USS Princeton (CV-37) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned in November 1945 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard — arriving just after WWII’s end. Princeton served as an attack carrier during the Korean War, conducting sustained combat air operations from 1950-1953 and earning multiple battle stars. After Korean War service, Princeton was placed in reserve before decommissioning in 1970. The ship’s 1945 construction used asbestos insulation throughout her Essex-class steam engineering plant and interior spaces consistent with WWII-era construction standards.

Engineering Plant Asbestos

Princeton’s Essex-class 1945 steam plant used asbestos throughout:

  • Boiler plant — Princeton’s eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers used asbestos lagging on exterior surfaces, asbestos refractory brick in combustion chambers, and asbestos rope and packing at boiler access points. BT ratings maintaining the boiler plant during Korean War combat operations worked in sustained proximity to the asbestos-containing boiler lagging under high-tempo operational conditions
  • Steam piping — main steam and auxiliary steam distribution piping in Princeton’s engineering spaces used asbestos magnesia pipe covering on hot steam lines. The high-tempo Korean War operations accelerated deterioration of the pipe covering insulation, increasing asbestos fiber release in engineering spaces during sustained full-power operations
  • Engineering auxiliaries — steam-driven pumps and ship’s service turbine generators used asbestos-containing gasket and packing materials in the engineering maintenance cycle

Korean War Combat Operations

Princeton conducted intensive Korean War combat air operations:

  • Princeton’s crew of over 3,000 personnel occupied the ship’s asbestos-containing engineering and accommodation spaces throughout the three years of Korean War combat operations — one of the most intensive exposure periods in Princeton’s service life

VA Claims for USS Princeton 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 who served aboard USS Princeton during Korean War operations 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 Princeton

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.