USS Peary (DD-226)
The USS Peary (DD-226) served in the US Navy for over two decades in the early 20th century, and earned one battle star for her service in World War II. She was named for Rear Admiral Robert Edwin Perry, who invented a lock gate for the Panama Canal and was the first person to reach the North Pole over the ice. Peary was built as a Clemson-class ship.
Construction
Peary was laid down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by the William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company in September 1919, launched in April 1920, and commissioned in October. Carrying a crew of 114, Peary was 314 feet, five inches long and armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, one three-inch anti-aircraft gun, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes.
Naval History
Peary operated in the Far East beginning in 1922 and then served with the Yangtze Patrol Force from 1923 to 1931. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Peary was moored at Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines, which was bombed by enemy aircraft the same day. Peary was hit by one bomb which killed eight crew members and injured the commanding officer, and was threatened by explosions from a nearby torpedo shop. She was towed away by the minesweeper Whippoorwill, which extinguished the fires onboard along with Pillsbury.
Later in December, Japanese aircraft dropped several bombs near Peary, but she was not damaged. Peary remained camouflaged with green paint and palm fronds that day and night at Campomanes Bay, Negros Island to elude Japanese patrol bombers. Peary was sighted the next morning and attacked by a Japanese aircraft, which dropped bombs repeatedly for a couple of hours until withdrawing. Peary was not damaged during this incident.
Peary operated out of Darwin, Australia beginning in January 1942 and conducted anti-submarine patrols. In February, Peary was attacked once again by Japanese dive bombers and sank stern first after explosions from four bombs rocked the ship, killing 80 crew members and wounding 13 others. She was struck from the Navy list in May 1942.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Peary (DD-226)
The installation of asbestos insulation in the design of oceangoing ships was required by law in the United States in the early 1930s, after a fire at sea on a cruise ship caused the deaths of 137 passengers and crew. Peary, like most Navy ships of the time, utilized asbestos insulation in large quantities, particularly in boilers and engine compartments, as well as to insulate steam pipes all over the vessel. When asbestos-containing material becomes worn it can become friable, which means that fibers can be broken off and enter the air, allowing them to be inhaled or ingested by sailors and repair workers, increasing the chances of contracting mesothelioma. When asbestos enters the body, the fibers get stuck in the mesothelium, a narrow body of cells which wraps around and buffers the interior organs, and in time this infiltration may lead to malignant mesothelioma.
At the present time doctors have not yet found a mesothelioma cure; however, dedicated doctors like Dr. David Sugarbaker are always working to create new treatment methods. Because malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon disease, not many hospitals or health-care providers are able to deliver the highest level mesothelioma treatment.
If you or someone you love has been affected by malignant mesothelioma, you may have legal avenues available and choosing a well-established mesothelioma lawyer can help you determine a course of action. We have also produced a mesothelioma information kit with data concerning legal resources and medical options, along with a list of mesothelioma clinics all over the U.S. All you have to do is fill in the form on this page and we will mail you the free package.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-226.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd226txt.htm Retrieved 29 December 2010.
NavSource Naval History, USS Peary (DD-226).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/226.htm Retrieved 29 December 2010.
