USS The Sullivans (DD-537)
The USS The Sullivans (DD-537) served in the U.S. Navy for three decades in the mid-20th century. She was named for George Thomas, Francis Henry, Joseph Eugene, Madison Abel, and Albert Leo Sullivan who served aboard USS Juneau during World War II. The Sullivans was built as a Fletcher-class destroyer.
Construction
The Sullivans was laid down at San Francisco, California by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in October 1942, launched in April 1943, and commissioned in September with Commander Kenneth M. Gentry in command. Carrying a crew of 273, The Sullivans 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
The Sullivans was deployed to the Marshall Islands in January 1944 to serve as a defense for aircraft carriers Essex, Intrepid, and Cabot. In February, The Sullivans escorted the torpedoed Intrepid to Majuro, and was dry docked at Pearl Harbor in March. The Sullivans supported amphibious operations at New Guinea and supported carriers during air strikes at Truk.
In June, The Sullivans participated in operations at Saipan and acted as a communications station, and covered carriers serving at Saipan and Tinian later in June, prior to bombarding Iwo Jima in July. The Sullivans then served during air strikes on Guam and Rota Islands, as well as during the strikes on Palaus. She operated as a radar picket in the Philippines while Japanese air bases were targeted. In September, The Sullivans was damaged in a collision with Massachusetts, repaired at Ulithi, but drifted off during a storm and collided with Uhlmann, but still managed to conduct rescues.
The Sullivans was in service a few days later to protect carriers during raids on Formosa and the Ryukyus. She rescued survivors of the kamikaze-stricken Houston during this service, and served in the Philippines from October until December. The Sullivans then supported the invasion of Okinawa, and succeeded in rescuing 166 survivors from Bunker Hill.
Following the end of the war, The Sullivans alternated between duty in the Atlantic and Pacific, and was placed in reserve from January 1946 until July 1951. The Sullivans was then deployed for service in the Korean War, and alternated between east coast service and Mediterranean deployments from 1955 to 1960. In May 1961, The Sullivans served with Lake Champlain when Commander Alan Shepard’s space capsule landed. She also operated off Cuba in 1962 and then commenced operations as a training ship on the east coast. The Sullivans was decommissioned in January 1965, and converted into a memorial at Buffalo, New York in June 1977.
Asbestos Risk on the USS The Sullivans (DD-537)
The engineering sections of The Sullivans contained the highest concentration of asbestos products. Boilers, generators, and turbines were all known to use asbestos insulation. Steam pipes were covered with asbestos blankets. The mineral was also used for fireproofing, so it was installed in galleys and crew quarters. No area of The Sullivans was completely safe from asbestos contamination.
The multiple collisions suffered by The Sullivans likely increased the overall asbestos risk to her crew. Dust created by asbestos insulation damaged in a collision was nearly invisible and easily inhaled. As asbestos products were installed from stem to stern on this ship, any impact was very likely to create the dangerous dust. Breathing asbestos-contaminated air can cause mesothelioma.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-537.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd537txt.htm) Retrieved 19 January 2011.
NavSource Naval History, USS The Sullivans (DD-537).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/537.htm) Retrieved 19 January 2011.
