USS Mitscher (DDG-35) was a Mitscher-class destroyer-leader / guided-missile destroyer that served the U.S. Navy from 1953 through 1978 — a 25-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Mitscher’s crew worked daily in machinery spaces, engineering plant, and habitable compartments constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard Mitscher. Each entry is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and their families.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel Oil Heaters | Alco | 4 | |
| Lube Oil Heaters | Atlas | ||
| Recirculating Valves for Main Feed & Booster Pump | Byron Jackson | ||
| Steam Pressure Reducing Valves | Chapman | ||
| Fuel Oil Heater Thermostatic Control Valves | Cochrane | ||
| Boiler Circulating Pumps (Turbine Driven) | Combustion Engineering | 4 | |
| Valve for Main Circulating System | Crane | ||
| Desuperheater for Auxiliary Steam | Crane | ||
| Horizontal Steam Separator | Crane | ||
| Auxiliary Exhaust Unloading Valves | Crane | ||
| Boiler Circulating Pump Turbines | DeLaval | 4 | |
| Steam Piping Valves | DeLaval | ||
| Main Boiler Feed Valves | DeLaval | ||
| Main & HP Auxiliary Steam Piping Valves | DeLaval | ||
| Condensate Recirculating Valves with Level Control | DeLaval | ||
| Main Feed & Booster Pump Turbines | De Laval | 4 | |
| Bilge & Fuel Oil Tank Stripping Pumps (Reciprocating Engine) | Edward | 2 | |
| Boilers | Foster Wheeler | 4 | |
| Main Propulsion Turbines | General Electric | ||
| Ship's Service Generator Turbines | General Electric | 4 | |
| Main Circulating Pumps (Turbine Driven) | General Electric | 2 | |
| Main Forced Draft Blowers | Griscom Russell | 4 | |
| Main Circulating Pump Turbines | Griscom Russell | 2 | |
| Gland Leak-off Exhauster | Hammel Dahl | ||
| Steam Piping Valves | Harrison Radiator div./ GM | ||
| Fire Pumps (Turbine Driven) | Leslie | 2 | |
| Aux. Gland Exhauster Gland Condenser | Leslie | 2 | |
| Main Feed & Booster Pumps (Turbine Driven) | Manning, Maxwell & Moore | 4 | |
| Valves for Main Circulating System | Pacific | ||
| Fire Pump Turbines | Schutte & Koerting | 2 | |
| Main Fuel Oil Service Pump Turbines | Swartwout | 4 | |
| Main Fuel Oil Service Pumps (Turbine Driven) | Swartwout | 4 | |
| Auxiliary Feed & Booster Pump Turbines | Swartwout | 2 | |
| Impulse Steam Traps | Terry | ||
| Valves for Main HP Auxiliary Steam Piping | Walworth | ||
| Main Boiler Feed Valves | Walworth | ||
| Valves for Soot Blower Piping | Walworth | ||
| Port Fuel Oil Service Pumps (Motor Driven) | Warren | ||
| Auxiliary Feed & Booster Pumps (Turbine Driven) | Warren | 2 | |
| Main Air Ejectors | Westinghouse | 2 | |
| Distilling Plants | Westinghouse | 2 | |
| Distiller Air Ejectors | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Valve for Main Circulating System | William Powell | ||
| Steam Pressure Reducing Valves | Worthington | ||
| Deaerating Feed Tank | Worthington | ||
| Valves for Soot Blower Piping | Yarnall Waring |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Mitscher
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy ships of this era are documented to have included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on 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 turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
- 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 spaces
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in glands, joints, and seal applications
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, and overhauled.
VA Benefits for Mitscher Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure. The documented Mitscher equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.
Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products are also available, and do not reduce VA compensation.
Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Mitscher (DDG-35). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.