Shipyard, deployment, and service events for this vessel documented in the public record — court filings, the ship’s deck logs, or the crew’s own cruise book (each entry cites its source). Dry-dockings, overhauls, and yard periods were when asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced, the peak-exposure work for the crew and yard workers aboard.
1963
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
Derived from publicly filed asbestos-litigation records, ship’s deck logs, and the crew’s own cruise books. Historical service events; this does not constitute legal or medical advice.
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USS Andrew Jackson SSBN-619Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619) was a Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine commissioned in 1963 and assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, conducting strategic patrols from Rota, Spain between 1964 and 1973. Following her operational service during the Cold War, she was decommissioned on 31 August 1989 and subsequently recycled at Bremerton Naval Shipyard, with dismantling completed in 1999.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Laid down
1961-04-26
Launched
1962-09-15
Commissioned
1963-07-03
Decommissioned
1989-08-31
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Cold War Atlantic Fleet 1963-1989
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Rota, Spain — forward base operations 1964-1973
Notable Incidents
1967 USS Liberty incident — unconfirmed speculation that Andrew Jackson may have observed the attack
Final Disposition
Scrapped — recycling completed 30 August 1999 at Bremerton, Washington
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Andrew Jackson? This submarine carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Andrew Jackson, hull number SSBN-619, was a submarine, built by Mare Island Naval Shipyard and commissioned in 1963. She served through Cold War Atlantic Fleet. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Andrew Jackson, SSBN-619 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Exposure was worst in the engineering spaces, where the snipes worked — but asbestos lined the whole ship, so all hands were exposed. The companies that made the asbestos equipment aboard — not the Navy — are who asbestos claims are brought against. According to asbestos litigation records, the equipment aboard the USS Andrew Jackson from makers such as General Electric allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Andrew Jackson and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used aboard your ship. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.
USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619) is a documented U.S. Navy nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine. The equipment reference below was extracted from the publicly-available Wikipedia article on this vessel, which cites the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) — the U.S. Navy’s official ship-history publication maintained by the Naval History and Heritage Command.
Equipment Reference
Equipment Manifest — USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619). 3 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Per Wikipedia infobox propulsion line, 15,000 shp total
BQS-4 sonar
Raytheon
1
Per Wikipedia infobox sensors; BQS-4 was Raytheon-manufactured
Source: this equipment reference was extracted from public Wikipedia/DANFS records for USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619). These are secondary-source records — not primary BUSHIPS design documents. For litigation purposes, this data is a starting point; a ship-specific BUSHIPS Material Inspection Report or commissioning book would provide gold-standard verification.
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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Andrew Jackson
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:
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms
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.
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.
Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service
Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.
All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.
Andrew Jackson SSBN-619 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Andrew Jackson SSBN-619 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Andrew Jackson SSBN-619 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.
Which shipboard components on Andrew Jackson SSBN-619 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Andrew Jackson SSBN-619's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.
What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Andrew Jackson SSBN-619?
Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.
What equipment manufacturers are documented on Andrew Jackson SSBN-619?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Andrew Jackson SSBN-619 include: General Electric, Raytheon, Westinghouse. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Andrew Jackson SSBN-619 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Andrew Jackson SSBN-619 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.
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