USS Perkins DD 877 (1945-1973)

In Orange, Texas, the Consolidated Steel Corporation laid down the USS Perkins on June 19, 1944. The USS Perkins DD/DDR-877 was launched on December 7, 1944 and on April 4, 1945 the USS Perkins was commissioned.

On July 20, 1945, the USS Perkins joined the Boxer, an aircraft carrier, and headed towards the Pacific Ocean. The Perkins met up with Destroyer Division 52 in Pearl Harbor and headed out towards the Far East on August 19, 1945. On September 2, 1945, the Perkins arrived in Tokyo Bay and the following day joined with Task Force 38. The ship engaged in its duties in the Marianas, the Marshalls and along Japan until April of 1946. The ship then returned to Pearl Harbor. On April 28, 1945, the Perkins arrived in San Diego, California where it continued its duties for a year. It returned to the Far East in May of 1947. In October, the ship returned to California.

In January of 1948, the Perkins returned to the Marshalls to participate in the Operation Sandstone, an atomic bomb series. The ship returned to San Diego in June of 1948. It headed for the China coast on January 4, 1949. On February 7, 1949, the Perkins arrived in Tsingtao and on February 18, 1949 was re-designated the DDR-877. In August, it visited Singapore and then returned to San Diego.

In August of 1950, the Perkins headed west again. The ship performed its duties on the SAR station located in the central pacific and then returning to the west coast in October of 1950. On February 2 1951, it headed out to the Korean coast. The ship carried out plane guard and screening duties as well as provided gunfire assistance between March and September. The Perkins arrived in Yokosuka, Japan on September 25, and then headed back to the states the following day. The Perkins returned to Korea in June 1952. It returned to the states at the end of the year.

In August of 1953, the Perkins went back to the Far East. The ship participated in patrol duties along the coast of Korea and the Taiwan Strait.

The Perkins was decommissioned on January 15, 1973. The USS Perkins was removed from the Naval Vessel Register, and reassigned to Argentina. In 1984, the ship was removed from Argentina’s Navy list. It was sunk on June 15, 1987.

Asbestos in Navy Ships

Although an essential component of the naval fleet, especially during World War II, naval destroyers also pose a lasting health risk to soldiers serving on them. Unfortunately, products containing asbestos were common, especially on older ships, because of the material’s high resistance to heat and fire. Despite its value as an insulator, asbestos fiber intake can lead to several serious health consequences, including mesothelioma, a devastating cancer without cure. Current and former military personnel who came into contact with these ships should seek immediate medical attention in order to detect possible health consequences associated with asbestos exposure.