The Forrest Sherman class destroyers — 18 hulls (DD-931 through DD-950, non-consecutive) built between 1953 and 1959 at Bath Iron Works and Bethlehem Steel (San Francisco) — were the US Navy’s first purpose-designed postwar destroyer class, incorporating lessons from WWII destroyer experience in a longer hull with more advanced weapons. The Forrest Sherman class introduced 1,200 PSI / 950°F steam plants — a significant step up from the 600 PSI steam used in the WWII-era Fletcher and Gearing classes — requiring asbestos insulation rated for higher temperatures throughout the engineering spaces. Four General Electric steam turbine sets with four Babcock & Wilcox boilers provided 70,000 shaft horsepower on two shafts.

High-Pressure Steam Plant and Asbestos

The Forrest Sherman class 1,200 PSI steam plant required more demanding asbestos insulation than earlier destroyer designs, as the higher steam temperatures required insulation with better thermal performance:

  • Four B&W boilers in two boiler rooms with asbestos block and sectional covering rated for 950°F service on boiler casings, steam drums, and superheater sections
  • Two GE steam turbine sets in two engine rooms with asbestos block insulation on turbine casings and steam inlet connections operating at 1,200 PSI
  • High-pressure main steam piping at 1,200 PSI from boilers to turbines — asbestos block lagging throughout the engineering spaces at the higher pressure rating
  • Auxiliary machinery including feedwater heaters and deaerators operating at higher pressures than WWII-era predecessors, with asbestos insulation on all high-temperature surfaces

DDG Conversions

Eight Forrest Sherman class hulls were converted to guided missile destroyers (DDG) in the early 1960s, adding Tartar missile systems aft while retaining the original 1,200 PSI steam propulsion plant:

  • USS Decatur (DDG-31), USS John Paul Jones (DDG-32), USS Parsons (DDG-33), USS Somers (DDG-34), USS Waddell (DDG-24), USS Robison (DDG-12), USS Towers (DDG-9), and USS Bigelow (DD-942, not converted) served in the DDG role into the 1980s with the original Forrest Sherman steam plant intact

Named Forrest Sherman Class Hulls

The class included USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931), USS John Paul Jones (DD-932/DDG-32), USS Barry (DD-933), USS Decatur (DD-936/DDG-31), USS Davis (DD-937), USS Jonas Ingram (DD-938), USS Du Pont (DD-941), USS Bigelow (DD-942), USS Blandy (DD-943), USS Mullinnix (DD-944), USS Hull (DD-945), USS Edson (DD-946), USS Somers (DD-947/DDG-34), USS Morton (DD-948), USS Parsons (DD-949/DDG-33), and USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950).

VA Claims for Forrest Sherman Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy destroyers. Veterans who served aboard Forrest Sherman class destroyers or their DDG conversions (DD-931 through DD-950 and DDG-9 through DDG-34 series) and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

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.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Forrest Sherman Class

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:

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.

VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit

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.