The USS Bell (DD-587) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, launched 24 June 1942 by Charleston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. Clea Cooke Hulse, great-grandniece of Admiral Bell; and commissioned 4 March 1943, with Commander L.C. Peatross in command. Until November 1943, the destroyer operated on patrol and escort in the North Atlantic, making one voyage to Britain in August. It got underway for the Pacific on 6 November and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 27 November. It then joined Task Force 58 for strikes on Kavieng, New Ireland, the invasion of Kwajalein, the Marshall Islands, the Truk strike, Mariana's raid, Caroline's strike, the Saipan invasion, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Guam invasion, Palau raids, Okinawa raid, and Formosa raids. It was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1 November 1972, and sunk as target 11 May 1975. Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral that was widely utilized in electrical insulation and construction materials from the 1910s to the 1970s owing to its low manufacturing costs, tensile strength, and heat resistance. Navy veterans who develop lung cancer, mesothelioma, or asbestosis as a result of asbestos exposure while serving are eligible for VA Disability Compensation for medical care, and other costs.
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