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.
1961
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1961
Mooring / movement · San Diego — Moored/underway near San Diego, per the ship's deck log.
1961
Yard period / shipyard · Puget Sound — In the shipyard at Puget Sound, 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 Towers (DDG-9) was a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile destroyer commissioned in 1961 and homeported at San Diego, California. The ship conducted five deployments to the Western Pacific between 1962 and 1969, with major service during the Vietnam War including coastal bombardment, search-and-rescue operations, and gunfire support missions in the Gulf of Tonkin and off Da Nang. Notable for her heroic helicopter-coordinated rescue of a Navy pilot from Haiphong harbor on 31 August 1966, Towers expended thousands of rounds in support of U.S. and allied ground forces throughout her Vietnam service.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington
Laid down
1958-04-01
Launched
1959-04-23
Commissioned
1961-06-06
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Western Pacific 1962
Western Pacific 1963
Vietnam War 1965
Vietnam War 1966
Vietnam War 1968-1969
Combat Actions
Vietnam War — Gulf of Tonkin Operations· 1965 Screening, plane-guard, SAR patrols, interdiction
Vietnam War — SAR operations Haiphong· 1966-08 Search and rescue coordination
Operation Sea Dragon· 1968-09 Escort and gunfire support with USS New Jersey
Operation Daring Endeavor· 1968-11 Gunfire support south of Da Nang
Home Ports & Forward Bases
San Diego, California — home port 1961-1968
Sydney, Australia 1962
Yokosuka, Japan
Subic Bay, Philippines
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Hong Kong
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco· 1964-05 to 1964-10 overhaul
Long Beach Naval Shipyard· 1966-03 availability
Hunters' Point Naval Shipyard· 1967-04-14 to 1967-10-19 major overhaul
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
6 August 1966 — Directed HU-16 helicopter rescue of downed aviator 69 miles distant
31 August 1966 — Coordinated rescue of Navy pilot from Haiphong harbor under enemy fire
1 October 1968 — Rescued two downed Marine airmen south of DMZ
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Towers? This destroyer carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Towers, hull number DDG-9, was a destroyer, built by Todd Pacific Shipyards and commissioned in 1961. She served through Western Pacific, Western Pacific, and Vietnam War. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Towers, DDG-9 — 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 Towers from makers such as Foster Wheeler, General Electric, Westinghouse, and Westinghouse Electric Co. allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Towers 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 Towers (DDG-9) was a Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyer commissioned 2 June 1961 and serving the U.S. Navy through 1 October 1990 — Cuban Missile Crisis quarantine, Vietnam War combat operations, and Cold War Pacific Fleet service.
The 34-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 Towers (DDG-9). 34 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 destroyers 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 Towers 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 Towers 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 Towers (DDG-9). 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.
Towers DDG-9 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Towers DDG-9 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Towers DDG-9 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 Towers DDG-9 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Towers DDG-9'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 Towers DDG-9?
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 Towers DDG-9?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Towers DDG-9 include: Buffalo, Buffalo Pump Co., Buffalo-Warren, Carrier Corp., De Laval, De Laval-Falk Corp., De Laval-Ingersoll Rand. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Towers DDG-9 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Towers DDG-9 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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