Based on the details provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are currently 25 million people who have service the Armed Forces in the United States. Out of these, hundreds of thousands of these living veterans had their share of asbestos exposure during their military service. Veterans account for an estimated 30% of all mesothelioma patients in the country. The extent of treatment for mesothelioma varies depending on their condition. They can apply for Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits for asbestos-related diseases.
Veterans of U.S. Armed Services are quite often exposed to asbestos and become victims of mesothelioma. Approximately 30% of mesothelioma victims have at some point been in the U.S. military. In recent years, many former Army, Air Force, Marine, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel and their spouses have developed mesothelioma. The association between veterans and mesothelioma is quite prominent among people who served in the shipyards for the Navy during World War II.
Among the U.S. veterans who fought for the country, navy veterans were most affected by mesothelioma. This was because during 1940s and 1970s when World War II and the Korean War were being fought they were exposed to asbestos especially in shipyards where ships were being built or repaired. More than war deaths, they were affected by excessive exposure of asbestos which resulted in them developing the deadly disease of mesothelioma. Almost all parts of ship built during this period had asbestos. This included areas like mess halls, boiler rooms, navigation rooms, sleeping quarters, and engine rooms. The products which used asbestos on ships were valves, adhesives and gaskets.
Asbestos was extensively used in Navy which led to its excessive exposure to millions of Navy veterans resulting in them developing the deadly disease of mesothelioma. Asbestos was used in abundance throughout the 20th century due to it being a good insulation for heat producing products in warships. It could resist corrosion as well as withstand extreme heat.
Veterans are the group of Americans that are the most affected by mesothelioma because asbestos was used by the United States military in a myriad of ways. Since the 30s the arm forces made use of tons of asbestos materials in every type of construction, repair and upkeep. Also every form of locomotion uses the substance military trains, planes, tracked vehicles and cars had asbestos in them.