The USS Barbican (ACM-5) was a Chimo-class minelayer laid down in 1942 as USAMP Col. George Armistead and commissioned on March 24, 1945, as USS Barbican under Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Anderson’s command with the hull number ACM-5 and served in the U.S. Navy for one year until it was decommissioned on June 12, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 69 people on board and had its main missions in Charleston, Pearl Harbor, Midway Island, Saipan, the Marianas, Okinawa, Sasebo, and San Francisco. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on July 19, 1946, but it was acquired by the U.S. Coast Guard and commissioned as USCGC Ivy (WLB-329) in 1946 and it was in service for another 23 years until it was transferred to Foss Maritime in 1969. The USS Barbican (ACM-5) crewmembers were likely to breathe in large amounts of asbestos fibers when they were sleeping, eating, and serving their country in battle. Shipyard workers were also at serious risk for asbestos exposure, as they handled the materials that were built, repaired, or removed from naval vessels as part of their job. Unfortunately, it is now known that asbestos exposure can lead to serious health effects that often do not appear until many years after the exposure.
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