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Commemorating Pearl Harbor Day, we ensure that future generations will understand the courage and legacy of the ones who lost their lives that day and those who served throughout the war or on the home front war effort.
Every year on this day, we focus on remembering and honoring the 2,403 service members and civilians killed during the Japanese military strike. The ambush that damaged the Pacific Fleet and precipitated the United States' entry into WW II remains in the hearts and minds of the survivors as they carry the memories and pain of 7th December 1941.
This year is the 81st commemoration of the day when most of the ships in the harbor were damaged or destroyed along with hundreds of aircraft, killing or injuring thousands of service men and women. Survivors live to tell about the frightening experience of being attacked in Naval Station Pearl Harbor and witnessing the destruction firsthand while fulfilling their duty as service members.
The Destruction in Pearl Harbor Aggravated Asbestos Exposure
Veterans recall how the ships exploded and fires burned everywhere from oil slicks in the water. The smell and the noise left yet another permanent mark in the memories of many. On top of the immediate life-threatening dangers brought by the surprise attack, there was the lingering threat of asbestos exposure. The U.S. Navy ships were abundant with asbestos, and the explosions posed the potential danger of releasing asbestos fibers into the air, raising the death toll even decades after the attack.
Navy veterans faced asbestos exposure among the many challenges during their duty, and in most cases, it was a health risk factor they had never been aware of. As a mandated material, asbestos was everywhere on the Navy ships built between 1930 and 1970. Its ability to resist heat and flame made asbestos the shipbuilding's wonder material at that time. Every vessel was constructed with asbestos-containing products, and avoiding exposure to the fibers was impossible.
If inhaled over an extended period, the asbestos fibers can cause lung inflammation and lead to asbestos-related health problems that have a decades-long latency period, making diagnosis difficult. Every veteran should pay attention to the symptoms, as they are signs of a degenerative process in the respiratory system:
- chest pain or tightness
- shortness of breath
- persistent dry cough
- fatigue
- muscle aches
- joint pain
- loss of appetite
- unintentional weight loss
- clubbing of the fingers
- leg swelling
Being mindful of the symptoms is essential because asbestos-related diseases may have no symptoms in the early stages.
We Offer Help to Veterans Suffering From Asbestos-Related Diseases
All personnel who served in the U.S. Navy from the 1930s to the early 1980s were in danger of asbestos exposure. Since the symptoms of pulmonary diseases related to asbestos are similar to those of the common pulmonary affections, conditions that develop from asbestos exposure often get misdiagnosed. It would be best to tell your doctor about your employment history to ensure you are diagnosed correctly and ask for a second and even third doctor's opinion outside the VA if diagnosed with the following non-cancerous diseases caused by exposure to asbestos:
- interstitial pulmonary fibrosis
- asbestosis
- pleural effusion
- pleural plaques
- COPD
- atelectasis
A non-cancerous diagnosis alone won't make you eligible for compensation. But with the risk of these diseases turning into cancer high, an asbestos-related cancer diagnosis will qualify you to file a claim.
Veterans of the Navy, U.S. Army Transport Service, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and Air Force may apply for disability compensation if diagnosed with any of the following asbestos cancers that make them eligible:
- bronchial cancer
- lung cancer
- laryngeal cancer
- gastrointestinal cancer
- urogenital cancers
- pharyngeal cancer
- mesothelioma
As every case is different, receiving correct advice on your rights and options according to your specific circumstances is essential. We can put you in touch with experienced attorneys for detailed information on how to benefit from the settlement you're eligible for. Please call us, and we will connect you with the best professionals.