The SS Colgate Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II, launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on December 15, 1944, and completed on January 12, the next year. During its activity, this 10,500-ton class ship carried a complement of 62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards and was used as a cargo ship in World War II and also helped in the Battle of Okinawa and the invasion of Japan. Asbestos exposure occurred aboard this ship, particularly in the engineering spaces and boiler rooms. The ship was transferred back to the Maritime Administration and laid up. The ship was scrapped in December of 1969 in Spain.
Asbestos was commonly used on Navy ships in equipment such as boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, and electrical components. Veterans who worked in engine rooms and boiler spaces faced the highest levels of exposure. However, asbestos exposure could have happened almost anywhere on a ship. Many Navy veterans and shipyard workers were exposed to asbestos while building, repairing, and maintaining ships in naval yards across the country.
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