The USS Chaffee (DE-230) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort launched on November 27, 1943. It was commissioned on May 9, the following year under Lt. Cmdr. A. C. Jones’ command as DE-230 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on April 15, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 186 people on board and had its main missions in Charleston, Bayonne, New Guinea, Leyte, Lingayen, Okinawa, Mindanao, and Parang. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on June 29, 1948, and sold for scrapping the same year. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Chaffee received 2 battle stars. According to the VA, there are currently about 21.5 million veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Thousands, if not millions, of these living veterans, were exposed to toxic asbestos-containing materials during their service. The U.S. Navy servicemen living on ships were exposed to toxic asbestos fibers day and night. Prior to 1980, shipbuilders used asbestos-based paint and insulated ships with fire-resistant asbestos insulation. Asbestos fibers are made up of ship ropes, gaskets, pipes, and pumps.
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