The USS Anderson (DD-411), a Sims-class destroyer in the United States Navy, was laid down on 15 November 1937 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company; launched on 4 February 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Mertie Loraine Anderson, the widow of Rear Admiral Anderson; towed to the New York Navy Yard, and delivered there to the Navy on 18 May 1939; and commissioned on 19 May 1939, Lieutenant Commander William M. Hobby, Jr., in command. It was the first of the Sims class to be delivered in early 1939 and was found to be 150 tons overweight and dangerously top-heavy due to insufficient metacentric height, which touched off a redesign and rebuilding of the class, completed during 1941. Asbestos was an ideal material for multiple uses in the shipbuilding industry: flooring, and walls, electrical wiring, fireproofing materials, protective gear, and as insulation and protection around any heat-producing equipment. Veterans involved in active duty who developed life-threatening illnesses such as mesothelioma or lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure are eligible for compensation from asbestos trust funds and VA claims.
760-621-6147
