USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) was a Midway-class aircraft carrier that served the U.S. Navy from 1945 through 1977 — a 32-year service life that places her squarely within the heaviest period of asbestos use in U.S. Navy ship construction. Across her service, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s crew worked daily in machinery spaces, engineering plant, and habitable compartments constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials.
The equipment manifest below is drawn from BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) ship-specific documentation that identifies the machinery and equipment manufacturers installed aboard Franklin D. Roosevelt. Each entry is a documented item of equipment with verified manufacturer attribution — primary-source evidence for asbestos-exposure case development by Navy veterans and their families.
Equipment Manifest
| Equipment | Manufacturer | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-HP Turbines | General Electric | 4 | |
| 4-LP Turbines | General Electric | 4 | |
| #1-Distiller Circulating Pump | Warren | ||
| #1-Brine Overboard Pump | Warren | ||
| #1-Evaporator Feed Pump | Warren | ||
| #2-Fuel Oil Service Pump | DeLaval | ||
| #3-Fuel Oil Booster & Transfer Pump | DeLaval | ||
| #3-Emergency Feed Pump | Warren | ||
| #2-Auxiliary Feed Booster Pump | Worthington | ||
| #2-Fresh Water Pump | Worthington | ||
| #3-Lubricating oil Pump | DeLaval | ||
| #3-Main Circulator Pump | Worthington | ||
| #3-Main Feed Pump (Turbine Driven) | Worthington | ||
| #3-Main Feed Pump Turbine | Moore | ||
| #4-Main Feed Booster Pump | Worthington | ||
| #5-Bilge Pump | Worthington | ||
| #10-Fire and Flushing Pump (Motor Driven) | Worthington | ||
| #11-Fire and Flushing Pump (Turbine Driven) | Warren | ||
| #11-Driving Unit | Sturtevant | ||
| #4-Cooling Water Pump | Worthington | ||
| #10-Refrigerator Circulator Pump | Warren | ||
| #3-Main Condensate Pump | Worthington | ||
| 2-LP Air Compressors | Worthington | 2 | |
| 2-MP Air Compressors | Worthington | 2 | |
| 2-HP Air Compressors | Hardie-Tynes | 2 | |
| 12-Boilers | Babcock & Wilcox | 12 | |
| 24-Forced Draft Blowers (Turbine Driven) | Sturtevant | 24 | |
| 4-Distilling Plants | Griscom-Russell | 4 | |
| 8-Ship's Service Generator Turbines | General Electric | 8 | |
| 11-Hydraulic Variable Speed Pumps | Vickers | 11 | |
| Main Feed Pumps | Worthington | ||
| Salt Water Booster Pump | General Electric | contractor | |
| Fuel Oil Pumps | Warren | ||
| Main Condensers | DeLaval | ||
| Gland Exhaust Condenser | Foster Wheeler | ||
| Auxiliary Machinery Cooling Pump | Foster Wheeler | ||
| Distiller Condenser Circulating Pump | Warren | ||
| Distiller Condenser Condensate Pump | Warren | ||
| Distiller Fresh Water Pump | Warren | ||
| Evaporator Feed Pump | Warren | ||
| Evaporator Brine Overboard Pump | Warren | ||
| 1st Effect Tube Nest Drain Pump | Warren | ||
| Lube Oil Heater | General Electric |
Asbestos-Containing Materials Aboard Franklin D. Roosevelt
The standard asbestos-containing materials installed throughout U.S. Navy ships of this era are documented to have included:
- Pipe lagging and thermal insulation on 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 turbines, reduction gears, and auxiliary machinery
- 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 spaces
- Asbestos rope, wick, and tape in glands, joints, and seal applications
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, and overhauled.
VA Benefits for Franklin D. Roosevelt 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 documented Franklin D. Roosevelt equipment manifest is direct evidence of the asbestos-containing materials her crew worked around.
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 specific to USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42). Manufacturer attribution links to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Editorial review applied per site standards.
Midway-Class aircraft carrier — 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 — Midway-Class aircraft carrier
The Midway class was a class of three United States Navy aircraft carriers featuring armored flight decks and extensive subdivision inspired by Royal Navy wartime experience. USS Midway was commissioned in September 1945, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in October 1945, and USS Coral Sea in April 1947. All three ships served throughout the Cold War with multiple modernizations, saw combat deployments during the Vietnam War, and remained in service into the 1990s.
Class Overview
- Total Ships in Class
- 3
- Construction Era
- 1943-1946
- Service Era
- 1945-1992
Class Mission & Role
Fleet aircraft carriers designed with armored flight decks to provide air power projection and serve as flagships for carrier task forces, with enhanced protection against air attack.
Class Combat Operations
- Vietnam War
