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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Newcomb (DD-586), a Fletcher-class destroyer, served extensively in the Pacific Theater from 1944 to 1945. Commissioned in November 1943, she participated in major campaigns including Saipan, Palaus, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, earning eight battle stars. On 6 April 1945 off Ie Shima, she sustained five kamikaze hits but remained afloat; she was decommissioned in November 1945 and scrapped in 1947.
Iwo Jima invasion· 1945-02-10 fire support and bombardment
Okinawa invasion· 1945-04-06 antiaircraft and bombardment
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Marshall Islands — April 1944
Saipan — May–August 1944
Palaus — September–October 1944
Leyte — October–December 1944
Iwo Jima — February 1945
Okinawa/Ie Shima — April 1945
Kerama Retto — April 1945
Saipan — June 1945
Pearl Harbor — summer 1945
San Francisco — August 1945
Notable Incidents
22 June 1944 — sank Japanese submarine I-185 with USS Chandler off Saipan
25 October 1944 — night torpedo attack in Surigao Strait, at least one torpedo struck battleship Yamashiro
6 April 1945 — struck five times by kamikazes off Ie Shima; 18 killed, 25 missing, 64 wounded
Final Disposition
scrapped at Mare Island Navy Yard — October 1947
USS Newcomb (DD-586) is a fletcher-class destroyer in the U.S. asbestos litigation record. The equipment manifest below is a class-pattern reference assembled from manufacturer and machinery entries documented across 21 sister ships of the same class. Ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation for USS Newcomb (DD-586) herself has not yet been published; this pattern reflects what was standard for vessels of this class.
Class Equipment Pattern
Equipment Manifest — USS Newcomb (DD-586). 21 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Documented across 2 sister-ship records of the Fletcher-class destroyer
Note: this manifest is a class-level pattern derived from sister-ship BUSHIPS records and public asbestos litigation documents. Individual ship-specific variations may exist. Where ship-specific documentation becomes available for USS Newcomb (DD-586), this page will be updated to reflect her unique equipment profile.
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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Newcomb
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:
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms
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.
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.
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.
Newcomb DD-586 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Newcomb DD-586 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Newcomb DD-586 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 Newcomb DD-586 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Newcomb DD-586'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 Newcomb DD-586?
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 Newcomb DD-586?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Newcomb DD-586 include: Babcock & Wilcox, Chapman, DeLaval, Foster Wheeler, General Electric, General Motors, Warren. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Newcomb DD-586 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Yes. Mesothelioma is recognized by the VA as service-connected for veterans with documented Navy service and qualifying asbestos exposure. Newcomb DD-586 veterans (or surviving family) typically file at VA.gov, by phone at 1-800-827-1000, or with assistance from a Veterans Service Officer through DAV, VFW, or American Legion. Civil claims against asbestos product manufacturers are separate from VA benefits — many veterans pursue both paths.
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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