Although it was possible for other members of the armed forces to be exposed to asbestos, those who served in the Navy and the Marines suffered some of the worst exposure. This is because the warships and other marine vessels utilized by both the Navy and the Marines were inundated from top to bottom with asbestos.
Asbestos was valued because of its fire resistant properties. It was used in the boiler rooms, sleeping quarters, and even the mess halls, meaning that it was virtually inescapable. A significant amount of those currently suffering from mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer and asbestosis served in the armed forces. Asbestos has a latency period of 20 years or more, which means that the symptoms of the asbestos diseases aren’t immediately apparent.
Ships and military bases built before the 1980s, where asbestos was used, are currently in service. Even today Marines and Navy personnel still face risks of asbestos exposure. Fortunately, older ships are being replaced and safety precautions are being put into place in order to protect current and future generations of military men and women.
The U.S. Coast Guard was founded on August 4, 1790. (Photo from Robin Storm's blog)
The United States Coast Guard was founded in 1790 to enforce tax laws, but over two centuries, it has grown into the only branch of the military that "protects the maritime economy and the environment, defends our maritime borders, and saves those in peril." As we near August 4, Coast Guard Day, we reflect on those who served in the USCG who have put their own lives in peril through asbestos exposure on military vessels.
As the only branch of the military besides the Marines to retain its own day after the creation of the Department of Defense in 1949 (see this Department of Defense article for an interesting history of Armed Forces Day and the creation of the DoD), the Coast Guard occupy a unique position within the US Armed Forces. Sadly, like every other branch of the military, some Coast Guard veterans have developed mesothelioma from their asbestos exposure during their service.
The bravery of the men and women who have served in the Coast Guard is the stuff of legend, and the unique position they occupy--as guardians of the borders, and protectors of the economy and environment as it pertains to the sea--is best summed up the U.S. Coast Guard's Historian's Office:
The U. S. Coast Guard is simultaneously and at all times an armed force and federal law enforcement agency dedicated to safety, security, and stewardship missions. We save lives. We protect the environment. We defend the homeland. We enforce Federal laws on the high seas, the nation's coastal waters and its inland waterways. We are unique in the Nation and the world.
Though Coast Guard Day is "primarily an internal activity for active duty Coast Guard personnel, civilian members, reservists, retirees, auxiliarists, and dependents," it should be observed by everyone who benefits from the services the USCG provides. Grand Haven, Michigan sponsors the Coast Guard Festival every year around August 4. The DoD describes the festival as "the largest community celebration of a branch of the Armed Forces in the nation."
Two U.S. COast Guards rescue a puppy. (Photo from USmilitary.com)
This Coast Guard Day, remember the active duty and retired Coast Guard members that serve and have served our country, protecting its borders, commerce, environment and more, sometimes sacrificing their lives for our safety, serving with the Navy during wartime. Thank you, Coast Guards, for all you do for us.
I drank swamp water with iodine and grape flavored powder, watched the stars come out as we were waist-deep in muddy water, dreamed about having a pair of clean, dry socks—almost as important as clean water when you're on a march. I saw a lot of men die, and I don't particularly want to talk about that.
I want to talk about what my time in the Marines is doing to me now. Men who worked with asbestos all the time, the guys who fixed the ships, they get the asbestosis. I only was exposed to asbestos once in a while. But that's all it takes to give you mesothelioma, what I have now. I risked my life for this country, I didn't risk it so they could give me cancer forty years later.
It only takes one bullet to kill a man, and it only takes a little bit of asbestos to kill a man (over a long period of time). But the killing takes its time. Everyone who enlists or was drafted for service knows the stakes—or they think they do. They tell you you will risk your life for everyone's freedom and safety, but they don't tell you that risk goes on long after the risk from enemy fire is gone.
You didn't have to be on the front lines for the military to put your life on the line
Whether you were in the line of fire, or fixed ships or planes, you were part of America's first line of defense, and have earned the respect that comes with being a veteran. Asbestos exposure may have been part of your military service, but you were not told about the often lethal effects of asbestos, if you were even told about your exposure to asbestos at all.
The fact that all branches of the military are top-down operations means that the people at the top can get away with a lot, because it is against military culture to openly question orders. Imagine asking a drill sergeant why he wants you to run five miles in the rain, or giving him your opinion on what that would do to your health. There was no room to ask questions about anything, including asbestos.
But you are a veteran now, and your health has been harmed by exposure to asbestos. You have a right to ask questions. Why were you exposed to asbestos? How were you exposed to asbestos? What can you do about, legally and medically?
Short term exposure, long term problems
Asbestos exposure usually takes twenty to forty years to turn into an asbestos-related disease. If you were exposed to asbestos constantly—if you were in construction, or worked at a shipyard, or in a factory that used asbestos products—you were at risk for asbestosis, as well as mesothelioma.
If your exposure to asbestos was short, you probably aren't at risk for asbestosis (asbestosis happens after a lot of asbestos has been inhaled, over a long period of time, and it hardens the lungs), but you are at risk for mesothelioma.
Your medical options are determined by what stage the cancer is at when the doctors diagnosed it. Your legal options are also related to your diagnosis—the sooner you seek help after your diagnosis, the more your lawyer will be able to do for you.
