The USS Elk (IX-115) was an Armadillo-class tanker that was laid down by California Shipbuilding Corporation, Wilmington as SS William Winter for the Maritime Commission. The ship was launched on November 6, 1943, and delivered to the U.S. Navy on November 26, 1943, and was commissioned under Lieutenant W. T. Stannard’s command on the same day. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 103 men on board and it had the main missions in Kwajalein, Majuro, and Eniwetok to support the Marianas operation, Ulithi, Okinawa, and Sasebo. The ship received one battle star for its service in World War II and was decommissioned on May 17, 1946, at Norfolk, Virginia. Asbestos was utilized throughout the ship, from the sleeping quarters to the boiler room, exposing Navy personnel to the mineral's cancer-causing fibers. According to the VA, millions of individuals who served in WWII alone were exposed to asbestos-containing materials used in shipbuilding. It is critical for Navy veterans to understand how they were exposed to asbestos and what legal options they have if diagnosed with lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.
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