USS Ogden (LPD-5) — Asbestos Aboard the Austin Class Amphibious Transport Dock

USS Ogden (LPD-5), an Austin class amphibious transport dock, was laid down 4 February 1963 at the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, launched 27 June 1964, and commissioned at New York on 19 June 1965. She served in the Pacific Fleet, deploying to the Western Pacific and participating in amphibious operations off Vietnam, transporting Marines and their vehicles and equipment in her well deck during combat operations. Ogden continued Pacific Fleet amphibious operations throughout the Cold War. Her steam propulsion plant — two boilers driving geared steam turbines — provided propulsion through her service. Built in the mid-1960s, Ogden incorporated asbestos-containing boiler insulation, steam pipe insulation, turbine insulation, and hull construction materials consistent with the construction practice of that period.

USS Ogden Steam Plant and Construction Asbestos

Ogden’s steam propulsion plant and hull construction incorporated asbestos throughout:

• Boiler insulation — Ogden’s boilers were insulated with asbestos-containing boiler casing insulation consistent with mid-1960s construction specifications. Engineering ratings accumulated asbestos exposure from the boiler insulation through her Pacific Fleet service
• High-pressure steam pipe insulation — the steam mains and auxiliary steam piping throughout Ogden’s engineering spaces incorporated asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with mid-1960s naval construction specifications
• Troop berthing, well deck, and auxiliary spaces — Ogden’s troop berthing areas, vehicle well deck, and auxiliary spaces were constructed using the hull construction materials of the mid-1960s building period incorporating asbestos-containing materials

Shipyard Overhauls and Insulation Removal

Asbestos exposure aboard steam-powered Navy ships was not limited to the original installation. The U.S. General Accounting Office, reporting to the House of Representatives in 1979, reviewed worker protection at two naval shipyards and found asbestos dust aboard ships where required cleanup had not been performed properly, pipe ends with exposed asbestos, and asbestos fibers on pipes that had been stripped. The report recommended additional safety staff to monitor rip-out operations aboard ships. An industrial hygienist at one of those shipyards had published the point directly: exposure occurs during the fabrication and installation of asbestos insulation, and during removal of insulation for repairs or overhaul of ships.

Crew members standing watch in engineering spaces during a yard period could therefore be exposed to asbestos disturbed by shipyard workers, independently of their own duties.

VA Claims for USS Ogden Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Machinist’s Mates, Boilermen, Marine Corps personnel, and crew members who served aboard USS Ogden and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

Construction and commissioning dates are from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), published by the Naval History and Heritage Command. Shipyard asbestos findings are from U.S. General Accounting Office report B-163375, “Navy’s Efforts to Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure” (HRD-80-2), Comptroller General of the United States, 18 October 1979. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.

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.