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Did you serve aboard the USS Enterprise? This aircraft carrier carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Enterprise, hull number CV-6, was an aircraft carrier, built by Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned in 1938. She served through WWII Pacific Theater, and Peacetime operations. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Enterprise, CV-6 — 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 Enterprise from makers such as Warren Pumps, Inc., and Hiram Jackson allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Enterprise 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 Enterprise (CV-6) is a documented U.S. Navy aircraft carrier 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 Enterprise (CV-6). 12 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
EquipmentManufacturerQtyNotes
6"x6"x6" Vertical Single, Double-Acting, Reciprocating Steam PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Contract Nobs-3959, Manufacturer's Book No. 367
Chain Drive Lube Oil Service PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Contract Nobs-74687, Manufacturer's Book No. 403
Bilge & Fuel Oil Tank Stripping PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 200
Turbine Generator Circulating PumpsWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 389
Standby Lube Oil PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 453
Turbine Driven Main Circulating PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 470
Motor Driven Fire Pump 750 G.P.M.Warren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 427
Chain Driven Main Lube Oil PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 471
Turbine Driven Standby Lube Oil PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 471
Motor Driven Emergency Lube Oil PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 471
Main Lube Oil Service PumpWarren Pumps, Inc.Manufacturer's Book No. 563
Hiram Jackson pumpHiram Jackson2Removed from USS Enterprise (CVN 65) during 1972-1973 period; testimony disputed regarding location and timing

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.

VA Benefits for USS Enterprise (CV-6) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record Veterans

USS Enterprise (CV-6) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record veterans with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for VA disability compensation when evidence shows in-service asbestos exposure, a current diagnosis, and a medical link between them. The nuclear carrier corpus — including individual hull-number naming for CVN-68 and CVN-69, Rotex gasket documentation for the CVN-68 class, and extensive USS Enterprise overhaul records — establishes the exposure pathway for nuclear carrier veterans.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956


Documented asbestos records derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation addressing nuclear aircraft carriers. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Enterprise

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 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.

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.