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.
1961
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Mooring / movement — Moored/underway, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Yard period / shipyard · enroute Naval Shipyard — In the shipyard at enroute Naval Shipyard, per the ship's deck log.
1962
Yard period / shipyard — In the shipyard, 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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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Suribachi (AE-21) was a Suribachi-class ammunition ship commissioned in November 1956 and assigned primarily to Atlantic Fleet and 6th Fleet Mediterranean operations through 1972. Following conversion to a Fast Automatic Shuttle Transfer ammunition ship in 1963, she deployed to the Pacific Fleet for combat logistics support during the Vietnam War from mid-1972 to early 1973, and later participated in Operation Urgent Fury off Grenada in October-December 1983. Decommissioned on 2 December 1994 after 38 years of service, she was scrapped in 2009.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc.
Laid down
1955-01-31
Launched
1955-11-02
Commissioned
1956-11-17
Decommissioned
1994-12-02
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Atlantic Fleet / Caribbean operations 1956-1972
6th Fleet Mediterranean deployments 1958-1974
Pacific Fleet / Vietnam War 1972-1973
Operation Urgent Fury 1983
Combat Actions
Vietnam War combat logistics support· 1972-07 to 1973-02 ammunition and fuel replenishment for 7th Fleet
Operation Urgent Fury· 1983-10 to 1983-12 ammunition supply ship in Grenada task force
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba — homeport for operations and training 1956-1972
Mayport, Florida — duty port 1966-1975
Naval Weapons Station Earle, Leonardo, New Jersey — duty port 1975-1994
Subic Bay, Philippines — forward base operations 1972-1973
Yokosuka, Japan — transit port 1973
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Unnamed Atlantic coast facility· 1957 overhaul
Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Baltimore, Maryland· 1963 FAST conversion and helicopter platform installation
Brooklyn Naval Yards· 1978-1979 refit
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
September 1992 — U.S. Navy Boeing-Vertol CH-46D Sea Knight helicopter mechanical failure and crash on fantail; one crewman injured
Final Disposition
scrapped — sold for scrap 8 June 2009
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Suribachi? This auxiliary ship carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Suribachi, hull number AE-21, was an auxiliary ship, built by Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard and commissioned in 1956. She served through Atlantic Fleet and Caribbean operations, 6th Fleet Mediterranean deployments, and Pacific Fleet and Vietnam War. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Suribachi, AE-21 — 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 Suribachi from makers such as Warren Steam Pump Company, Leslie, and Leslie Controls allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Suribachi 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 Suribachi (AE-21) is a documented U.S. Navy ammunition ship with asbestos-exposure evidence in the public litigation record. The equipment manifest below was assembled from depositions, expert reports, and manufacturer interrogatory responses filed in U.S. asbestos litigation that reference equipment installed aboard this vessel.
Equipment Manifest
Equipment Manifest — USS Suribachi (AE-21). 27 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Hull-specific record: NAVSHIPS Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Suribachi (AE-21)
Pump Drive Motors
Electro-Dynamic
Hull-specific record: NAVSHIPS Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Suribachi (AE-21)
Distilling Plant Pump Motors
Reliance
Hull-specific record: NAVSHIPS Synopsis of Machinery & Hull Data, USS Suribachi (AE-21)
Note: this manifest is derived from public asbestos litigation records (depositions, expert reports, manufacturer interrogatories) rather than primary BUSHIPS construction documents. Entries reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed legal records.
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 Suribachi
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 Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.
Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.
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.
Suribachi AE-21 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Suribachi AE-21 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Suribachi AE-21 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 Suribachi AE-21 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Suribachi AE-21'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 Suribachi AE-21?
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 Suribachi AE-21?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Suribachi AE-21 include: Allis-Chalmers, Bethlehem Steel, Bethlehem-Quincy, Caterpillar, Combustion Engineering, DeLaval, Electro-Dynamic. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Suribachi AE-21 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Suribachi AE-21 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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