USS Raleigh (LPD-1) — Equipment Manifest & Asbestos Exposure Record
Documented equipment manifest and asbestos exposure record for USS Raleigh (LPD-1), a Raleigh-class amphibious transport dock in service 1962–1991. 27...
By Rights Watch Media Group LLC•June 6, 2026•3 min read
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
Yard period / shipyard · YORK NAVAL SHIPYARD — In the shipyard at YORK NAVAL SHIPYARD, 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.
1963
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1964
Yard period / shipyard · York Naval Shipyard — In the shipyard at York Naval Shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1964
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, 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 Raleigh (LPD-1) was the lead ship of her class, commissioned in 1962 at New York Naval Shipyard. She served the Atlantic Fleet for nearly three decades with regular deployments to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Northern Europe, participating in amphibious operations, NATO exercises, and humanitarian missions including the 1976 evacuation of Beirut and the 1983 Multi-National Peace Keeping Force. She was decommissioned in 1991 following deployment for the Gulf War.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York
Laid down
1960-06-23
Launched
1962-03-17
Commissioned
1962-09-08
Decommissioned
1991
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Caribbean deployments 1963-1970
Mediterranean cruises 1970-1979
Cold War Atlantic/Mediterranean/Persian Gulf 1980-1989
Gulf War 1990-1991
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Norfolk, Virginia — home port 1962-1991
Little Creek, Virginia
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Portsmouth, Virginia
Lisbon, Portugal
Copenhagen, Denmark
Beirut, Lebanon
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn· 1963-02 design deficiency correction
U.S. Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia· 1964-1965 yard period
New York City Naval Shipyard· 1964-01-07 to 1964-03-13 post-shakedown availability
Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock, Baltimore, Maryland· 1979 yard period
Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, South Carolina· 1985 yard period
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
February 1963 — returned to builder for correction of aviation gasoline system design deficiencies
Spring 1973 — boiler casualty in No. 2 Engine Room forced return to Norfolk
1973 — harassed by Cuban and Soviet aircraft during transit from Cuba to Norfolk
Summer 1974 — ran aground in Chesapeake Bay during first phase of overhaul
Summer 1974 — fire occurred during second phase overhaul in Quincy, Massachusetts
Final Disposition
decommissioned 1991
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Raleigh? This amphibious ship carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Raleigh, hull number LPD-1, was an amphibious ship, built by New York Naval Shipyard and commissioned in 1962. She served through Caribbean deployments, Mediterranean cruises, and Cold War Atlantic and Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Raleigh, LPD-1 — 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 Raleigh from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, Boilers - Turbines - Gears, Westinghouse, and Fairbanks-Morse allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Raleigh 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 Raleigh (LPD-1) was the lead ship of her class — an amphibious transport dock commissioned 8 September 1962 — Vietnam War amphibious operations, Cold War deployments, Operation Just Cause (Panama 1989), and Operation Desert Storm support through 1991.
The 27-entry equipment manifest below is sourced from ship-specific BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation identifying machinery and equipment installed aboard. Each entry is documented equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source material for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and surviving families.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Raleigh (LPD-1). 27 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 amphibious transports 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh (LPD-1). 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.
Raleigh LPD-1 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Raleigh LPD-1 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Raleigh LPD-1 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 Raleigh LPD-1 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Raleigh LPD-1'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 Raleigh LPD-1?
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 Raleigh LPD-1?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Raleigh LPD-1 include: Babcock & Wilcox, Boilers - Turbines - Gears, Combustion Engineering, Fairbanks-Morse, Ford Instrument, General Electric, General Electric Co.. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Raleigh LPD-1 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Raleigh LPD-1 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)
Runs in parallel with VA benefits — civil recovery does not reduce VA disability compensation
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