The USS ABSD-7 was a 7-section large auxiliary floating dry-dock built in Louisiana and commissioned on March 1, 1945, for the US Navy. It conducted operations for 16 years before being reclassified first in August 1946 as AFDB-7 and second in 1961 as Los Alamos. It was 825 feet long, with a beam of 246 feet and a complement of 187 people on board. It was decommissioned on December 5, 1994, and struck from the Naval Register the same day, but sections A to E and section G were transferred to the Brownsville Navigation District and have been active since 1995. Unfortunately, section F sunk on July 19, 2001. Navy veterans faced hazards of all varieties during their service, but one major hazard they faced was something they literally couldn’t even see: asbestos - a naturally occurring mineral that has inherent fireproofing, heat-resistant, and flame-retardant properties. Individuals who breathe in asbestos particles develop inflammation and scarring in their lungs later in life. Asbestos is a known carcinogen, therefore, those exposed to it are vulnerable to certain cancers. Some of these include cancers of the esophagus, larynx, oral cavity, stomach, colon, and rectum.
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