The original Chanute Field, which was one of the first air bases in the United States, opened in July 1917. After World War I ended, officials expanded the facility, despite the risk of fires. The facility expanded again during World War II, becoming the home of the Women’s Army Corps School and one of the nation’s first helicopter training facilities. After the facility closed in 1993, builders rebuilt and repurposed Chanute Air Force Base for civilian purposes.
As outlined below, the story of Chanute Air Force Base is also the story of service-related asbestos exposure. The VA disability system, which President Abraham Lincoln envisioned in 1865, is part of this story as well. Disabled veterans are entitled to benefits like cash stipends and free medical treatment. A Chanute Air Force Base asbestos exposure lawyer from Throneberry Law Group helps unlock these benefits, and more, for families that need and deserve them.
Asbestos Use in the Military
We mentioned accidental fires at military facilities above. Fear of these conflagrations prompted the military to increase the use of asbestos, especially after a deadly fire aboard the USS Forrestal in 1967. The Forrestal fire was one of at least three such incidents in the 1960s and was the biggest and deadliest accident in the Navy since the end of World War II.
An inadvertently-fired rocket on an F-4B Phantom hit the external fuel tank on an A-4 Skyhawk. The tank’s jet fuel spilled across the flight deck, ignited, and triggered a chain reaction of explosions that killed 134 sailors and injured 161.
Asbestos is a fireproof mineral. After this disaster, the Navy ordered shipbuilders to pack its vessels with additional asbestos, especially in boilers, ammunition dumps, and other high-risk areas. Shipbuilders also used asbestos in other parts of ships, such as floor tiles, plumbing insulation, ceiling tiles, and electrical insulation.
The efficiency of asbestos, coupled with its low cost, prompted government officials to ignore the known health risks. Use of this substance continued on a widespread basis in all branches of service until the 1980s.
As a result, anyone who served at a military base that included any facility built before 1980, such as a ship, an airplane, barracks, or hangars, is at risk for one of the diseases mentioned below. The DoD ignored the connection between asbestos and illness for as long as possible, but today, asbestos poisoning is a recognized VA disability condition.
Asbestos Exposure Illnesses
Chrysotile (white) asbestos, the preferred form of refined asbestos, is a crumbly substance that resembles several layers of tissue paper. It quickly breaks down, and tiny fibers seep through hairline cracks on surfaces. Prolonged exposure to these toxic fibers causes:
Asbestosis: This disease is the buildup of scar tissue in the lungs from asbestos fibers. Over time, the scarring makes breathing harder and, in severe cases, can lead to respiratory failure.
Mesothelioma Cancer: Inhaled asbestos fibers can settle in the mesothelium, the lining around the lungs, where they form tumors that grow slowly and then spread.
Abdominal Cancer: Swallowed fibers often poison the gastrointestinal system. The toxic fibers form tumors in the abdominal cavity. Some peritoneal mesothelioma treatments are available, but they are expensive and risky.
A Chanute Air Force Base asbestos lawyer can help connect any of these illnesses to a veteran’s service.
To establish a service-related connection between an asbestos disease and military service, a Chanute Air Force Base asbestos exposure lawyer often uses a combination of service records, witness statements, and qualified medical evidence.
Service records establish that the victim served at an asbestos hot spot when that substance was present at the facility. Witness statements, such as buddy statements, show the victim was directly or indirectly exposed to asbestos, either by handling asbestos-laced products or being in a high-risk area. Medical specialists establish the full extent of disability.
Continued Exposure Risks
Asbestos exposure is not yesterday’s problem. Asbestos exposure is today’s problem, and tomorrow’s problem as well.
Renovation and demolition workers at places like Chanute Air Force Base often stumble across asbestos in building insulation or other areas. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, there is no safe asbestos exposure level. Therefore, even one stray fiber could cause one of the aforementioned diseases.
Demolition and renovation projects transform safe areas into asbestos hotspots. These hotspots could infect anyone. Disaster-related asbestos exposure could affect anyone as well. Wildfires are a good example. Most civilian and military structures built before 1980 contain asbestos. When these facilities burn, the resulting smoke is laced with asbestos. That toxic cloud could poison people many miles away from the source.
Reach Out to a Hard-Working Attorney at Throneberry Law Group
Asbestos exposure at bases like Chanute reached service members across the country, which is why these cases call for a firm with nationwide reach and the resources to take on large defendants. We also serve nearby communities as Illinois mesothelioma lawyers.
So, only an experienced Chanute Air Force Base mesothelioma lawyer at Throneberry Law Group can obtain the compensation these victims need and deserve. Start the process now with a confidential consultation.