USS Valley Forge (CV-45 / LPH-8) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned 3 November 1946 — Cold War Pacific Fleet, the first U.S. carrier to launch Korean War strikes (3 July 1950), Vietnam War operations after conversion to an amphibious assault ship (LPH-8) in 1961, and service through 1970.
The 77-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 | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Turbine | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Reduction Gears | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | 8 | |
| Economizers | Foster Wheeler | 8 | |
| Main Feed Pump | Worthington | 8 | |
| Turbine Driven Main Feed Booster Pumps | Worthington | 4 | |
| Aux. Feed Booster Pump | Worthington | 2 | |
| Motor Driven Main Feed Booster Pump | Worthington | 4 | |
| Emer. Feed Pump | Warren | 4 | |
| Main Circ. Pump | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Turbine Driven Main Condensate Pump | Ingersoll-Rand | 4 | |
| Motor Driven Main Cond. Pump | Ingersoll-Rand | 4 | |
| Aux. Condensate Pump | Ingersoll-Rand | 4 | |
| Aux. Cond. Circulating Pump | Warren | 4 | |
| LP Drain Pump | Warren | 2 | |
| Aux. Mach. Cooling W. Pump | Warren | 6 | |
| Turbine Driven Fire & Flushing Pump | Warren | 4 | |
| Motor Driven Fire & Flushing Pump | Warren | 6 | |
| Bilge Pump | Warren | 6 | |
| Drainage System Water Jet Eductor | Schutte & Koerting Co. | 6 | |
| Evaporator Feed Pump | Warren | 2 | |
| Dist. Fresh Water Pump | Warren | 2 | |
| Distiller Condensate Pump | Warren | 2 | |
| Dist. Circulating Pump | Warren | 2 | |
| Distiller Cond. Fresh Water Pump | Buffalo | 1 | |
| Dist. Cond. Condensate Pump | Buffalo | 1 | |
| Distilling Cond. Circulating Pump | Buffalo | 1 | |
| Evap. Brine Overboard Disch. Pump | Warren | 2 | |
| Evap. Brine Overboard Disch. Pump (Add. Evap. Plant) | Buffalo | 1 | Fire Room #3 |
| Evap. Tube Nest Drain Pump | Warren | 2 | |
| Evap. Tube Nest Drain Pump (Add. Evap. Plant) | Buffalo | 1 | Fire Room #3 |
| Lube Oil Service Pumps (Turbine) | Quimby | 8 | |
| Diesel F.O. Service Pump | Northern | 2 | |
| F.O. Tank Drain Pump | Northern | 3 | |
| L.O. Purifier | DeLaval | 2 | |
| Diesel F.O. Purifier | DeLaval | 2 | |
| Diesel Generator Cooling Water Booster Pump | Weinman | 2 | |
| F.O. Booster & Transf. Pump (Turbine Driven) | Quimby | 2 | |
| F.O. Booster & Trans. Pump | Quimby | 2 | |
| Fuel Oil Service Pump | Quimby Tool Co. | 8 | |
| Refrig. Circulating Water Pump | Warren | 3 | |
| Main Forced Draft Blowers | BF Sturtevant | 16 | |
| HP Air Compressor | Ingersoll-Rand | 2 | |
| Motor Driven Medium P. Air Compressor | Ingersoll-Rand | 3 | |
| Diesel Driven Fire Pumps | Gardner-Denver | 2 | |
| Main Condenser | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Dynamo Condenser | Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. | 4 | |
| Main Air Ejectors | Westinghouse | 1 | |
| Aux. Air Ejectors | Westinghouse | 1 | |
| Vacuum Drain Tank Ejector | C.H. Wheeler | 1 | |
| Gland Exhauster Condenser | Westinghouse | 2 | |
| Deaerating Feed Water Tank | Elliott | 2 | |
| Diesel Eng. Jacket Water Coolers | Cooper-Bessemer | 2 | |
| Fuel Oil Heaters | Griscom-Russell | 8 | |
| Main Lubricating Oil Coolers | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| Deaerating Tank Vent Condensers | Elliott | 2 | |
| Diesel Gen. L.O. Cooler | Cooper-Bessemer | 2 | |
| Cold Storage Compartment | Carrier | 3 | |
| A/C Central | York Ice Mach. | 2 | |
| A/C Steering Engine | York Ice Mach. | 1 | |
| Process Water Cooling X-ray | Frick | 1 | |
| Process Water Cooling Photo | Frick | 2 | |
| A/C Aft Ready Rm 1-4 | York Corp. | 4 | |
| A/C CIC Rm | Frick | 1 | |
| A/C Photo Lab | Frick | 1 | |
| Twin 3 Effect LP Distilling Plant | Griscom-Russell | ||
| Double Effect LP Distilling Plant | Griscom-Russell | ||
| Ships Serv. Turbo Gen. Sets Fwd Aux. | Westinghouse | 4 | |
| 60 kw Diesel Generators | Delco | 3 | |
| Ships Serv. Motor Generator Fwd Aux. | Westinghouse | 2 | |
| I.C. Motor Generator IC Room | Electro-Dynamic | 1 | |
| Bomb Sight Test M.G. | Elect. Spec. Co. | 1 | |
| Telephone Talking M.G. | Electric Products Co. | 1 | |
| Telephone Ring's M.G. | Holtzer-Cabot Co. | 2 | |
| Radio M.G. Sets | Western Electric Co. | 6 | |
| M.B. gun Dir. Gyro Stabl'z M.G. | Arma Corporation | 2 | |
| Thrust Bearings | Kingsbury |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Valley Forge
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy aircraft carriers 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 Valley Forge 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 Valley Forge 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.
Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Valley Forge (CV-45). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.