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
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1956
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, 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 Dealey (DE-1006) underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 28 May 1954Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Dealey (DE-1006), lead ship of her class, served in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1972, homeported at Newport, Rhode Island. She conducted local exercises, NATO operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and goodwill cruises throughout the Western Hemisphere and South American coasts. Decommissioned in 1972, she was transferred to the Uruguayan Navy and redesignated ROU 18 de Julio, serving until scrapped in 1991.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Bath Iron Works Corporation, Bath, Maine
Launched
1953-11-08
Commissioned
1954-06-03
Decommissioned
1972-07-28
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Cold War Atlantic Fleet 1954-1972
Mediterranean deployment 1958
NATO exercises 1957-1959
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Newport, Rhode Island — home port 1954-1972
Key West, Florida
Plymouth, England
Brest and Cherbourg, France
Mediterranean (eastern)
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Buenaventura, Colombia
Salinas, Ecuador
Callao, Peru
Valparaíso, Chile
Montevideo, Uruguay
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York· 1960 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
1981 — 18 de Julio rescued crew of merchant ship MS Harp in South Atlantic storm
Final Disposition
transferred to Uruguayan Navy 1972; broken up for scrap 1991
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Dealey? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Dealey, hull number DE-1006, was a destroyer, built by Bath Iron Works Corporation and commissioned in 1954. She served through Cold War Atlantic Fleet, Mediterranean deployment, and NATO exercises. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Dealey, DE-1006 — 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 Dealey from makers such as Foster Wheeler Corporation, New England Power Co., Warren Steam Pump Co., Inc., and Crane Co. allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Dealey 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 Dealey (DE-1006) is a documented U.S. Navy destroyer escort with asbestos-exposure evidence in the public litigation record. The equipment manifest below was assembled from depositions, expert reports, and manufacturer interrogatory responses filed in U.S. asbestos litigation that reference equipment installed aboard this vessel.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Dealey (DE-1006). 5 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Instruction book for DE-1006; Hartford, Connecticut manufacturer
Note: this manifest is derived from public asbestos litigation records (depositions, expert reports, manufacturer interrogatories) rather than primary BUSHIPS construction documents. Entries reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed legal records.
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 Dealey
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.
Dealey DE-1006 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Dealey DE-1006 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Dealey DE-1006 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 Dealey DE-1006 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Dealey DE-1006'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 Dealey DE-1006?
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 Dealey DE-1006?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Dealey DE-1006 include: Crane Co., Foster Wheeler Corporation, New England Power Co., The Maxim Silencer Company, Warren Steam Pump Co., Inc.. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Dealey DE-1006 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Dealey DE-1006 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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