USS Kearsarge (CV-33 / CVA-33 / CVS-33) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned 2 March 1946 — serving through the Korean War, conversion to an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) carrier, and Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 splashdown recovery operations before decommissioning 13 February 1970. Her engineering spaces were documented in deposition testimony as containing asbestos-containing materials throughout her service life.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation and publicly filed asbestos litigation records.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger | Aqua-Chem | Installed aboard LHD-3 USS KEARSARGE | |
| Distiller circulating pump | Buffalo Pumps | 1 | Installed aboard USS Kearsarge (CV-33) |
| Evaporator brine overboard pump | Buffalo Pumps | 1 | Installed aboard USS Kearsarge (CV-33) |
| Distiller condensate pump | Buffalo Pumps | 1 | Installed aboard USS Kearsarge (CV-33) |
| Distiller fresh water pump | Buffalo Pumps | 1 | Installed aboard USS Kearsarge (CV-33) |
| First effect tube nest drain pump | Buffalo Pumps | 1 | Installed aboard USS Kearsarge (CV-33) |
Documented Asbestos Products — Litigation Record
The following manufacturers and products are specifically documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation and naval records involving USS Kearsarge (CV-33):
Boiler gaskets — Johns Manville: Corpus records identify a Johns Manville Kearsarge Boiler Plate Gasket — a product specifically manufactured or designated for the boiler plant aboard USS Kearsarge. Johns Manville (J-M) was the dominant supplier of asbestos-containing boiler gaskets, pipe insulation (Kaylo), and millboard to the U.S. Navy during this era. J-M’s boiler plate gaskets contained compressed asbestos sheet that became friable during removal and replacement in boiler maintenance.
Pumps — Buffalo Pumps and Aqua-Chem: Buffalo Pumps (distiller circulating pump, evaporator brine overboard pump, distiller condensate pump, distiller fresh water pump, and first-effect tube nest drain pump) and Aqua-Chem (shell and tube heat exchanger) are documented in the Kearsarge equipment manifest. Buffalo Pumps products incorporated asbestos gaskets and packing at pump flanges and glands throughout this service period.
Deposition testimony — engineering spaces: Publicly filed deposition testimony from a crew member who served aboard USS Kearsarge documents working in the engineering spaces during her operational service — including the boiler rooms and machinery spaces where the above equipment was maintained. Testimony addresses whether asbestos-containing materials were visible and present in those spaces.
Essex-class shared documentation: As an Essex-class vessel, Kearsarge shares class-wide documentation of 250+ tons of amosite and chrysotile thermal insulation, eight Babcock & Wilcox main boilers, Griscom-Russell distilling plants, De Laval oil purifiers, and Crane Co. steam valves — all with documented asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and packing.
Service history and exposure periods:
- Korean War era service — engineering plant operating at peak demand
- Conversion to CVS (ASW carrier) — shipyard periods with insulation removal and replacement
- Apollo recovery operations (1969) — late-period service aboard a ship with original asbestos insulation still in place
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Kearsarge
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy 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, including Johns Manville boiler plate gaskets
- 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 Kearsarge Veterans
The 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. The Kearsarge equipment manifest and litigation record provide direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials aboard.
Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products are also available, and do not reduce VA compensation.
Speak with an asbestos attorney with Navy veterans experience →
Equipment manifest derived from public-record BUSHIPS documentation and publicly filed asbestos litigation specific to USS Kearsarge (CV-33 / CVS-33). Editorial review applied per site standards.
