The USS George (DE-697) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on May 22, 1943, and launched on August 14, the same year. It was commissioned on November 20, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. John E. Page’s command with the hull number DE-697 and served in the U.S. Navy for 15 years until it was decommissioned on October 8, 1958. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 186 men on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Norfolk, the Solomons, Funafuti, Ulithi, Saipan, Guam, and Japan. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on November 1, 1969. Some of the asbestos components are required in order to prevent fires or to contain them when they have broken out. Asbestos cement paneling was commonly used along with spray-on insulation that contains large amounts of the mineral. The application of asbestos-based products in so many areas of a heat-generating system makes it impossible for engine mechanics, pipefitters, and steamfitters, to avoid exposure to the material and puts those who worked in the vicinity of those who repaired and maintained a ship’s equipment at risk of long term consequences such as the development of cancer.
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