USS John D. Henley (DD-553)
The USS John D. Henley (DD-553) was commissioned in the U.S. Navy for a few short years in the early 20th century. She was named for John D. Henley who served in the War of 1812 and the First Barbary War. John D. Henley was a member of the Fletcher class of destroyers.
Construction
John D. Henley was laid down at Chickasaw, Alabama by the Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation in July 1941, launched in November 1942, and commissioned in February 1944 with Commander C.H. Smith in command. Carrying a crew of 273, John D. Henley was 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
John D. Henley conducted training at Bermuda and sailed from Norfolk, Virginia to Pearl Harbor in April 1944, and then escorted oil tankers to Majuro. On the second trip to Majuro in May, John D. Henley became the flagship of a refueling task group stationed there. The destroyer served with the group during operations at Saipan and Tinian in June 1944. John D. Henley was then deployed with Task Group 30.8 to participate in strikes on Peleliu, and then operated out of Ulithi into November to support forces serving in the Philippines.
John D. Henley went on to perform as an independent escort and patrol vessel in the Marshal Islands and the Marianas. She underwent underwater demolition training at Ulithi in January 1945 and bombarded Iwo Jima prior to the invasion in February. During the battle, John D. Henley conducted fire support, screening, and radar picket operations. She was then deployed during the assault on Okinawa, protecting aircraft carriers and enduring air attacks.
In July, John D. Henley returned to Okinawa once again during the minesweeping efforts, and following the end of World War II, operated as an air-sea rescue station off Japan. John D. Henley sailed for San Francisco the day Japan issued its formal surrender and was decommissioned at San Diego in April 1946. The destroyer was struck from the Navy list in May 1968 and sold for scrap to Zidell Explorations, Inc., in May 1970. John D. Henley received six battle stars for her World War II service.
Asbestos Risk on the USS John D. Henley (DD-553)
Most servicemen assigned to or working on the USS John D. Henley were likely to be exposed to asbestos during their time of service on the ship. Although nearly every crewman aboard John D. Henley would have potentially suffered asbestos exposure to some extent, engineering personnel were most likely to have experienced a higher level of exposure on a regular basis than those in other occupations. Nearly every area on board the destroyer was contaminated with asbestos material to some degree, however.
Working on ships in a shipyard also provided an opportunity for personnel to be exposed to asbestos. The families of dockyard workers were placed at risk of secondhand exposure because workers would bring the poisonous asbestos dust back into the home on their clothes. Scientific research has proven that a link exists between inhaling asbestos from the surrounding air and mesothelioma cancer.
Crewmen who regularly worked with asbestos fibers over many months or years are at much higher risk of developing malignant mesothelioma than sailors who experienced a lower level of exposure. Asbestos fibers routinely surrounded crewmen and repair personnel while they were working on ships, especially when they were refitting parts of John D. Henley which employed large amounts of asbestos insulation.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-553.
(http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd553txt.htm) Retrieved 20 January 2011.
NavSource Naval History, USS John D. Henley (DD-553).
(http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/553.htm) Retrieved 20 January 2011.
