USS William D. Porter (DD-579)
The USS William D. Porter (DD-579) served in the U.S. Navy for a few short years during World War II, before being sunk by a Japanese aircraft. She was named for Commodore William David Porter who served in the Civil War. William D. Porter was a member of the Fletcher class of naval vessels.
Construction
William D. Porter was laid down at Orange, Texas by the Consolidated Steel Corporation in May 1942, launched in September, and commissioned in July 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Wilfred A. Walter in command. Carrying a crew of 273, William D. Porter 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
William D. Porter participated in battle practice with the Atlantic Fleet in September 1943, and sailed part of the way to North Africa with Iowa in November. She fired a torpedo at Iowa by mistake, which averted damage when William D. Porter notified the battleship in time. William D. Porter continued on to Bermuda and then returned to Norfolk, Virginia before being deployed to the Aleutian Islands for training. In January 1944, the destroyer arrived at Pearl Harbor and then escorted Black Hawk to the Aleutians, where she operated as an anti-submarine escort.
William D. Porter operated in the Kuril Islands from June through August, and underwent repairs at San Francisco in September before being assigned to additional training operations out of Pearl Harbor in October. She was then deployed to Leyte, after the invasion, but fought off Japanese aircraft and protected convoys. In January 1945, William D. Porter was assigned to the Lingayen Fire Support Group and took part in the invasion of Luzon, with bombardments in the Lingayen Gulf.
William D. Porter delivered fire support for troops and destroyed abandoned barges, and in April participated in the assault on Okinawa. During this deployment, she provided anti-submarine and anti-aircraft duties and also protected minesweeping vessels. In May and June, William D. Porter operated as a radar picket at Okinawa as well. The destroyer evaded a kamikaze plane which crashed in the water beneath her and exploded. William D. Porter sank, but the crew safely abandoned ship, and was struck from the Navy list in July.
Asbestos Risk on the USS William D. Porter (DD-579)
Most Navy veterans that served during and immediately after World War II were exposed to asbestos during their time at sea. On ships that saw combat, like William D. Porter, the level of exposure was usually elevated. Impact from enemy fire and the stresses put on the ship during battle operations caused asbestos insulation to shed individual fibers. Because the dangers of asbestos inhalation were not well understood at that time, sailors had little or no gear to protect them from asbestos dust.
Regular interaction with asbestos over an extended time period is more dangerous than a brief, concentrated exposure. Because the highest concentrations of asbestos on William D. Porter were found below decks in engineering spaces and boiler rooms, sailors stationed in those areas had the greatest potential exposure. Navy engineers and steamfitters were amongst those most likely to be diagnosed with asbestos cancer.
Sources
Haze Gray & Underway. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. DD-579.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd579txt.htm
NavSource Naval History. USS William D. Porter (DD-579).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/579.htm
