USS Oriskany (CV-34) — Asbestos Aboard the Mighty O

USS Oriskany (CV-34) — known throughout the fleet as the Mighty O — was the last Essex-class carrier to be completed, commissioned in September 1950 after the postwar construction pause. Oriskany underwent the SCB-125 modernization in 1959 that gave it the angled flight deck, enclosed hurricane bow, and updated electronics that defined Cold War Essex-class operations. The ship deployed repeatedly to the Western Pacific during the Vietnam War and was the site of the October 1966 Tonkin Gulf fire that killed 44 sailors and injured 156. USS Oriskany was powered by eight Babcock & Wilcox high-pressure boilers generating steam for Westinghouse geared turbines producing 150,000 shaft horsepower on four shafts. The steam propulsion plant throughout the ship was insulated with asbestos-containing materials consistent with Essex-class Navy construction specifications, with Oriskany’s engineering ratings maintaining the asbestos-insulated steam plant through the ship’s Vietnam War combat deployments and subsequent Cold War operations until decommissioning in 1976.

Essex Class Steam Propulsion Plant Asbestos

Oriskany’s eight-boiler steam plant incorporated asbestos throughout:

• Babcock & Wilcox boiler casing insulation — the eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers in Oriskany’s boiler rooms were insulated with asbestos block insulation on the boiler casing exterior surfaces and asbestos cloth insulation on boiler access doors and inspection ports. Boiler Tenders maintaining the boilers during underway steaming operations in the Tonkin Gulf and across the Pacific accumulated asbestos exposure from the asbestos boiler casing insulation during each watch rotation
• Westinghouse main turbine insulation — Oriskany’s Westinghouse geared steam turbines were insulated with asbestos block on turbine casings and asbestos lagging on high-pressure steam admission piping and turbine extraction steam piping. Machinist’s Mates tending the turbines and performing turbine maintenance worked in the asbestos-insulated turbine spaces throughout engineering watch rotations
• Steam catapult and arresting gear steam systems — Oriskany’s steam catapult systems and the associated high-pressure steam piping from the boiler plant to the catapult accumulators were insulated with asbestos pipe covering throughout the catapult steam distribution system. Aviation Boatswain’s Mates and engineering ratings working with the catapult steam systems encountered asbestos insulation in the catapult steam system components

1966 Tonkin Gulf Fire and Repair

The 1966 fire and subsequent repair introduced additional asbestos exposure:

• Fire damage repair and reconstruction — the October 1966 Oriskany fire in the forward hangar bay area required major repair work at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco. Shipyard workers and Navy personnel performing damage repair in fire-affected forward compartments encountered asbestos-containing building materials during the reconstruction and repair operations, with the repair work using materials consistent with 1966-era Navy construction specifications

Interior Construction Asbestos

Oriskany’s living and working spaces incorporated asbestos-containing materials:

• Crew berthing and working spaces — Oriskany’s enlisted crew berthing, CPO quarters, officer staterooms, and ship’s working spaces incorporated asbestos-containing floor tile, overhead materials, and pipe insulation in the Essex-class construction as built and maintained through the SCB-125 modernization and subsequent service periods

VA Claims for USS Oriskany Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy aircraft carriers. Boiler Tenders, Machinist’s Mates, and crew members who served aboard USS Oriskany (CV-34) 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.