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[Note: this
letter was sent to us by James Murphy, a former navy servicemen who served from November
1, 1955 through August 6, 1959. Mr. Murphy resides in Media, Pennsylvania. Mr. Murphy
advised us that he was able to use our website to learn about the health hazards from
asbestos, the names of the asbestos products and the liability of the manufacturers. His
case went to trial and, as he tells it, he won. He wanted to thank us for disclosing the
product information at:
ASBESTOS
CONTAINING PRODUCTS
He worked in
the engineering and hull groups aboard the USS Laffey from 1956 to 1959, which ported at
several shipyards for repairs, including Newport News, Virgina and the Portsmouth Naval
Shipyard. Mr. Murphy asked us to post this note, which we are pleased to do.]
ATTENTION! FORMER U.S. NAVAL VETERANS
ASBESTOS EXPOSURE
by James Murphy
If you served in the
U.S. Navy from the 1940's to the 1970's and you were stationed on shore or afloat
commands, any rank or ratings, especially in the engineering and hull groups, such as
machinist’s mate (mm), machinery repairman (mr) or boilerman (bt), you may have been
exposed to asbestos and have asbestos related diseases and do not even know you have these
diseases.
Also, if you are a
veteran of any U.S. Military branch or civilian employee who is concerned regarding past
asbestos exposure while stationed on U.S. Military bases or did any type of work on U.S.
Naval ships in shipyards, please make an appointment with your doctor for a physical
examination and be tested (chest x-ray) for possible asbestosis.
The Department of Navy
and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are not going to advise you to have a physical
examination and chest x-ray for asbestosis and asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestosis means
scarring of the lungs. This is slow developing that may not be obvious for years. A person
with asbestosis will gradually have more trouble breathing, because scar tissues in the
lungs makes it harder to expand the lungs and for oxygen to get into the blood-stream.
This lack of oxygen can produce a strain on the heart and causes other medical problems.
The Department of Navy
and Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) did not advise U.S. Naval personnel and shipyard
civilian employees from the 1940s to the 1970s of the health hazards associated with
asbestos exposure and to be tested (chest x-ray) for possible asbestosis.
Furthermore, there must
be thousands of veterans from all branches of the military services and civilian employees
still walking around, who were exposed to asbestos and do not even know they may have
asbestos-related diseases, asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, etc. God only know how
many died from asbestos exposure diseases without even knowing they had same. The
Department of Navy and Veterans (VA) still are not addressing the problem and have no
plans to inform anyone of the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure.
This writer was exposed
to asbestos (and was not aware of the health hazards of asbestos) while serving aboard an
U.S. Naval ship from November 1, 1955 to August 6, 1959.
During those years, I
was never advised nor were any of my shipmates by the Department of Navy the health
hazards of asbestos exposure, and was never given a physical examination or chest x-ray
for possible asbestosis while on active duty and when being processed (discharged from,
the Navy August 6, 1959).
I first became aware of
asbestos exposure and asbestos related diseases when reading a news article in the
Philadelphia Inquirer October 1995. I had my chest x-rayed November 27, 1995 and on
December 6, 1995 was diagnosed with (pleural thickening) diaphragmatic calcifications
consistent with asbestos exposure).
The reasons for this
asbestos alert (on the Internet) is to alert and inform naval veterans and civilian
employees who were exposed to asbestos on shore or afloat commands to have a physical
examination and chest x-ray for possible asbestosis.
In summary, for the
past several years I have been trying to convince the Secretary of Navy, Mr. John
Dalton...Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Captain D. H.
Trump...Department of Veterans Mr. J. Derrick (PA)...Congressman Curt Weldon (PA) and
Senator Arlen Spector (PA)...to do their job and "at least do something", place
advertisements in the newspapers to notify former service members and civilian employees
who may have been exposed to asbestos to have a physical examination and chest x-ray for
possible asbestosis or asbestos-related diseases.
As of this writing I am
still waiting for any response from these gentlemen. Note: With all due respect
Congressman Curt Weldon (PA) did forward my letter to Department of Navy Secretary John
Dalton who in turn forwarded same to Captain D. H. Trump and Senator Arlen Spector (PA) is
still in the process of writing a letter since September 1998, to Secretary of Navy John
Dalton for an estimated number of people affected and cost to notify same.
Some of asbestos-related diseases are as
following:
-
Asbestosis
-
Lung Cancer
-
Mesothelioma
Other cancers may sometimes be related to
asbestos exposure:
-
Colon
-
Esophagus
-
Stomach
Symptoms of lung problems caused by asbestos
exposure:
-
Shortness of breath that may increase over
time.
