The USS James E. Kyes (DD-787) was a Gearing-class destroyer, laid down in 1944, launched in 1945, and commissioned in 1946. After initial shakedown cruises on the West Coast, the ship’s first Western Pacific deployment came in 1946, where she helped transport troops from Pearl Harbor. During the Korean War in 1950, she provided fire support and participated in carrier screening. Over the next decade, the destroyer completed several Western Pacific tours and underwent a FRAM I modernization in 1962. The destroyer entered the Vietnam War in 1965, conducting surveillance operations and providing naval gunfire support. In 1968, she joined Task Force 77 for operations in the Tonkin Gulf, and in 1969 began her fourth deployment to Vietnam. The ship made seven Western Pacific deployments and 19 Vietnam War tours by the time of her final deployments in 1971 and 1972. The USS James E. Kyes was decommissioned and stricken from the Register in 1973. Asbestos was overly used in the shipbuilding process before the 1980s, putting many veterans at risk of exposure and impacting the health of many. Those diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers may be eligible for VA benefits and compensation from asbestos trust funds.
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