USS Worden (DLG-18, redesignated CG-18 in 1975), a Leahy class guided missile cruiser, was commissioned at Bath Iron Works in January 1963 and served in the Pacific Fleet throughout her career. Worden conducted Vietnam War combat operations, deploying to the Western Pacific to provide anti-air warfare coverage and naval gunfire support for Seventh Fleet operations during the Vietnam War. Worden’s Terrier/Standard surface-to-air missile systems fore and aft provided comprehensive anti-air warfare capability for the carrier battle groups and task forces she escorted during Vietnam deployments. Worden’s conventional steam propulsion plant — four boilers and two sets of De Laval geared turbines — provided propulsion through her Cold War service. Commissioned in 1963 at the peak of asbestos use in naval construction, Worden incorporated extensive asbestos-containing boiler insulation, steam pipe insulation, turbine insulation, and hull construction materials consistent with early 1960s naval construction specifications.

USS Worden Steam Plant Asbestos

Worden’s four-boiler steam plant incorporated asbestos throughout:

  • Boiler insulation — Worden’s boilers were insulated with asbestos-containing boiler casing insulation consistent with early 1960s naval construction specifications. Boilermen working in Worden’s firerooms accumulated asbestos exposure from the boiler insulation through her Pacific Fleet and Vietnam War service
  • High-pressure steam main pipe insulation — the steam mains throughout Worden’s engineering spaces incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with 1963 naval construction specifications. Engineering ratings in Worden’s machinery spaces encountered steam main insulation during normal operations and maintenance
  • De Laval propulsion turbine insulation — Worden’s De Laval main propulsion turbines incorporated asbestos-containing turbine casing insulation. Machinist’s Mates performing turbine maintenance worked in proximity to asbestos-containing turbine insulation
  • Missile magazine and handling room construction — Worden’s Terrier missile magazine and handling spaces fore and aft were constructed using early 1960s naval construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing construction materials

VA Claims for USS Worden Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy cruiser steam plant service. Machinist’s Mates, Boilermen, and crew members who served aboard USS Worden 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 Worden

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.