The USS Firecrest (AMc-33) was a Firecrest-class coastal minesweeper laid down in 1937 and launched the same year. It was placed in service on April 4, 1941, and served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years until it was placed out of service on September 18, 1944. During its activity, the ship had its main missions within the 11th Naval District under Ensign Charles S. Judson Jr.’s command, removing the mines located in the minefields in the water so that other ships could pass safely. It carried a complement of 17 men on board and it operated in San Diego and Pearl Harbor. On October 14, 1944, the ship was struck from the Navy List and delivered to the War Shipping Administration the following year on April 3. The military’s extensive use of asbestos products throughout much of the 20th century is now haunting Navy veterans 20 to 40 years after they served, leaving many of them frustrated, disillusioned, and dying prematurely. Navy veterans exposed to asbestos who developed related illnesses are urged to apply for Veterans’ Affairs (VA) compensation.
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