-
Coughing
-
Weight loss
-
Chest pain
-
Hoarseness
-
Coughing up blood
Sincerely,
James F. Murphy
Former Navy Veteran
Attention U. S. Naval Veterans
9/16/1999
ASBESTOS
EXPOSURE USS LAFFEY DD724
Posted by JAMES F. MURPHY
DC2 on September 24, 1999 at 19:48:37:
ASBESTOS EXPOSURE
ATTENTION ALL FORMER U. S. NAVY VETERANS
USS LAFFEY DD 724
If you served aboard
any afloat commands (case in-point USS Laffey from the 1940s to 1970s any rank (A) or
ratings you were exposed to asbestos and may have asbestos-related diseases and not even
know you have these diseases, especially if you worked in the engineering and hull
groups...Machinist’s Mate (MM)...Machinery Repairman (MR)...Boilerman (BT)...Fireman
(FM)...Machinery Repairman (MR)...Damage Controlman (DC).
(A) Department of Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Letter June 10, 1996.
In the event you were
exposed to asbestos make an appointment A.S.A.P. with your doctor for a physical
examination and be tested (chest x-ray) for possible asbestosis...malignant
mesothelioma...lung cancer...benign pleural disease...enlarge heart...etc. Furthermore, if
you contracted any of these diseases file a claim with Department of Veterans (VA)
telephone number:
The Departments of Navy
and Veterans (VA) are not going to inform you regarding the health hazards associated with
asbestos exposure (B) and have no plans to notify you to have a physical examination and
chest x-ray for asbestos-related diseases (C). You got to take the initiative yourself for
the physical examination.
Also, I have written
several letters to no avail for Departments of Navy and Veterans Affairs (VA) and members
of Congress, the U. S. Senator Arlen Spector (PA) to do their job and notify former naval
personnel the health hazards associated with asbestos and be tested (chest x-ray) for
same.
Furthermore, God only
knows how many naval veterans expired from asbestos exposure diseases without even knowing
they had any of these diseases.
(B) Department of the
Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery letter September 30, 1996.
© American Lung
Association Facts About Asbestos Exposure Publication #206 June 1990.
This writer was exposed
to asbestos while serving aboard the USS Laffey DD724 from 1955 to 1959 and was diagnosed
December 6, 1995 with (benign pleural "pleural thickening") and I retired from
the Boeing Airplane Company, as a manufacturing engineer June 30, 1995.
Any questions or additional information I can
be contacted at below e-mail address:
Best regards,
James F. Murphy DC2
USS Laffey DD724
romjfm@bellatlantic.net
September 24, 1999
*** OCTOBER 28, 1999
***
A
Note
From a Fellow Sailor
8/4/01
I found the comments of what
was required of naval personnel assigned to boiler tending rates and grades to be pretty
accurate. My only reason for this email is to let you know that I was very surprised to
see that as late as 1965 the navy was still not using breathing and respiratory protection
for personnel assigned to cleaning fire boxes and for air cleaning steam tubes.
I did all of the things
mentioned in my four years in the navy and I too spent most of my shipboard duties in the
boiler room of a destroyer. Your article is correct and I can tell you that even as a 19
year old I knew that what I was getting into my lungs was not very healthy.
Cleaning fire boxes and/or
blowing out tubes with rotary air brushes would cause me to cough up dust and slag for
days afterwards and I hated this aspect of my naval experience and I believe this was true
for most of my shipmates unfortunate enough to end up doing this kind of duty.
Nothing in the way of
respiratory protection was ever mentioned or available to any of us doing those jobs and
complaining did not get you anywhere. Most of us used white handkerchiefs or rag masks as
our only breathing protection.You simply did the job required with a minimum of bitching
or you ended up 'on report' doing some s--- detail in the Mess Hall. It was not until I
advanced to BT3 that I got out of doing these chores.
I do have severe COPD with
bullitis and to my mind, even though I did smoke cigarettes into my 50's, a great deal of
my lung problems go back to those days in the boiler room. Part of the reason for my
thinking my navy duties may have had something to do with my COPD is because on initial
diagnosis, my Respiratory Physician indicated the advanced deterioration in my breathing
and lung capacities was not completely attributable to smoking.
Thanks for let me sound off.
B. L. Kleeberger
*** POSTED AUGUST
6, 2001 ***
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