As the sixteenth Victory ship built under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program in 1944 by the California Shipbuilding Company in Los Angeles, the SS Bluefield Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. It was christened by Mrs. Monroe Jackson of Oakland, California prior to being launched. The ship was operated by the Mississippi Shipping Company and would bring supplies to the people who fought in the Pacific War. However, the SS Bluefield Victory also carried ammunition for the Pacific War troops, which was a very dangerous mission. In 1969, the SS Bluefield Victory was sold.
Since it was laid down in the middle of the last century, the ship contained great amounts of asbestos, mostly in the form of various products. It is estimated that, before 1980, military vessels would have over 300 asbestos-containing materials aboard, which unknowingly engendered the lives of the people who were serving on the ships and placed veterans at high risk for later developing mesothelioma and other serious respiratory illnesses. Veterans that got sick due to asbestos exposure during their service are eligible for free health care, disability compensation, and other VA benefits.
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