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Did you serve aboard the USS Esteem? This minesweeper carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Esteem, hull number MSO-438, was a minesweeper, built by Martinolich Shipbuilding Co. and commissioned in 1955. She served through Far East deployment, Far East deployment, and Persian Gulf deployment. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Esteem, MSO-438 — 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 Esteem from makers such as US Radiator Corp., Westinghouse, Worthington Pump, and E B Badger and Sons Co. allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Esteem 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 Esteem (MSO-438) is a aggressive-class ocean minesweeper in the U.S. asbestos litigation record. The equipment manifest below is a class-pattern reference assembled from manufacturer and machinery entries documented across 7 sister ships of the same class. Ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation for USS Esteem (MSO-438) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.

Class Equipment Pattern

Equipment Manifest — USS Esteem (MSO-438). 7 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
EquipmentManufacturerQtyNotes
Boiler Auxiliary Cylotherm TypeUS Radiator Corp.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper
Diesel V Cylinder EnginesPackard MotorsDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper
Fire PumpWorthington PumpDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper
Main Distilling ApparatusE B Badger & Sons Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper
Main RefrigerationCarrier Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper
Reduction GearWestinghouseDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper
Ships Service Air Compressor HplpGardner Denver Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Aggressive-class ocean minesweeper

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 Esteem (MSO-438), this page will be updated to reflect her unique equipment profile.

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.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Esteem

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.