USS San Francisco (CA-38), a New Orleans class heavy cruiser commissioned February 10, 1934 at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo, California), served throughout the WWII Pacific campaign and is particularly remembered for the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (November 12–15, 1942), where she suffered 107 killed and 105 wounded in a fierce close-range night engagement that took the life of Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan on her bridge. San Francisco was powered by eight boilers driving four sets of Westinghouse geared turbines. She survived the war and was decommissioned in 1946. Portions of her bridge, damaged in the Guadalcanal battle, are preserved as a monument at Land’s End in San Francisco, California.

Mid-1930s Steam Plant and Asbestos

USS San Francisco’s eight-boiler steam plant used asbestos throughout the engineering spaces:

  • Main boiler insulation — San Francisco’s eight boilers used asbestos block insulation on boiler casings and asbestos-containing refractory in firebox construction from the original 1934 commissioning. Boiler Tender ratings maintaining these boilers worked in proximity to asbestos-insulated boiler surfaces in the cruiser’s fire rooms throughout her interwar and WWII service
  • Main steam system pipe insulation — the main steam piping from San Francisco’s eight boilers to four turbine sets used asbestos pipe covering from the original 1934 construction. Engineering ratings in the fire rooms and engine rooms were in continuous proximity to aging asbestos-insulated steam piping throughout her WWII Pacific service
  • Turbine insulation — San Francisco’s Westinghouse main propulsion turbines used asbestos-containing insulation lagging consistent with mid-1930s heavy cruiser construction specifications

Guadalcanal Campaign Service

USS San Francisco served through the critical Guadalcanal campaign:

  • San Francisco’s service through the entire Guadalcanal campaign in 1942-1943 placed engineering crew members in continuous proximity to the ship’s original mid-1930s asbestos construction while the ship operated in the combat zone throughout the extended Guadalcanal campaign period

VA Claims for USS San Francisco 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 San Francisco (CA-38) 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 San Francisco

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.