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.
1962
Mooring / movement · Norfolk — Moored/underway near Norfolk, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1963
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1963
Mooring / movement · Norfolk — Moored/underway near Norfolk, 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 Basilone (DD-824) underway at sea, circa the later 1960s or early 1970s (NH 103396-KN)Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Basilone (DD-824) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned in 1949 following conversion to an escort destroyer configuration. The ship served primarily with the Atlantic Fleet and Mediterranean 6th Fleet from 1950 through 1962, conducting anti-submarine warfare training, NATO exercises, and Cold War patrols including participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis response. Basilone alternated regular deployments to the Mediterranean with local operations and training cruises throughout her early service.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Consolidated Steel Corporation, Ltd (Orange, Texas); converted by Bethlehem Steel Co (Quincy, Massachusetts)
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
New York Naval Shipyard· 1952 repair
Norfolk Naval Shipyard· 1953-1954 overhaul
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard· 1955 overhaul
Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Basilone? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Basilone, hull number DD-824, was a destroyer, built by Consolidated Steel Corporation and commissioned in 1949. She served through Cold War Atlantic Fleet, Mediterranean 6th Fleet deployments, and Cuban Missile Crisis. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Basilone, DD-824 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Each shipyard overhaul and major repair meant asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced — peak-exposure work for the yard workers and the crew aboard. 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 Basilone from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, Babcock and Wilcox, General Electric, and Falk allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Basilone 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 Basilone (DD-824) is a gearing-class destroyer in the U.S. asbestos litigation record. The equipment manifest below is a class-pattern reference assembled from manufacturer and machinery entries documented across 28 sister ships of the same class. Ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation for USS Basilone (DD-824) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.
Class Equipment Pattern
Equipment Manifest — USS Basilone (DD-824). 28 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Gearing-class destroyer
Reduction Gear
Falk
Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Gearing-class destroyer
Note: this manifest is a class-level pattern derived from sister-ship BUSHIPS records and public asbestos litigation documents. Individual ship-specific variations may exist. Where ship-specific documentation becomes available for USS Basilone (DD-824), this page will be updated to reflect her unique equipment profile.
AsbestosIndex™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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Basilone
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.
Basilone DD-824 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Basilone DD-824 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Basilone DD-824 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 Basilone DD-824 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Basilone DD-824'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 Basilone DD-824?
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 Basilone DD-824?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Basilone DD-824 include: Babcock & Wilcox, Babcock and Wilcox, De Laval, DeLaval, Falk, Ford Instrument, General Electric. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Basilone DD-824 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Basilone DD-824 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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