USS Halsey (CG-23) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record

Documented equipment manifest and asbestos exposure record for USS Halsey (CG-23). 16 machinery and manufacturer entries derived from the public...

By Rights Watch Media Group LLC •June 6, 2026 • 2 min read

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Hull

CG-23

Class

CG hull series

⚙ View Equipment Manifest Documented BUSHIPS machinery & manufacturers aboard Halsey CG-23 ↓ All Ship Manifests ›

MusterLog™ 0

USS Halsey (CG-23) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record — public-domain photograph — USS Halsey (CG-23) underway in the Pacific Ocean on 2 March 1987 (6418742) Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)

Service History

From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›

USS Halsey (CG-23) was a Leahy-class guided-missile cruiser launched in January 1962 and commissioned in July 1963. She served extensively in the Pacific Fleet during the Vietnam War era, conducting ASW operations and air-sea rescue missions in Southeast Asian waters, and later participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Decommissioned in January 1994 after over 30 years of service, she was scrapped in 2003.

Construction & Service Dates

Builder: San Francisco Naval Shipyard
Launched: 1962-01-15
Commissioned: 1963-07-20
Decommissioned: 1994-01

Notable Tours / Service Eras

Vietnam War 1966-1968
Cold War Pacific Fleet 1964-1994
Gulf War 1990-1991

Combat Actions

Vietnam War operations — Gulf of Tonkin · 1966
ASW and air-sea rescue missions
Air-sea rescue — North Vietnam coast · 1968-04
helicopter rescue of downed airmen
Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm · 1990-1991
Gulf War operations

Home Ports & Forward Bases

San Francisco CA — commissioning port 1963
San Diego CA — primary West Coast base 1963-1994
Subic Bay Philippines — forward deployment 1966
Yokosuka Japan — forward deployment 1966

Drydock & Overhaul Periods High Asbestos-Exposure Window

San Francisco Naval Shipyard · 1964-05 to 1964-07
post-shakedown overhaul
San Diego area · 1967-04
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

1966 — rescued 16 airmen during South China Sea operations
15 April 1968 — Sea King helicopter rescued 4 downed airmen off North Vietnam coast

Final Disposition

scrapped 2003

Read the video transcript

Did you serve aboard the USS Halsey? This cruiser carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Halsey, hull number CG-23, was a cruiser, built by San Francisco Naval Shipyard and commissioned in 1963. She served through Vietnam War, Cold War Pacific Fleet, and Gulf War. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Halsey, CG-23 — 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 Halsey from makers such as WARREN PUMPS, INC., Warren Pumps, and Westinghouse allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Halsey 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 Halsey (CG-23) is a documented U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser 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 Halsey (CG-23). 16 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.

Equipment	Manufacturer	Qty	Notes
Pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		Asbestos-containing pumps supplied for installation and use aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
main condenser circulating pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		shipped with instruction/service manuals regarding asbestos-containing products
fire and bilge pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		shipped with instruction/service manuals regarding asbestos-containing products
emergency feed pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		shipped with instruction/service manuals regarding asbestos-containing products
salt water circulating pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		shipped with instruction/service manuals regarding asbestos-containing products
fresh water pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		shipped with instruction/service manuals regarding asbestos-containing products
fuel oil pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		shipped with instruction/service manuals regarding asbestos-containing products
main condenser circulating pump	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		installed aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
fire and bilge pump	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		installed aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
emergency feed pump	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		installed aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
salt water circulating pump	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		installed aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
fresh water pump	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		installed aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
fuel oil pump	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		installed aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
maze condenser circulating pumps	WARREN PUMPS, INC.		installed aboard USS HALSEY POWELL (DD 686)
Main condenser circulating pump (25-inch)	Westinghouse	12	Vertical propeller type with Westinghouse turbines
Main condenser circulating pump (25-inch)	Warren Pumps		Technical manual reference for main condenser circulating pumps

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.

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 Halsey

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:

Boilerman (BT) — boiler-room operations, refractory work, burner maintenance
Machinist’s Mate (MM) — main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, condensers, pumps
Engineman (EN) — auxiliary diesel and gasoline engines, gland packing
Electrician’s Mate (EM) — cable runs through asbestos-insulated chases, motor-generator sets
Hull Maintenance Technician (HT) / Pipefitter — piping system maintenance, gasket replacement, valve repacking
Damage Controlman (DC) — firefighting equipment, fire-stops, bulkhead penetrations
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.

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.

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.

Boiler Room Sailor stands watch in the aft machinery room of USS Iwo Jima. (35298984822) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Drydock Overhaul USS Newport News (CA-148) in drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard 1965 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engine Room Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - USS Sterett Sailor takes equipment readings in ship's engine room. Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Engineering Watch USS Bataan Stands Full Female Engineering Watch Team (8442031) Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry … — Machinist Mate US Navy 061108-N-6652A-037 U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Roy Hernandez, left, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Jerry Rivera work on a rotor … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Navy Fireroom Fireroom aboard USS Rochester (CA-124), in 1955 Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the … — Shipyard Worker US Navy 080208-N-6538W-019 Civilian yard workers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard perform maintenance on the bow catapults of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier … Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

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.

Halsey CG-23 — Frequently Asked Questions

Are Halsey CG-23 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?

Yes. Halsey CG-23 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 Halsey CG-23 contained asbestos?

Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Halsey CG-23'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 Halsey CG-23?

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 Halsey CG-23?

Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Halsey CG-23 include: WARREN PUMPS, INC., Warren Pumps, Westinghouse. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.

Do Halsey CG-23 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?

Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Halsey CG-23 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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