Shortly after dawn on the morning of December 7, 1941, 20 year-old Kentucky
native, James Earl Smith, was on deck of the USS Argonne as she was anchored at the number 1010 dock repair slip, U.S. Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii – directly across from Ford Island and “battleship row.” The Argonne, flagship of the Pacific Fleet, had a commanding view of the entire harbor. For young James Smith, as well as thousands of other young American sailors, he was moments away from being hurled into one of the most infamous days in world history.
As James described in his own words:
“Early that morning while above deck, I noticed a military aircraft banking off in the distance followed by a series of explosions. We were under attack by forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Within minutes of the initial attack, the USS Argonne was firing its guns at enemy aircraft. I manned my battle station during the attack by feeding ammunition into one of those guns – a .50 caliber machine gun. Given our position in the harbor, I witnessed first-hand the tragedy unfold throughout that morning including the loss of countless American lives, the destruction of the battleship USS Arizona and the capsizing of the USS Oklahoma. It is a day that neither history nor I will ever forget.”
Entering the U.S. Navy in 1938 at age 18, James Smith remained in the Navy until 1950. He then re-enlisted and served our country again in the U.S. Air Force from 1950 to 1958 and was stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base, Amarillo, Texas for most of that time. In addition to his military service, James was an excellent husband, father and community leader.
In 2011, a full lifetime later, Mr. Smith fought another battle still as a result of his service to our country. Earlier this year, Mr. Smith was diagnosed with mesothelioma – an incurable cancer caused by exposure to asbestos – a substance he was continually exposed to while serving in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. James Smith passed away from malignant mesothelioma in June of this year, surrounded by his loving family.
The risk for mesothelioma is particularly high for Navy veterans who served on board ship. In the close confines of a Navy vessel, sailors often received a concentrated exposure to asbestos that unfortunately can result decades later in tragic health problems, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. Throughout World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Viet Nam war years, the use of asbestos on Navy ships was so prevalent that few Navy veterans escaped exposure.
During the 1940s through the 1970s, Navy vessels were practically laced with asbestos. The dangerous substance was used to cover and insulate miles of steam pipes and fittings, some of which snaked only a few inches over the bunk beds in the men’s sleeping quarters. Sailors often lived on board the ships while routine maintenance was performed, which meant they could not avoid exposure to the dust as the asbestos pipe covering was replaced throughout the ship. Even when a sailor was not required to handle asbestos, the dust on board was sometimes inescapable.
Servicemen serving in other branches of the armed forces also were exposed to asbestos during this time period from a variety of duties. Veterans who served below deck such as machinist mates and firemen are at particular risk for the development of asbestos-related diseases. Aircraft mechanics also had exposure from performing brake repairs on certain military aircraft as well as in the engine and exhaust systems of certain planes. Aircraft wing and fuselage assemblies also sometimes utilized asbestos containing construction material. Similarly, motor pool mechanics from the 1940s through the 1970s may have had exposure to asbestos performing brake jobs and other maintenance work on jeeps, trucks, tanks and other equipment.
If you served in these environments, you should inform your doctor that you were likely exposed to asbestos while serving in the military and ask them to monitor you for asbestos-related disease. Diagnosing these illnesses early can truly save your life.
If you or a loved one have recently been diagnosed with lung cancer or mesothelioma and served in these working environments, there may be legal claims you can pursue and should consult an attorney.
To James Earl Smith, all current members of our armed forces and all our veterans – THANK YOU for serving in harm’s way in the defense of freedom and liberty. God bless you, your families and God bless America!
– Author: Ben DuBose
Ben has proudly represented hundreds of mesothelioma and lung cancer victims, including James Earl Smith, from WWII, Korea and Viet Nam, as well as from other professions, for more than 15 years.
DuBose Law Firm, PLLC 5646 Milton Street, Ste. 321, Dallas, TX 75206
Toll Free 877.857.2914 or 214.389.8199 www.DuBoseLawFirm.com
Ben DuBose is licensed to practice law in these states: TX, OK, PA.
Remember some of those great snow scenes from the golden age of Hollywood? Fluffy white flakes floating down on the actors and sets at MGM, RKO and the other studios. Unfortunately, that snow effect often exposed the actors in those films to toxic asbestos fibers. Yes, asbestos was commonly used as fake snow in Hollywood films of the 1930s and 40s. In the 1939 classic, the Wizard of Oz, the cast and crew were exposed to dangerous asbestos fibers looking like snow in the poppy field scene. The magic mineral was also used for a snow effect in many other films including the 1942 hit film Holiday Inn. The final scene showed snow falling all around as Bing Crosby sang the popular Irving Berlin song White Christmas.
Director Frank Capra asked his crew to design a new snow for the 1948 classic. The result - a fire retardant foam gel, soap and water concoction which won its inventors an Academy Technical Achievement Award.
Fake asbestos snow was also sold for years as a Christmas decoration. Modern fake snow products no longer use asbestos, but for many years fake snow products were sold under names such as “Snow Drift”, “White Magic”, “Pure White” and “White Christmas”. Fake snow, however, was simply pure white asbestos fiber piled up in drifts around retail store displays or in people’s homes.
