USS Rainier (AE-5) - Facts and Asbestos Exposure

The USS Rainier AE-5 was the second vessel in the Navy to be named after Mount Rainier.

This ship was laid down on the 14^th of May 1941 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Co., and it was initially named the Rainbow.

The USS Rainier took part in several missions, and it was awarded twelve battle stars for its performance during the Vietnam and Korean wars.

Technical Features of the USS Rainier

Class and type: this ship belonged to the Lassen-class ammunition ships
Launch date: 1^st March 1941
Commissioning date: 21 December 1941
Second commissioning date: 25 May 1951
First decommissioning date: 30th April 1946
Final decommissioning date: 7^th August 1970
Deactivation date: 30 September 2016
Displacement: 13,855 tons in full load and 6,350 tons - in light load
Length: the USS Rainier measured 459 feet
Draft: 39 feet
Beam: 63 feet
Speed: this vessel could reach 16 knots
Complement: the USS Rainier carried 281people on board; 260 civilians and 21 military
Propulsion: 2 Nordberg Diesel engines - 2 x 9 cyl, single propeller, 6,000 shp
Capacity: 5,000 deadweight tons
Propellers: the USS Rainier had two propellers
Armament: this vessel was equipped with a single 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount, 8 twin 20mm AA gun mounts, 2 twin 40mm AA gun mounts, 4 single 3"/50 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts

History of the USS Rainier

The USS Rainier was launched in March 1941, and its sponsor was Mrs. Robert E. Anderson. On the commissioning day, the vessel was named Rainier - just like the highest mountain in the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest. The vessel was converted into an ammunition ship in the same year in December at Norfolk, Virginia. This ship was deployed during World War II. Its first mission was to travel from Port Chicago, California, to Pearl Harbor to provide ammunition to combatant ships. After this mission, the Rainier headed to the Fijis, where it had to provide ammunition to the ships that participated in the Solomon Islands campaign. Then, followed the mission in New Caledonia and then returned home to the US. In 1943 the USS Rainier AE-5 made ammunition runs between Hawaii and the West Coast, in the New Hebrides, and Efate. In 1944, the vessel was deployed in the Marshall Islands in Majuro, Eniwetok. Afterward, it participated in the Philippine campaign. In 1946, the vessel was already preparing for deactivation, and it was decommissioned on 30 August.

In 1951, when the Korean War had already started, the USS Rainier was recommissioned, and it participated in missions in Sasebo, off the coast of the Korean peninsula. In 1953, the vessel headed back home. In 1955 it was involved in ammunition runs between Japan and Korea, continuing with deployments in the Philippine area in the 1960s.

The Rainier also took part in the Vietnam War, providing ammunition to the 7^th Fleet. In 1964 this vessel participated in the Gulf of Tonkin incident supplying ammunition to the ships that fought against the North Vietnamese bases. Afterward, it continued operating in Subic Bay, and in October, the ship headed to Japan, and it turned back home in December. In 1966 the Rainier continued its operations by supplying the 7^th Fleet, and in August, it underwent a training period for new equipment. Then, it resumed its usual deployments for the 7^th Fleet in the Subic Bay. In 1967, the vessel took part in fleet exercises in California. In 1968, the Rainier continued the replenishment activity in Subic Bay, and it received a Battle Efficiency E award. In 1970, the ship conducted its last deployments off Vietnam and turned home for deactivation.

On 7^th August 1970, the USS Rainier (AE-5) was decommissioned and struck from the Navy's list.

Asbestos Risks on the USS Rainier

Asbestos was present everywhere aboard the Navy ships that were deployed in the period ranging from the 1930s to the 1970s. This mineral was an extremely powerful insulator, it had amazing strength, and it was affordable. Therefore, it was used in various areas of the ship, like the engine room or the boiler room, either as an insulator or as part of building materials. Asbestos was used in more than 300 products that were regularly present aboard Navy ships. The entire vessel was contaminated with asbestos fibers, and this posed tremendous health risks to the crew members who operated there. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they cause irreversible damage to the lungs and not only. Asbestos is a recognized carcinogen that can lead to life-threatening conditions such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and esophageal or laryngeal cancer. The dangers of contamination for those who worked on military vessels were inevitable. The ship's deployments often triggered the necessity to perform maintenance works and repairs. During these operations, the hazardous fibers were easily released and inhaled. Moreover, they rapidly spread throughout the ships, so everybody was equally exposed.

The dangers of asbestos started to be exposed in the 70s when this substance's use also became restricted. Unfortunately, the damage was irreversible for those who have served in the military in the previous decades. Nowadays, veterans and their families can file a claim for malignant diseases caused by asbestos exposure and receive compensation.

Have You Been Exposed to Asbestos on the USS Rainier?

Have you worked aboard the USS Rainier (AE-5)? If you believe you suffered from asbestos exposure during your military service period and have an asbestos-related cancer diagnosis, we can help you. Our website can put you in contact with your former shipmates who are probably in the same situation. Moreover, we are here to provide you with more information about asbestos exposure and its use in the US Navy.