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.
1956
Dry-docking — Dry-docked, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Dry-docking · Mare Island — Dry-docked at Mare Island, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Yard period / shipyard · Tsland Naval Shipyard — In the shipyard at Tsland Naval Shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Mooring / movement · San Francisco — Moored/underway near San Francisco, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Yard period / shipyard · Mare Island — In the shipyard at Mare Island, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Mooring / movement · Mare Island — Moored/underway near Mare Island, per the ship's deck log.
1957
Mooring / movement · San Diego — Moored/underway near San Diego, per the ship's deck log.
1957
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 Brinkley Bass (DD-887) underway at sea in June 1968Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887) was a Gearing-class destroyer that served in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1973, seeing significant action during the Korean War as a gunfire-support and carrier-screen vessel, followed by peacetime deployments to the Far East throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, and concluding with Vietnam War operations. After decommissioning in 1973, the destroyer was transferred to the Brazilian Navy, where she served as Mariz e Barros until 1997, before being sunk as a target in 2000.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
Laid down
1944-12-20
Launched
1945-05-26
Commissioned
1945-10-01
Decommissioned
1973
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Post-WWII Pacific Operations 1945-1950
Korean War 1950-1953
Cold War Far East Deployments 1953-1963
Vietnam War 1965-1973
Combat Actions
Korean War — Wonsan Bombardment· 1951-05 Shore bombardment and enemy fire support
Korean War — Wonsan Blockade and Escort· 1952-03 to 1952-07 Gunfire support and carrier screen
Vietnam War — North Vietnam Air Strikes· 1965-11 Carrier screen and plane guard
Home Ports & Forward Bases
San Diego, California — home port (1945-1973)
Shanghai, China (1946)
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Sasebo, Japan
Subic Bay, Philippines
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard· 1947 regular overhaul
Mare Island Naval Shipyard· 1949 regular overhaul
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard· 1950-10 regular overhaul
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard· 1952-1953 overhaul
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard· 1954 overhaul
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard· 1961 FRAM (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization)
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard· 1964-04 to 1964-08 regular 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.
Notable Incidents
20 May 1951 — North Korean shore battery inflicted near-miss casualties; 10 wounded, 1 killed
25 March 1952 — Direct hit amidship from shore battery; 3 wounded
Final Disposition
Transferred to Brazil as Mariz e Barros (D-26) 1973; sunk as target 2000
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Brinkley Bass? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Brinkley Bass, hull number DD-887, was a destroyer, built by Consolidated Steel Corporation and commissioned in 1945. She served through Post-WWII Pacific Operations, Korean War, and Cold War Far East Deployments. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Brinkley Bass, DD-887 — 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 Brinkley Bass from makers such as BABCOCK and WILCOX, Babcock and Wilcox, General Electric, and Westinghouse allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Brinkley Bass 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 Brinkley Bass (DD-887) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned 1 October 1945 and serving the U.S. Navy through 1969 — Pacific Fleet operations, Korean War, and Vietnam-era anti-submarine warfare service. Transferred to Brazil as Mariz e Barros (D-26).
The 50-entry equipment manifest below is sourced from ship-specific BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation identifying machinery and equipment installed aboard. Each entry is documented equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source material for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and surviving families.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887). 53 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy destroyers of this era are documented to have included:
Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on main steam, feed-water, fuel-oil, condensate, and saltwater piping throughout machinery spaces
Boiler block insulation, refractory brick, and gun-blocks around the main boilers
Asbestos gaskets and braided packing in valves, flanges, pumps, condensers, heat exchangers, and turbine glands
Insulation jackets and removable lagging on main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, ship-service turbine generators, and forced-draft blowers
Sheet asbestos and Marinite panels as fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation
Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in passageways, berthing, mess decks, and habitable compartments
Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in gland-seal applications throughout the engineering plant
Sailors in Boilerman, Machinist’s Mate, Engineman, Electrician’s Mate, Hull Maintenance Technician, Damage Controlman, and other engineering ratings worked routinely in spaces where these materials were installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced.
VA Benefits for Brinkley Bass Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions that may be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure. The Brinkley Bass equipment manifest is direct documentary evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around throughout her service life.
Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products are also available, and do not reduce VA compensation.
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
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.
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.
Brinkley Bass DD-887 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Brinkley Bass DD-887 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Brinkley Bass DD-887 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 Brinkley Bass DD-887 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Brinkley Bass DD-887'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 Brinkley Bass DD-887?
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 Brinkley Bass DD-887?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Brinkley Bass DD-887 include: Alcoa, American Blower, Avon Works, Babcock & Wilcox, Cutler-Hammer, DEVCON, Deft. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Brinkley Bass DD-887 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Brinkley Bass DD-887 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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Navy veterans and civilian shipyard workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may have grounds for a civil claim against the asbestos product manufacturers whose materials were installed aboard. O'Brien Law Firm represents veterans and their families in the civil track at no upfront cost — separate from any VA disability benefits you may be eligible for.
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Maritime statute of limitations: 3 years from diagnosis (46 U.S.C. § 30106)
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