The USS Grenadier (SS-525), a Tench-class submarine, was laid down on 8 February 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts, and launched on 15 December 1944. The USS Grenadier (SS-525)was outfitted with a snorkel to allow for indefinite operation in an awash condition. During its shakedown, the submarine demonstrated the value of this technology. After returning from a Caribbean Sea tour, the new submarine submerged the seven-day journey from Guantanamo Bay to New London, Connecticut. Almost two years of rigorous training exercises out of New London were completed with its first-yard overhaul in Philadelphia, which lasted from December 16, 1952, to April 22, 1953. It was decommissioned, struck from the Naval Vessel Register, and sold to Venezuela on 15 May 1973. Navy ships ceased using asbestos in the 1970s when the US government started restricting the mineral's usage. Numerous World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans were exposed to asbestos while working aboard Navy ships. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they get stuck in tissues, particularly in and around the lungs, and cause harm. Navy veterans who were exposed to asbestos during wartime or while serving on non-active duty were unaware of the danger they were in.
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