Read the video transcript

Did you serve aboard the USS Meredith? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Meredith, hull number DD-726, was a destroyer, built by Bath Iron Works Corporation and commissioned in 1944. She served through World War II European Theater. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Meredith, DD-726 — 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 Meredith from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, General Electric, Westinghouse Electric Co., and De Laval allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Meredith 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 Meredith (DD-726) is a allen m. sumner-class destroyer in the U.S. asbestos litigation record. The equipment manifest below is a class-pattern reference assembled from manufacturer and machinery entries documented across 50 sister ships of the same class. Ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation for USS Meredith (DD-726) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.

Class Equipment Pattern

Equipment Manifest — USS Meredith (DD-726). 50 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
EquipmentManufacturerQtyNotes
Emergency Feed PumpWarrenDocumented across 4 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Asbestos ClothRaybestos Co.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Auxiliary Condenser Circulating PumpBuffaloDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Auxiliary CondensersFoster WheelerDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
BlowersWestinghouse Electric Co.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Distiller Circulation PumpBuffaloDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Distiller Condensating PumpBuffaloDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Distiller Distribution PumpBuffaloDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
EconomizersFoster WheelerDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Evaporator Brine PumpBuffalo Pump Co.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Evaporator Drain PumpBuffalo Pump Co.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Fire & Bilge PumpWarren Pump Corp.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Fresh Water PumpWarren Steam Pump Co.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main CondensersFoster WheelerDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Condensers Circulating PumpWarrenDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Manifold Vent ValvePitometer Log Corp.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Reduction GearFalk Corp.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Reduction GearDe LavalDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Reduction ValvesGroveDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Ships Service Air CompressorsWorthingtonDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Ships Service Turbine Drive GeneratorsWestinghouse Electric Co.Documented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Ships Service Turbine Drive GeneratorsGeneral ElectricDocumented across 3 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Asbestos TapeJohns MansvilleDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Auxiliary Condensers PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Auxiliary Feed Booster PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Auxiliary Feed Booster PumpIngersoll Rand Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Auxiliary RefrigerationFrick Ice Maker Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
BoilerBabcock & WilcoxDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Diesel Oil Purifier PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Drainage PumpSawyer Electric Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Emergency Diesel GeneratorsGeneral MotorDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Emergency Distilling ApparatusGriscom-RussellDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Fuel Oil Booster PumpDeLavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Fuel Oil Booster PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
High Temperature InsulationJohns MansfieldDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Condensers PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Distilling ApparatusGriscom-RussellDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Feed Booster PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Feed Booster PumpIngersoll Rand Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Feed PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Fuel Oil PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Lubricating PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main Propulsion TurbinesGeneral ElectricDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Main RefrigerationCarrier Corp.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Oil Purifier PumpDe LavalDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
PumpWorthingtonDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
SonarGeneral ElectricDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Super Heater ValvesYarwayDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
TurbineGeneral ElectricDocumented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
Vacuum Pump For Emergency Generator UnitNash Pump Co.Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer

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 Meredith (DD-726), 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 Meredith

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.