USS Blandy
The USS Blandy refers to a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer vessel named after the Admiral William H. P. Blandy. Blandy’s hull was laid at the Bethlehem Steel Company’s Fore River Shipyard facility in Quincy, Massachusetts. The vessel was launched on December 19th, 1956 and was sponsored by Mrs. John M. Lee, the daughter of Admiral Blandy. Blandy was was commissioned on November 26th, 1957, with Commander William F. Cafferata her maiden commander.
In 1958, Blandy was assigned the esteemed task of bearing the American Unknown Soldiers of WWII’s European theatre from Naples, Florida to a rendezvous with another vessel, the Boston, off the Capes of Virginia. Boston carried the remains of the American Unknown Soldier of the Pacific theatre. The caskets were then all ceremoniously brought aboard Blandy and transferred to Washington D.C. The caskets sat beneath the Capitol rotunda for two days before being permanently interred at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Blandy was de-commissioned in November of 1982 and removed from the Navy register in July of 1990. She was sold for scrap metal close to where she was constructed at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. However, the shipyard went bankrupt in 1993 and was acquired by Wilmington Resources of Wilmington, North Carolina.
The legacy of the Blandy, though rich, has also been hurt by the vessel’s association with toxic exposure among crew members and those who repaired or modified the ship. The most common form of exposure was asbestos exposure. Asbestos was used for a myriad of installations aboard not only the Blandy, but nearly all naval vessels of her era. If you worked with ship parts or installations, most notably those involving insulation, it is likely you encountered asbestos at some point on these vessels. Consult with a physician to learn more about possible adverse health effects for those with known asbestos exposure history. Early detection of symptoms can be important in obtaining the best possible treatment for these conditions.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
