Initially named after Yale University, the USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243) was launched on January 31st, 1945 as a Boulder Victory-class cargo. Sponsored by Mrs. Richard W. Owens, she served with the Olympic Steaming Company carrying supplies during the war and then transferred to the army to assist occupation troops in the West Pacific. The ship was renamed "USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon" in 1947 and some three years later transferred to the newly created Military Sea Transportation Service of the US Navy. During the Korean War, she continued to operate between San Francisco and the Far East, but in the early 1960s, her home port becomes New York. In 1973, her name was struck from the Navy List and she was sold to a Taiwanese firm for scrapping, finally returning to the Pacific as bits. Some bits of her, however, could have presented a serious danger to the men on board. We're talking of course about the liberal quantities of asbestos used throughout her structure for fire and waterproofing. If you think you were exposed to asbestos while serving aboard the USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243), you may still be at risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, and you should make an appointment with your doctor at your earliest convenience.
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