Merchant Marine veterans & mesothelioma
Merchant Mariners who sailed during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam were exposed to asbestos throughout their working lives at sea. If you served in the Merchant Marine and were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation from asbestos lawsuits and asbestos trust funds. This is separate from VA disability — most veterans pursue all three at once.
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How Merchant Marine veterans were exposed to asbestos
Merchant ships built between the 1930s and the early 1980s used asbestos in engine-room insulation, steam-line lagging, boiler casings, gaskets, valve packing, fireproofing, and pipe insulation throughout the vessel. Merchant Mariners who served aboard Liberty ships, Victory ships, T-2 tankers, C-class freighters, and later post-war cargo and tanker fleets often spent decades aboard ships with extensive asbestos use. Engine-room personnel and shipyard workers faced the heaviest exposure.
Roles with the heaviest asbestos exposure
- Engineer Officer (Chief, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Engineer)
- Oiler / Wiper / Fireman
- Engine-room rating
- Boilermaker
- Pipefitter
- Shipyard worker
Where exposure was most common
- Liberty ships (WWII)
- Victory ships (WWII)
- T-2 tankers
- C-class cargo ships
- Post-war tanker fleets
- Merchant Marine training ships and academies
Era of service
Asbestos use was heaviest in the WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War eras. Mesothelioma typically appears 20–50 years after exposure, which means veterans diagnosed today were often exposed during these decades.
Three compensation streams — not just one
Most eligible veterans pursue all three at the same time:
- Asbestos tort lawsuits against the private companies that made the asbestos-containing products used in the military.
- Asbestos bankruptcy trust fund claims against the trusts those companies left behind. Many veterans qualify for 5–8 trusts at once.
- VA disability benefits (handled separately through a VA-accredited representative — not through this site).
The three streams do not conflict. See how lawsuits and VA disability stack →