The SS Newton D. Baker was a Liberty ship built at J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida, during World War II. The cargo ship was named after Newton Diehl Baker Jr., an American lawyer, politician, and government official. The SS Newton D. Baker was laid down on 3 September 1942 under a Maritime Commission contract and launched on 25 February 1943. On 6 April 1943, the SS Newton D. Baker was allocated to Luckenbach Steamship Co., Inc. Four years later, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in Mobile, Alabama. On 2 January 1968, she was sold to Union Minerals & Alloys, Co., to be scrapped. The SS Newton D. Baker was just one of many navy ships built at a time when the use of asbestos was abundant. The toxic mineral could be found in virtually every area of the ship in hundreds of applications including fireproofing, streamlines, pumps, boilers, condensers, evaporators, distillers, turbines, deck material, and electrical components. If you suffer from a disease caused by exposure to asbestos and you are also a Navy veteran, there is a possibility that your time in service is the reason for your illness.
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