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Did you serve aboard the USS Spruance? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Spruance, hull number DD-963, was a destroyer, built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries. She served through Cold War Atlantic Fleet, Mediterranean deployments, and Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Spruance, DD-963 — 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 Spruance from makers such as General Electric allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Spruance 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 Spruance (DD-963) was the lead ship of the Spruance class — the Navy’s first class of gas-turbine-powered destroyers, commissioned 20 September 1975 and decommissioned 24 October 2005. Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, the 30-ship class introduced the GE LM2500 gas turbine as the Navy’s primary destroyer propulsion plant. The equipment reference below was extracted from Wikipedia/DANFS records. Supplemental asbestos documentation is derived from publicly filed litigation specifically addressing Spruance-class propulsion and engineering spaces.
Equipment Reference
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LM2500 Gas Turbine Main Engines | General Electric | Mentioned as malfunction during 1979 Mediterranean deployment; per Wikipedia article text | |
| Phalanx CIWS | General Dynamics | 1 | Received during 1983 shipyard period; per Wikipedia article text |
| Mark 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) | Lockheed Martin | 1 | Received late 1980s, replaced Mark 16 ASROC launcher; per Wikipedia article text |
| SH-60 helicopter | Sikorsky | 1 | Received during second overhaul period (post-May 1985); per Wikipedia article text |
Source: this equipment reference was extracted from public Wikipedia/DANFS records for USS Spruance (DD-963). These are secondary-source records — not primary BUSHIPS design documents. For litigation purposes, this data is a starting point; a ship-specific BUSHIPS Material Inspection Report or commissioning book would provide gold-standard verification.
VA Benefits for Spruance Veterans
USS Spruance veterans with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for VA disability compensation when evidence shows in-service asbestos exposure, a current diagnosis, and a medical link between them.
Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956
Documented asbestos records derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation addressing the Spruance class of destroyers. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.
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 Spruance
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.
