Asbestos machine gun mitten:

This article describes asbestos mitts widely used by machine gunners in WW II and the Vietnam war.

We reply to a reader question about the health hazards of asbestos-containing mitts or potholders used in combat.

Page top illustration: an asbestos mitten useful for avoiding burns when operating a machine gun, patented by Dickson, 1943.

Asbestos Machine Gunner Mittens

Here we describe

Asbestos machine gun mittens - used with the Browning AR and possibly other weapons by the U.S. Army including during the Vietnam War.

Question: health costs associated with asbestos machine gun mittens

1 June 2016 franklin said:

Pot holders, machine gun mitten use by service members were made asbestos.

Today people have skin cancer.

Who should pay the medical cost?

Reply: case law on asbestos exposure from machine gun mittens

Franklin, here is research addressing your question.

Asbestos Cloth Machine Gun Mitten Research

• Cherrie, John W., Matthew Tindall, and Hilary Cowie. "Exposure and risks from wearing asbestos mitts." Particle and fibre toxicology 2, no. 1 (2005): 1.
• Curtis, George F. "Feeding mechanism for a gas operated machine gun." U.S. Patent 4,492,145, issued January 8, 1985.
  Excerpt:
  On prolonged firing, the barrel of the M60 machine gun becomes quite hot and for continued use must be replaced by the usual spare.
  
  To enable rapid replacement without delay, heat-insulating protective hand coverings, such as asbestos mittens, now are employed for removal of a hot barrel.
  
  The use of such mittens not only is an expensive nuisance but also contributes to delay in barrel replacement.
• Curtis, George F. "Gas cylinder plug for a gas operated machine gun." U.S. Patent 4,395,938, issued August 2, 1983.
• Daiber, Ome C. "Mitten." U.S. Patent 2,380,633, issued July 31, 1945. - does not contain asbestos.
  Excerpt:
  I have particularly in mind the conditions being encountered by our military and other forces in Arctic and Antarctic zones....
  It is absolutely imperative in the case of rifiemen that the thumb and at least the forefinger of the hand be free under cold conditions for them to manage their rifles.
• Dickson, Lawrence E. "Heat protective apparel." U.S. Patent 2,327,625, issued August 24, 1943. - illustrated at page top.
  Patent disclosure excerpts:
  
  objects such as machine gun barrels and in fire -fighting work in connection with airplane crashes, oil well fires, and the like.
  
  The invention is illustrated in connection with a protective mitt, in the accompanying drawingl in which- I Figure 1 is an elevational view of a mitt made of woven asbestos ...
• Domeliaht, O. N. "switch O _." FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES: 107.
• Dunstan, Simon. 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. Zenith Imprint, 2008. -
  Excerpt:
  This illustrates one of the problems of the M60—after sustained firing the barrel tended to overheat, often necessitating a change of barrel. However, because the barrel had no handle, the assistant gunner was provided with a large asbestos mitten ...
• Kuehnel, William J. "Mitten." U.S. Patent 2,342,547, issued February 22, 1944. - Illustrated just above. Unlike the Dickson patent, this mitten patent disclosure does not mention the use of asbestos.
  Excerpt:
  My mitten is particularly adapted for wartime use by mine layers, mine sweepers and other naval units, aviators and ground crews.
• Samimi, Behzad S., and Anna M. Williams, "Occupational exposure to asbestos fibers resulting from use of asbestos gloves." The American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 42, no. 12 (1981): 870-875.
• Watson, V. K., & Sicks, T. E. (1968). Service Test Of Product Improved Components For Sheridan Weapon System (Closed Breech Scavenger System). Army Armor And Engineer Board Fort Knox Ky.
• Also see this U.S. War Department publication from 1945 Browning Machine Guns, Caliber .30, M1917A1, M1919A4, and M1919A6

Machine Gun Mitten Health Cost & Liability

Regarding liability, considering the hazards of war, the question you raise is perhaps addressed by U.S. V.A. publications.

See for example the law case cited below. However a careful read of the material makes clear that in the case I cite, the veteran had significant health risks associated with other work, habits, and materials, including smoking and including working with asbestos-containing brake linings - a job in my opinon much more likely to have exposed the vet to respirable asbestos-containing dust particles.

Anyone who worked on cars in the 1960's including brake jobs probably saw people using high pressure compressed air to blow off dust when working on those components.

www.va.gov/vetapp03/files/0312322.txt - Excerpt: Citation Nr: 0312322
Decision Date: 06/09/03 Archive Date: 06/16/03

DOCKET NO. 00-02 964

On appeal from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

THE ISSUE
Entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, claimed as due to asbestos exposure.

CONCLUSION OF LAW

The lung cancer which caused the veteran's death was incurred in service, and the criteria for service connection for the cause of his death are met. 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 1110, 1310 (West
2002); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.303, 3.312 (2002). ... According to a January 1998 consultation note from L. S. Lamb, M.D., the veteran was a retired carpenter who had worked in construction and had been exposed to asbestos.

The doctor also commented that the veteran gave a history that he was exposed to asbestos during service, where he had been a machine gunner and had worn asbestos mittens. The veteran also had a history of tobacco use (11/2 to 2 packs daily for 55 years). In January 1998 correspondence, the veteran said that his active service had included duties in the motor pool and as a cannoneer/gunner.

He stated that during service he had installed asbestos brake linings and had used asbestos mittens for changing gun barrels. He related that after service he was treated for bronchitis in 1962 and later, and in the 1990s he was treated for bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer....

After review of all the evidence, and with application of the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(b), the Board finds that during service the veteran had some asbestos exposure, and although he also had asbestos exposure in civilian jobs, the service asbestos exposure was a significant causal factor in the development of his lung cancer many years after service. It follows that lung cancer was incurred in service and is deemed service-connected.

As the veteran died as the result of the service-incurred lung cancer, the criteria for service connection for the cause of his death are met.

...

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