The USS Conklin (DE-439) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort laid down on November 4, 1943, and launched on February 13, the following year. It was commissioned on April 21, 1944, under Cmdr. D. C. Brown’s command as DE-439 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on January 17, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 215 people on board and had its main missions in San Diego, Guam, Manus, Ulithi, Okinawa, Kossol Roads, and Mare Island. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on October 1, 1970, and sold for scrapping in 1972. Asbestos is the generic name of six different minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven threads. Because of its affordability, and unique properties, asbestos has been widely used in many industries - the shipbuilding industry has used asbestos to insulate boilers, steam pipes, hot water pipes, and nuclear reactors in ships. If you are a Navy veteran, please call us at 760.621.6147. We are dedicated to providing factual, expert-reviewed information about the risks of asbestos exposure aboard naval vessels.
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