — twelve Babcock & Wilcox boilers and four sets of geared turbines — powered the carrier through her WWII-era construction and her 1966–1970 major reconstruction, with the WWII-era steam plant asbestos construction maintained and supplemented by the new construction materials incorporated in her Cold War modernizations. Midway was decommissioned in 1992 and is now a museum ship in San Diego.

USS Midway Steam Plant Asbestos

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

• Babcock & Wilcox boiler insulation — Midway’s twelve Babcock & Wilcox boilers were insulated with asbestos-containing boiler casing insulation and steam drum insulation from WWII construction. Boilermen working in Midway’s twelve firerooms accumulated asbestos exposure from the WWII-era boiler insulation maintained through her multiple Cold War refits and the 1966–1970 SCB-101 reconstruction
• High-pressure steam main pipe insulation — the high-pressure steam mains throughout Midway’s engineering spaces carrying steam from the boilers to the four main turbine sets incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation from WWII construction. Engineering ratings working in Midway’s machinery spaces encountered steam main insulation throughout the propulsion plant during normal operations and maintenance
• Main propulsion turbine insulation — Midway’s four sets of Westinghouse geared main propulsion turbines incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation from WWII construction. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance in Midway’s machinery rooms worked in proximity to asbestos-containing turbine insulation throughout her service life
• 1966–1970 SCB-101 reconstruction new construction — Midway’s major SCB-101 reconstruction at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard added a new flight deck section, enclosed hurricane bow, and substantially rebuilt the ship’s island and combat systems. New construction from the 1966–1970 reconstruction incorporated construction materials of the mid-to-late 1960s period

USS Midway Hull Construction Asbestos

Midway’s WWII construction incorporated asbestos throughout:

• Crew berthing and interior spaces — Midway’s crew berthing areas and living spaces for her 4,000-plus complement were constructed using WWII naval construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing floor tile, overhead insulation, and bulkhead construction materials
• Aviation spaces and hangar deck construction — Midway’s hangar deck, aviation fuel storage and distribution systems, aviation ordnance handling areas, and aircraft maintenance spaces were constructed using WWII naval construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing materials

VA Claims for USS Midway 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 Midway 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.