The USS Atherton (DE-169) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort laid down on January 14, 1943, and launched on May 27, the same year. It was commissioned on August 29, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. Paul L. Mansell’s command with the hull number DE-169 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on August 10, 1945. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 216 men on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Hampton Roads, Bizerte, Casablanca, Oran, Cuba, Hawaii, Ulithi, Okinawa, Florida, the Marianas, and San Diego. After the decommissioning, the ship was transferred first to Japan in 1955 where it was renamed JDS Hatsuhi. Between the 1930s up to mid-1970s, large quantities of asbestos used by shipyards as they built ships, exposed thousands of naval personnel performing activities and maintenance duties above and below the deck. If you are a Navy veteran who served on the USS Atherton (DE-169) and your health has been affected by a condition provoked by asbestos, you can get treatment by the VA for free and file a claim for an increased rating for a condition, and file an appeal for that decision if the injury should be rated at a higher percentage.
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