Long Beach-class nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser
Commissioned
1961
Decommissioned
1995
Documented Service History
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.
1961
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1961
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1961
Mooring / movement · Norfolk — Moored/underway near Norfolk, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Dry-docking — Dry-docked, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Dry-docking · LONG BEACH — Dry-docked at LONG BEACH, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, 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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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Long Beach (CGN-9) was the world's first nuclear-powered surface combatant and sole member of her class, commissioned in 1961 and serving as a flagship and experimental platform for advanced phased-array radar systems. She conducted extensive operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean before transferring to the Pacific Fleet in 1966, where she served during the Vietnam War and subsequent Cold War deployments until decommissioning in 1995. Following inactivation, the reactor-containing hull segment was retained for scrap rather than receiving a third nuclear refueling deemed economically unfeasible after the Cold War.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Bethlehem Steel Co., Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down
1957-12-02
Launched
1959-07-14
Commissioned
1961-09-09
Decommissioned
1995-05-01
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Atlantic Fleet 1961-1966
Mediterranean peacekeeping operations 1963-1964
Operation Sea Orbit 1964
Pacific Fleet / Vietnam War 1966-1995
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia — home port 1961-1966
Naval Station Long Beach, California — home port 1966-1995
Bremerhaven, Germany 1962
Karachi, Pakistan 1964
Melbourne, Australia 1964
Wellington, New Zealand 1964
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1964
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard· 1963 overhaul
unknown· early 1966 first nuclear refueling
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
January 1960 — anti-mine degaussing electrical cables intentionally cut in three places during construction at Fore River Shipyard
Did you serve aboard the USS Long Beach? This cruiser carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Long Beach, hull number CGN-9, was a cruiser, built by Bethlehem Steel Co. and commissioned in 1961. She served through Atlantic Fleet, Mediterranean peacekeeping operations, and Operation Sea Orbit. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Long Beach, CGN-9 — 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 Long Beach from makers such as General Electric, Foster-Wheeler, Warren Pumps, Inc., and Worthington allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Long Beach 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 Long Beach (CGN-9) was the world’s first nuclear-powered surface warship and the lead ship of her class — commissioned 9 September 1961 and serving the U.S. Navy through 1 May 1995. As the first nuclear surface combatant, she demonstrated the technical feasibility of nuclear-powered surface task forces and served 34 years across Vietnam combat operations, Cold War carrier escort missions, and Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The 7-entry manifest below documents key auxiliary machinery installed during her construction at Bethlehem Steel Quincy.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Long Beach (CGN-9). 7 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 nuclear cruisers 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 Long Beach 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 Long Beach 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 Long Beach (CGN-9). 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.
Long Beach CGN-9 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Long Beach CGN-9 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Long Beach CGN-9 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 Long Beach CGN-9 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Long Beach CGN-9'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 Long Beach CGN-9?
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 Long Beach CGN-9?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Long Beach CGN-9 include: Foster-Wheeler, General Electric, Warren Pumps, Inc., Worthington. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Long Beach CGN-9 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Long Beach CGN-9 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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If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.
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Maritime statute of limitations: 3 years from diagnosis (46 U.S.C. § 30106)
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