The SS Albert M. Boe was a Liberty Ship built by the New England Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland, Maine. The ship was laid down in July 1945 and it was the last Liberty Ship ever built. It was named in honor of one of the crewmen of another ship, the aircraft repair vessel FS-214. Chief Engineer Albert M. Boe died in an engine fire accident on that ship while attempting to control the fire spread. He received the posthumous Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for his actions that saved the other crewmen. The ship was acquired by the US Navy soon after its commission. It was placed out of service in January 1952 and transferred to USMC. The vessel was sold to a private company for commercial use and converted to a fish cannery ship in 1964. There was no escaping asbestos exposure for many Navy veterans, the toxic mineral could be found in every part of the ship, including boiler rooms, engine rooms, pump rooms, propulsion rooms, weapons and ammunition storage rooms, and even mess halls and sleeping quarters. Asbestos fibers are tiny and cannot be seen with the naked eye, still, they can be breathed in or ingested, and lead to deadly cancers much later in life.
760-621-6147