Named after a US university, the SS St. Lawrence Victory (MCV-735) was launched on March 31, 1945, after just 65 days in the yard. Her first mission was a dangerous one, carrying over 10,000 tons of explosives to Saipan. She was back in Seattle by July, from where she joined Task Group 30.8 in delivering supplies to the soldiers stationed in Guam. After the war she took on a relief role, hauling cargo over the Atlantic to assist European nations under the Marshall plan. This ended in 1947 when she hit a mine off the coast off Dubrovnik. The salvage was claimed by Yugoslavia, and after receiving the necessary repairs, the SS St. Lawrence (MCV-735) continued to function as a passenger ship with private operators in this country for some decades after. Maybe this wasn’t the wisest way to repurpose the vessel, as the asbestos used in all sections of the ship for fire and water insulation could have been inhaled by the passengers with ill results. As a consequence, countless brave men and women have been exposed to dangerous asbestos products through their military service. For their conditions developed as a result of asbestos exposure, the Department of Veterans Affairs offers healthcare benefits as well as options for financial compensation.
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