USS Coral Sea (CV-43) Asbestos Exposure & Equipment
USS Coral Sea (CV-43): 49 documented asbestos-bearing equipment items aboard — pumps, valves, turbines — plus the ratings most exposed.
By Rights Watch Media Group LLC•June 6, 2026•5 min read
Hull
CV-43
Class
Midway-class aircraft carrier
Commissioned
1947
Decommissioned
1990
Documented Service History
Shipyard, deployment, and service events for this vessel documented in the public record — court filings, the ship’s deck logs, or the crew’s own cruise book (each entry cites its source). Dry-dockings, overhauls, and yard periods were when asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced, the peak-exposure work for the crew and yard workers aboard.
1975
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1976
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1976
Yard period / shipyard · REACH NAVAL SHIPYARD — In the shipyard at REACH NAVAL SHIPYARD, per the ship's deck log.
1976
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1978
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
Derived from publicly filed asbestos-litigation records, ship’s deck logs, and the crew’s own cruise books. Historical service events; this does not constitute legal or medical advice.
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USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) maneuvers at high speed on 28 July 1955Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Coral Sea (CV/CVB/CVA-43) was a Midway-class aircraft carrier that earned the nickname "Ageless Warrior" during her extensive operational career. Built by Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned in October 1947, she served with the Mediterranean Fleet throughout the 1950s, conducted pioneering carrier aviation tests, and participated in major Vietnam War operations from 1964 to 1967 including Operation Rolling Thunder. The ship was decommissioned in May 1957 for a comprehensive modernization including angled deck conversion, recommissioned in January 1960, and ultimately scrapped after her service concluded.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
Laid down
1944-07-10
Launched
1946-04-02
Commissioned
1947-10-01
Decommissioned
1957-05-24
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet 1949
Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet 1950-1951
Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet 1951-1952
Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet 1952-1953
Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet 1953
Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet 1954
Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet 1955
Mediterranean duty 1956-1957
Western Pacific (WestPac) 1960-1961
Vietnam War 1964-1965
Vietnam War 1966-1967
Combat Actions
Operation Flaming Dart· 1965-02 strike aircraft against North Vietnamese military targets
Operation Rolling Thunder· 1965-03 bombing campaign against North Vietnamese targets
First U.S. aerial combat of Vietnam War· 1965-04-03 engaged by North Vietnamese MiG-17s
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Norfolk, Virginia — home port (1947-1957)
Mayport, Florida
Bremerton, Washington
Istanbul
Valencia, Spain
Naples
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard· 1957-1960 major conversion SCB 110A
Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.
Notable Incidents
25 October 1967 Zuni rocket ignition accident in Gulf of Tonkin — nine sailors burned, three critical
Final Disposition
scrapped
Veterans' Firsthand Accounts
Were you aboard Coral Sea CV-43? Add your account.
No one knows this ship like the crew who ran her. If you served aboard, tell us what you remember — the spaces, the equipment, where the dust and lagging were, what the work was really like. Every firsthand account helps another Coral Sea CV-43 veteran or family understand where they may have been exposed, and where to find help.
About these accounts: they are personal recollections shared by veterans and their families — individual memory and experience, not archival records, and not independently verified. The ship's documented history, equipment manifest, and exposure record on this page are drawn from NARA, BUSHIPS, DANFS, and VA sources. These accounts sit alongside that documented record — they add to it, they don't change it.
Firsthand accounts from the crew
1personal recollections · unverified
Veteran account
I was assigned TAD to Rehab Division shortly after reporting aboard, and was responsible for chipping and painting, removing floor tiles, insulation, lockers and racks. We completely refurbished berthing compartments. While assigned, I was told by Hunters Point yard workers that we were using outlawed asbestos insulation. After the yard period I served in OI Division.
— David, TAD Rehab Division, then OI Division · aboard 1970–1973 · shared with RightsWatch Media
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Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Coral Sea? This aircraft carrier carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Coral Sea, hull number CV-43, was an aircraft carrier, built by Newport News Shipbuilding and commissioned in 1947. She served through Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet, Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet, and Mediterranean duty with Sixth Fleet. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Coral Sea, CV-43 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Each shipyard overhaul and major repair meant asbestos insulation was torn out and replaced — peak-exposure work for the yard workers and the crew aboard. Exposure was worst in the engineering spaces, where the snipes worked — but asbestos lined the whole ship, so all hands were exposed. The companies that made the asbestos equipment aboard — not the Navy — are who asbestos claims are brought against. According to asbestos litigation records, the equipment aboard the USS Coral Sea from makers such as Babcock and Wilcox, General Electric, Not specified, and Westinghouse allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Coral Sea and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used aboard your ship. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.
