USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986) is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. A ship-specific BUSHIPS equipment manifest has not yet been published for this vessel in our records.
The standard asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of this era, the Navy ratings most exposed during normal duty, and the VA presumptive-benefits framework are listed below and apply to any sailor who served in an engineering, hull, or damage-control rate aboard a Navy ship of this period.
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Spruance-Class destroyer — Class Background
Ship-specific service history is not available for this vessel in public records. The class-level information below applies to all ships in her class. Source: Wikipedia — Spruance-Class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was the primary destroyer built for the United States Navy during the 1970s and 1980s, designed to replace World War II-era destroyer classes. Introduced in 1975, the class featured innovative gas-turbine propulsion, a flight deck and hangar for up to two helicopters, and all-digital weapons systems optimized for anti-submarine warfare. The Navy decommissioned the last ship in 2005, with the class eventually succeeded by the more capable and cost-efficient Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
Class Overview
- Total Ships in Class
- 31
- Construction Era
- 1970s-1980s
- Service Era
- 1975-2005
Class Mission & Role
Primary destroyer class designed to escort carrier groups and conduct anti-submarine warfare, later upgraded with land-attack cruise missile capabilities.
Primary Builders
- Litton-Ingalls shipyard (Pascagoula, Mississippi)
Class Combat Operations
- Operation Desert Storm
Asbestos Materials in this Class
The article does not document asbestos use in the Spruance class. Standard pre-1980 U.S. Navy construction included asbestos in pipe lagging, boiler insulation, gaskets, and habitability spaces.
The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Harry W. Hill
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:
VA Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.
Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.
How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.
VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit
Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.
