The USS Gainard (DD-706) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer laid down on March 29, 1944, as DD-706 and launched on September 17, the same year. It was commissioned on November 23, 1944, under Commander Francis J. Foley’s command and served in the US Navy for 27 years until it was decommissioned on February 26, 1971. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 336 people on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, New York, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Saipan, Okinawa, Iheya Shima, Aguni Shima, Kume Shima, Japan, and Maine. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Naval Register on February 26, 1971, and sold for scrapping three years later. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Gainard received one battle star.
If you served in the Navy between the 1930s and mid-1970s, you are at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease or illness. Thankfully, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes most illnesses caused by military asbestos exposure as a form of disability. As a result, you can file a VA disability compensation claim for both non-malignant and malignant diseases.