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.
1962
Mooring / movement · San Diego — Moored/underway near San Diego, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1963
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1963
Mooring / movement · San Diego — Moored/underway near San Diego, 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 Perkins (DD/DDR-877) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned in April 1945 that served through the post-WWII Pacific, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War before decommissioning in January 1973. She earned three battle stars during the Korean War, performing screening, gunfire support, and shore bombardment operations with the 7th Fleet. Transferred to the Argentine Navy in 1973 and renamed ARA Comodoro Py, she was ultimately sunk as a target in 1987.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas
Laid down
1944-06-19
Launched
1944-12-07
Commissioned
1945-04-04
Decommissioned
1973-01-15
Notable Tours / Service Eras
WWII Pacific Theater 1945
China Station 1947
Operation Sandstone 1948
Korea Patrol 1949
Korean War 1951-1952
Cold War Western Pacific 1953-1962
Vietnam War 1963-1970
Combat Actions
Korean War — gunfire support and shore bombardment· 1951-1952 screening, plane guard, bombardment
Korean War — minesweeping operations cover, Kojo· 1952-10-15 fire support
Vietnam War — carrier escort and gunfire support· 1963-1970 plane guard, naval gunfire support
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Pearl Harbor — transit and operations hub 1945-1950
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Norfolk Navy Yard· 1945 conversion to radar picket destroyer
San Diego Naval Shipyard· 1948 overhaul
San Diego Naval Shipyard· 1950 overhaul
San Diego Naval Shipyard· 1953 six-month overhaul
Long Beach Naval Shipyard· 1962 Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) Mark II
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
15 October 1952 — two near misses from Communist shore batteries near Kojo, Korea; one crew member killed, 17 wounded
Final Disposition
sunk as target 15 June 1987 (Argentine Navy)
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Perkins? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Perkins, hull number DD-877, was a destroyer, built by Consolidated Steel Corporation and commissioned in 1945. She served through WWII Pacific Theater, China Station, and Operation Sandstone. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Perkins, DD-877 — 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 Perkins from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, Babcock and Wilcox, General Electric, and Falk allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Perkins 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 Perkins (DD-877) is a gearing-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 28 sister ships of the same class. Ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation for USS Perkins (DD-877) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.
Class Equipment Pattern
Equipment Manifest — USS Perkins (DD-877). 28 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Gearing-class destroyer
Reduction Gear
Falk
Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Gearing-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 Perkins (DD-877), this page will be updated to reflect her unique equipment profile.
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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Perkins
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:
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.
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.
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.
Perkins DD-877 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Perkins DD-877 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Perkins DD-877 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 Perkins DD-877 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Perkins DD-877'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 Perkins DD-877?
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 Perkins DD-877?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Perkins DD-877 include: Babcock & Wilcox, Babcock and Wilcox, De Laval, DeLaval, Falk, Ford Instrument, General Electric. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Perkins DD-877 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Perkins DD-877 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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