The SS Augustine B. McManus was a Liberty Ship built in the US during World War II. The ship was named after Augustine B. McManus, a US Navy officer and scientist that had testified at the Titanic disaster trials. The vessel was laid down in April 1944 at the J.A. Jones Construction in Brunswick, Georgia, and launched in June the same year. The ship was operated by the William J. Rountree & Company during the war. It was placed in the reserve fleet at Wilmington, North Carolina, and later, in the Hudson River Group. It was later withdrawn from the fleet to be used as a grain transporter until September 1970 when it was sold for scrapping. Asbestos is a human carcinogen and the only known cause of mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the mesothelium - the lining of the lungs, heart, and abdomen. Veterans who lived aboard Navy ships built before 1980, as well as any other personnel, were at high risk of exposure on a daily basis. As a result, individuals who were exposed to asbestos during their military careers may be eligible for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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