The USS Baron (DE-166) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort laid down on November 30, 1942, and launched on May 9, the following year. It was commissioned on July 5, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. D. McVicker’s command with the hull number DE-166 and served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on April 26, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 216 men on board and had its main missions in New York, Hollandia, Truk, Satawan, Ponape, Saipan, Guam, the Marshalls, Maloelap, Wotje, and Jaluit. After decommissioning, the ship was transferred to Uruguay on May 3, 1952, where it was renamed ROU Uruguay (DE-1). As with most ships, exposure to asbestos on the USS Baron (DE-166) occurred due to the fact that the rooms in which sailors and other navy personnel worked were extremely poorly ventilated so that the fibers from friable asbestos-containing materials regularly inspected and repaired could be easily inhaled. If you suffer from a disease caused by exposure to asbestos and you served aboard the USS Baron (DE-166), there is a possibility that your time in service is the reason for your illness.
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