USS Manley (DD-940)
The USS Manley (DD-940) remained on the Navy list for over three decades in the mid-to-late-20th century. She was named for Captain John Manley who served in the Revolutionary War. Manley was laid down as a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer.
Construction
Manley was laid down at Bath, Maine by the Bath Iron Works Corporation in February 1955, launched in April 1956, and commissioned in February 1957 with Commander William H. Rowan in command. Carrying a crew of 324, Manley was armed with four three-inch rapid fire guns, two anti-submarine mortars, four 21-inch torpedo tubes, and six 12.75-inch anti-submarine torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Manley began her overseas service on a goodwill cruise to Portugal, Norway, German, and Denmark, and arrived back at the Boston Naval Shipyard in July 1957. In August, Manley sailed to Norfolk, Virginia and then Scotland to take part in NATO Fleet exercises. She also screened aircraft carriers for battle practice exercises off Norway and north of the Arctic Circle. After returning to the United States in October, Manley was designated the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 4.
Manley served on another Mediterranean tour in December 1957, weathered a storm off the Azores which caused two fatalities, and arrived at Norfolk in mid-January 1958. She was repaired at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then commenced operations in the Atlantic. Manley continued to alternate between east coast and European service, and served with the Surface Antisubmarine Development Detachment at Key West, Florida for the first half of 1959.
Manley served with Project Mercury in 1962 and was also deployed during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Mediterranean deployments and Atlantic service followed, and Manley was assigned to the recovery station for Gemini V in August 1966. In October, she was deployed to the Pacific and sailed for Vietnam in November. During this deployment, a jammed gun led to a fire and, after repairs at Subic Bay, Manley operated in the Gulf of Tonkin and provide gunfire support.
Manley arrived at Charleston, South Carolina in May 1967 and returned to Vietnam from September 1967 until June 1968. The destroyer was out of commission from January 1970 to April 1971 and then remained in service until March 1983. Manley was struck from the Navy list in June 1990 and was sold for scrap to N.R. Acquisitions in June 1994.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Manley (DD-940)
Nearly every crewman aboard Manley was exposed to ACMs (asbestos-containing materials) regardless of what area of the ship he was assigned to. Some positions suffered greater exposure; crew members assigned to the engine room, working on heavy machinery, dealing with fire suppression, or repairing damage were considerably more likely to inhale or ingest asbestos. But since asbestos products were so versatile and used in so many shipboard applications, no veteran of the Manley was completely safe from the mineral.
Regular exposure to asbestos products has been linked to developing mesothelioma later in life. The risk is greater when those products have been damaged or suffered wear and tear. Such products become friable, easily releasing dangerous clouds of asbestos fibers into the surrounding air. Manley’s long tour of duty likely means that many of her asbestos parts were friable.
Fortunately, the dangers of asbestos exposure were well understood by the time she was struck. Safe handling of asbestos is possible if the workers are well-equipped to manage the risk. Navy veterans that served in the 50’s and 60’s rarely had such protective gear, and are amongst those most likely to be diagnosed with asbestos diseases.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-940.
(http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd940txt.htm) Retrieved 25 February 2011.
NavSource Naval History. Manley (DD-940).
(http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/940.htm) Retrieved 25 February 2011.
