The SS Clara Barton was a Liberty Ship built during World War II by the California Shipbuilding Co. at their shipyards in Terminal Island. It was built under a MARCOM contract and named after Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. It was laid down in July 1942 and launched a month after. During the war, the ship was operated by the Army Transportation Service and it was responsible for delivering cargo from the UK to the northern coast of France to assist in the Normandy Invasion in mid-1944. During its missions, the ship was hit several times and encountered heavy challenges, often sailing without escort through German E-boat-infested waters but the vessel survived the war and was scrapped in 1970. Due to its unique properties, asbestos was contained in more than 300 products that were part of the shipbuilding process between 1940 and 1970 particularly during and after WWII. For decades, scientists have recognized the risks of developing lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases due to asbestos exposure. If you believe you were exposed to asbestos while serving aboard the SS Clara Barton, see your doctor regularly for checkups and always remind him/her that you have been exposed to asbestos in the past.
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