The USS Albireo (AK-90) was a cargo ship belonging to the Crater-class. This vessel served the US Navy during World War II. Albireo was laid down in 1943 by Permanente Metals Corporation. On 29 March 1943, the USS Albireo was commissioned under the command of Lieutenant Edward M. Benton. The ship’s first mission was a cargo run that took place in 1943 with destination Hawaii. Later that year, the Albireo also traveled to Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, Eureka, Espiritu Santo, Wellington, and New Zeeland. The next year, it discharged cargo to the Seeadler Harbour, the Manus Island, Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, New Guinea. The USS Albireo went through a period of repairs in 1945 and later resumed its journeys to the Philippines and Japan. The ship was decommissioned in 1946.
Unfortunately, the USS Albeiro was full of asbestos-containing materials because it was built before the dangers of asbestos exposure were widely known. It was used in the engine and boiler rooms, mess halls, navigation rooms to sleeping quarters and other common areas on the ships. The prolonged asbestos exposure during their service caused many veterans to later develop mesothelioma and other serious asbestos-related conditions.
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