USS Steelhead (SS-280) Areas With Asbestos Exposure

USS Steelhead (SS-280)

Named after a fish that can be found from California to Alaska, the USS Steelhead (SS-280) was built in 1942 as a Gato-class submarine by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine. The submarine was launched on 11 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Marguerite Brown; and commissioned on 7 December 1942, Lt. Comdr. David L. Whelchel in command. It completed 6 successful war patrols, for which it received 6 battle stars. In 1960, the submarine was struck from the Naval Vessel Register and subsequently sold for scrap.

Because asbestos was heavily employed in shipbuilding at the time, the USS Steelhead (SS-280) contained the dangerous mineral in various places, such as the walls as insulation and the boiler room. Therefore, people who served on the vessel were at high risk of exposure and many of them have only recently come to struggle with diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. We strongly advise everyone who was present on the USS Steelhead (SS-280) to undergo annual medical examinations to make sure their lungs are in good condition.

Everyone who served on the USS Steelhead (SS-280) inhaled the asbestos fibers and is at risk for developing lung disease

If you have a cancer diagnosis please contact us

Shipmates on USS Steelhead (SS-280)

Stanley J. Bednarczyk

Stanley J. Bednarczyk

John M. Bowers

John M. Bowers

George Edwin Clarke Jr.

George Edwin Clarke Jr.

John Perrin Eck

John Perrin Eck

John Edward Ewing Jr.

John Edward Ewing Jr.

William George Hobaugh

William George Hobaugh

Bernard George Steinhauer

Bernard George Steinhauer

Frank Stanley Grupa

Frank Stanley Grupa

David Lee Whelchel

David Lee Whelchel

Karl Raymond Wheland

Karl Raymond Wheland

Henry T. Vandekerkhoff

Henry T. Vandekerkhoff