The USS Ajax (AR-6) was the second Vulcan-class repair ship and the U.S. Navy's fourth ship to bear the name. The vessel was laid down in 1941, launched in 1942, and commissioned in 1943. She was in service from 1943 to 1986, receiving four battle stars for her duty in the Korean War and five campaign stars for the Vietnam War. The repair ship arrived at Pearl Harbor in 1943 and was part of the clean-up of the Harbor’s attack. In the following years, she helped with preparations for the final assault on Japan, participated in atomic bomb tests, made many postwar cruises to Japan, and repaired vessels in various shipyards and ports along the coast of California. The ship was decommissioned in 1986, struck from the Navy list in 1989, and sold for scrap in 1997. Asbestos was used in shipbuilding for its natural resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity. It had multiple purposes, from insulation, fireproofing, and producing protective gear to other products for the military. Navy veterans who served onboard the USS Ajax (AR-6) may have developed severe health problems due to long-term asbestos exposure and may qualify for filing claims with asbestos trust funds and the VA.
760-621-6147
