The USS Bennion (DD-662), a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, was launched on 4 July 1943 by Boston Navy Yard, sponsored by Captain Bennion's widow. It was commissioned on 14 December 1943 with Commander Joshua W. Cooper in command. The USS Bennion (DD-662) helped destroy the Japanese battleship Yamashiro, with torpedoes at the Battle of Surigao Strait in October 1944. The ship was recommissioned at Puget Sound Navy Yard on 27 October 1945 and placed in reserve in Long Beach, California, on 20 June 1946. On 15 April 1971, it was struck from the Naval Vessel Register. It was sold for scrap on 30 May 1973. Due to its convenient features such as tensile strength and resilience to heat and chemical damage, asbestos was a highly prized commodity for shipbuilders. Navy veterans are now at danger as a result of the increased likelihood of asbestos exposure during their military service. Naval constructors, technicians, mechanics, engineers, and other navy personnel were often placed in harm's path until the Navy discontinued its use.
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