The USS Castor (AKS-1) was a Castor-class general stores issue ship launched on May 20, 1939. It was commissioned on March 12, 1941, under Comdr. F. Johnson’s command and served in the US Navy for 6 years until it was decommissioned on June 30, 1947. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 315 men on board and had its main missions in Pearl Harbor, Johnston Island, Wake Island, San Francisco, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, Funafuti, Espiritu Santo, and the Gilbert Islands. After decommissioning, the ship was placed in reserve at San Francisco. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Castor received 3 battle stars, 2 battle stars for the activity during the Korean War, and 6 campaign stars for the activity during the Vietnam War. Because of its resistance to heat, corrosion, and high tensile strength, asbestos was included in hundreds of products used in U.S. Navy ships. Asbestos exposure occurs through ingestion or inhalation of airborne fibers. These fibers, silicate strands much thinner than human air, break loose during handling, manufacturing, cutting, or even damage the asbestos, after which they enter the lungs and cause health concerns.
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