USS Essex

The USS Essex (404) CV 9 was a United States Navy aircraft carrier and the lead ship in her class. She was launched on July 31^st, 1942 from the Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Newport News, Virginia. The ship was sponsored by a Mrs. Artemus L. Gates who was the wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and officially commissioned on December 31^st, 1942 under the command of Captain Donald B. Duncan. The USS Essex sailed to Pearl Harbor in May of 1943.

In early October, she launched an attack on Wake Island, and November brought her first amphibious assault which was the landing at Tawara in the Gilbert Islands. Back at sea in early December she initiated an assault on Kwajalein on December 4th and then delivered her second amphibious assault but this time against the Marshall Islands between January 29^th and February 2^nd, 1944. The USS Essex then joined with two task forces to combine to and create a formidable aircraft carrier strike group that launched and led an attack against the island of Truk and other Japanese occupied islands in the area where they bombarded shoreline bunkers and supply depots.

The Essex then joined up with two more carriers for assaults on Marcus Island on May 19^th and 20^th, as well as Wake Island on May 23^rd. For the remainder of 1944, the USS Essex continued with her frontline protocol in strikes and the assault on Okinawa on October 19^th. The Essex had been severely damaged for its first time in WWII on November 25^th when she was hit by a kamikaze pilot. The Essex continued attacks in the Tokyo area preparatory to landings at Iwo Jima, but between March 23^rd and May 28^th the Essex had been involved mainly in providing support for the assault on Okinawa.

In the very last days of the war, the USS Essex had been involved in raids on Japanese home islands between July 10^th and August 15^th and continued to provide support and defensive air patrols until early September. The Essex received a Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars for her World War II service, as well as 4 battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for her service in the Korean War.

The USS Essex CV 9 and her crew fought bravely in the face of endless challenges and grave danger, but unfortunately the dangers didn’t only rest in the waters around her. The danger was in the form of asbestos, a toxic material that was commonly found on ships in products such as insulation and construction compounds. Products made from asbestos can break apart, and release tiny fibers into the air. These fibers are easily inhaled and can lead to diseases such as mesothelioma, which is a deadly cancer. Anyone who was aboard the USS Essex or any ship that had asbestos present should be examined by their physician for this and other diseases and to begin mesothelioma treatment if it’s needed.

Last modified: December 09 2009.