USS Coral Sea (CV-43) was a Midway-class aircraft carrier commissioned 1 October 1947 — 43 years of continuous service across the Cold War, Vietnam War combat operations, the 1975 SS Mayaguez incident, 1986 Libya strikes, and Mediterranean Sixth Fleet deployments through her 1990 decommissioning. One of three Midway-class supercarriers.
The 49-entry equipment manifest below is sourced from ship-specific BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation identifying machinery and equipment installed aboard. Each entry is documented equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source material for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and surviving families.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Coral Sea (CV-43). 49 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Fulton Sylphon Division — temperature regulator valves
Pumps:
IMO/Morgan Navy Pump (Triple Screw, shipped 1960) — used to pump aviation fuel; IMO argued it used mechanical seals eliminating need for packing/gaskets
Fire and flushing submersible pumps — electric, without asbestos packing or gaskets per testimony
Scrapping exposure:
Per Baltimore Sun investigation: laborers scrapping USS Coral Sea “ripped asbestos insulation from the aircraft carrier with their bare hands,” sometimes without respirators — confirming asbestos-containing insulation remained throughout the ship at decommissioning.
Shipyard rip-out exposure:
Shop 56 worker testimony: transferred from USS Midway to USS Coral Sea when Coral Sea “was in rip-out and was getting ready for reinsulation” — asbestos insulation removal generating significant airborne fiber during overhaul.
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Coral Sea
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of this era are documented to have included:
Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on main steam, feed-water, fuel-oil, condensate, and saltwater piping throughout machinery spaces
Boiler block insulation, refractory brick, and gun-blocks around the main boilers
Asbestos gaskets and braided packing in valves, flanges, pumps, condensers, heat exchangers, and turbine glands
Insulation jackets and removable lagging on main propulsion turbines, reduction gears, ship-service turbine generators, and forced-draft blowers
Sheet asbestos and Marinite panels as fire-stops, bulkhead insulation, and overhead insulation
Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in passageways, berthing, mess decks, and habitable compartments
Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in gland-seal applications throughout the engineering plant
Sailors in Boilerman, Machinist’s Mate, Engineman, Electrician’s Mate, Hull Maintenance Technician, Damage Controlman, and other engineering ratings worked routinely in spaces where these materials were installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced.
VA Benefits for Coral Sea Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions that may be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure. The Coral Sea equipment manifest is direct documentary evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around throughout her service life.
Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products are also available, and do not reduce VA compensation.
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation specific to USS Coral Sea (CV-43). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
AsbestosIndex™Product & Manufacturer Reference
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.
Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service
Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.
All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.
Coral Sea CV-43 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Coral Sea CV-43 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Coral Sea CV-43 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.
Which shipboard components on Coral Sea CV-43 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Coral Sea CV-43's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.
What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Coral Sea CV-43?
Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.
What equipment manufacturers are documented on Coral Sea CV-43?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Coral Sea CV-43 include: Babcock & Wilcox, Chapman, Crane, Delava, Delavel, Elliot, Fairbanks Morse. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Coral Sea CV-43 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Coral Sea CV-43 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.
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Connect With a Navy Asbestos & Mesothelioma Attorney
Navy veterans and civilian shipyard workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may have grounds for a civil claim against the asbestos product manufacturers whose materials were installed aboard. O'Brien Law Firm, the editorial sponsor of this site, is the firm to which case-evaluation inquiries from this site are directed, at no upfront cost — the civil track is separate from any VA disability benefits you may be eligible for.
Living with a diagnosis?
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Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.
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No attorney fee unless a financial recovery is made
Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
Civil claims against asbestos manufacturers & bankruptcy trust funds
Maritime statute of limitations: 3 years from diagnosis (46 U.S.C. § 30106)
Runs in parallel with VA benefits — civil recovery does not reduce VA disability compensation
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If you served aboard USS Coral Sea CV-43 and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or another asbestos disease after exposure to asbestos aboard ship, you may have a legal claim. Speak with O'Brien Law Firm — (314) 237-6461.
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