USS Burns (DD-588)
The USS Burns (DD-588) served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and remained on the Navy list until the 1970s. She was named for Otway Burns who served in the War of 1812. Burns was commissioned as a Fletcher-class destroyer.
Construction
Burns was laid down by the Charleston Navy Yard in May 1942, launched in August, and commissioned in April 1943 with Commander D.T. Eller in command. Carrying a crew of 273, Burns was 376 feet five inches in length and armed with five 5-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 1.1-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Burns sailed for Pearl Harbor in September 1943 and began her World War II service in October. She was assigned to several duties, including service as an anti-submarine escort for various other vessels, and as a picket, fighter-director, and aircraft rescue vessel. In October, Burns participated in the Wake Island raid, and then served during the operation at the Gilbert Islands in November and December.
Burns served during major combat operations, including the Kwajalein and Majuro Atoll occupations in January and February 1944, Truk Island in February, and the Palau, Yap, and Ulithi operations at the end of March and beginning of April. Later in April, Burns served during the invasion of Hollandia, New Guinea, and in the Mariana Islands from June through August, which included four separate raids on the Bonin Islands. Burns was also present during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the capture of Saipan and Guam.
In October and November, Burns served with the 3rd Fleet for the Okinawa assault, and then in the Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. Burns rescued three downed pilots off Ujae Atoll, and while sailing back to rejoin the task group, encountered a Japanese convoy of four vessels. She managed to sink all of them, and then resumed combat operations in the Caroline Islands in February, where she helped sink Katori, a trawler, and the Japanese Submarine Chaser No. 24.
Burns remained on duty in the Far East until December 1945, in support of the Korea and China occupations. She was placed in reserve in June 1946 at San Diego, struck from the Navy list in November 1972, and sunk in June 1974.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Burns (DD-588)
Essentially every compartment aboard Burns was contaminated by asbestos. Some sections used asbestos more heavily than others. The engineering and power areas on Burns employed asbestos widely as insulation for steam pipes, to line ship's boilers, and to fireproof elements of the ship's motors or turbines.
Over time, or when damaged in combat conditions, asbestos can become brittle. In that condition, the tiny fibers can enter the air and those in the area are susceptible to breathing them in. Many of the sailors on the USS Burns were exposed to asbestos in this way and today are at risk for developing a life-threatening cancer known as mesothelioma.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-588.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd588txt.htm
NavSource Naval History. USS Burns (DD-588).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/588.htm
