USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
History of the USS Harry S. Truman Aircraft Carrier
The USS Harry S. Truman was planned as the USS United States. She was ordered for the U.S. Navy on June 30, 1988. Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Virginia on November 29, 1993. She was launched on September 7, 1996 and commissioned on July 25, 1998 under the command of Captain Thomas Otterbein.
After commissioning, USS Harry S. Truman conducted flight deck certifications in August 1998. She departed for her maiden deployment on November 28, 2000. During her tour of duty, she transited the Suez Canal and Carrier Air Wing 3 flew 869 combat sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch. Upon her return home to the United States on May 23, 2001, she entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia for Planned Incremental Availability (PIA).
On December 5, 2002, the USS Harry S. Truman headed out for her second deployment, visiting France, Crete and Slovenia along the way. In March and April 2003, her airmen flew close to 1,300 combat sorties during the early stages of the invasion of Iraq. The carrier stopped briefly at England before returning home to Norfolk.
USS Harry S. Truman returned to the Mediterranean on June 2, 2004 for Summer Pulse ’04 and Operation Majestic Eagle. This brief excursion brought her home on July 25. From there, she set out for the Persian Gulf in October to relieve the USS John F. Kennedy. On this deployment, she launched over 2,500 sorties for a total of nearly 13,000 flight hours before she was relieved by the USS Carl Vinson. The carrier arrived at home on April 19, 2005.
After Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005, the USS Harry S. Truman headed to the Gulf of Mexico, where she served as the flagship for the U.S. Naval task force. From her position, she provided fresh desalinated water via helicopter for the relief effort. She remained there for five weeks before returning to Norfolk, Virginia.
In January 2006, USS Harry S. Truman entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for preventative maintenance and upgrades in preparation for the surge in Iraq. On August 15, 2007, one of her aircraft crashed after takeoff, killing all three crew members. In November, she departed Norfolk for the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch. She returned home in June 2008 via Naval Station Mayport, Florida to take family and friends for a three-day “Tiger Cruise” home to Norfolk. The aircraft carrier is still on active duty in the U.S. Navy as of July 2009.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma .
Sources include:
John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed, "Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences," Ulster Med. J. 77(3):191-200 (Sep 2008) The Official Website of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
