USS Ward (DD-139)
The USS Ward (DD-139) served in the U.S. Navy for two and a half decades during the 20th century. She was named for Commander James Harmon Ward, who was the first U.S. Navy officer to be killed in action during the Civil War. Ward was built as a Wickes-class ship.
Construction
Ward was laid down in California by Mare Island Navy Yard in May 1918, launched in June, and commissioned in July with Commander Milton S. Davis in command. Carrying a crew of 103, Ward was 314 feet, five inches long and was armed with four 4-inch rapid-fire guns, two anti-aircraft guns, and twelve 21-inch torpedo tubes. She was propelled by geared turbines and had a cruising speed of 35 knots.
Naval History
Ward was designated as the flagship of Destroyer Division 18 and began her service at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after leaving the west coast of the United States. In May 1919, Ward acted as a navigational aid and lifeguard station during the trans-Atlantic flights of NC-1, NC-3, and NC-4, and was one of the first destroyers to pass through the Panama Canal in July. She visited various ports on the west coast, returned to San Diego, California, in late 1919, and was decommissioned in July, 1921.
In January 1941, Ward was re-commissioned in San Diego with Lieutenant Commander Hunter Wood, Jr. in command. Ward joined the 14th Naval District and Destroyer Division 80 at Pearl Harbor and conducted anti-submarine patrols as part of the Inshore Patrol Command. She charged a Japanese submarine and fired the first shot of World War II in the Pacific, and then depth charged and destroyed the submarine.
Ward was converted to a high-speed transport at the Puget Sound Navy Yard and re-designated APD-16 in February 1943, and was overhauled to accommodate troops. During this deployment, Ward also operated as an anti-submarine patrol and escort. She conducted various missions in the Solomon Islands, the Russell Islands, New Guinea, and the Philippines.
During the assault on Leyte, Ward was attacked by Japanese kamikaze planes and set afire, and water pressure dropped too low to fight fires that ignited her fuel tanks and diesel oil storage. Ward was sunk by destroyer O'Brien on December 4, 1944 in Ormoc Bay, Japan, after all hands were rescued. Her name was struck from the Navy list in January, 1945.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Ward (DD-139)
Because of their extraordinary versatility, ACMs (asbestos-containing materials) were used in almost every compartment and corridor in a naval vessel. Many areas on board the ship contained boilers and power plants and thus required more asbestos. Surprisingly, even compartments of the ship with no engineering function were likely to be contaminated with asbestos, as asbestos was used as packing for valves and pumps, and to insulate steam pipes which ran all through Ward.
An exposed crewman's likelihood of developing mesothelioma goes up considerably if he or she worked frequently with damaged asbestos-containing material. Components damaged in battle posed an additional asbestos risk because materials containing asbestos became "friable" (meaning frayed) over time. In that condition, individual fibers could become loose and enter the air where they could be easily inhaled. Working with fire-damaged asbestos or damaged components exposed Ward's personnel and repair workers to higher levels of asbestos than those encountered in the course of normal duty. Boilermen, engineers, machinists, and others who had to maintain and replace asbestos-contaminated equipment were at the highest risk. Because exposure to asbestos is the only origin of malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis, there are legal options for servicemen who have developed asbestos-related conditions.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-139.
(http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd139txt.htm) Retrieved 22 December 2010.
NavSource Naval History, USS Ward (DD-139).
(http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/139.htm) Retrieved 22 December 2010.
