The USS Earl K. Olsen (DE-765) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort laid down on March 9, 1943, and launched on February 13, 1944. It was commissioned on April 10, 1944, under Lt. R. G. Nichols’ command with the hull number DE-765 and served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years until it was decommissioned on February 25, 1958. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 216 men on board and had its main missions in Florida, Maine, Boston, New York, the United Kingdom, the Azores, Cuba, Manila, and the Philippines. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on August 1, 1972. A year later, it was sold for scrapping. If you are a Navy veteran who served on the USS Earl K. Olsen (DE-765), chances are you were exposed to a significant amount of asbestos. Exposure to asbestos is known to cause asbestosis, long-term inflammation, and scarring of the lungs due to inhalation of asbestos fibers, as well as lung and digestive tract cancers. It is also thought to be the sole cause of mesothelioma - a rare cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs.
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