The SS Lunsford Richardson was a Liberty ship built at J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia during World War II. She was named after Lunsford Richardson, an American pharmacist from Selma, North Carolina, and the founder of Vick Chemical Company. The ship was laid down on 2 August 1944, under a Maritime Commission contract, and launched on 9 September 1944. On 11 October 1947, the SS Lunsford Richardson was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Wilmington, North Carolina. The cargo ship was sold to Northern Metal Company on 12 April 1961 for scrapping and removed from the fleet on 21 April 1961. Before the health risks associated with asbestos became more widely known, the U. S. Navy had asbestos added to more than 300 products commonly found onboard a Navy ship. Asbestos exposure was not limited to one specific area on a Navy vessel, however, areas with a high risk of exposure to asbestos included pump rooms, engine and boiler rooms, damage control area, navigation rooms, mess halls, and sleeping areas.
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