The USS Hemminger (DE-746) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort laid down on May 8, 1943, and launched on September 12, the same year. It was commissioned on May 30, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. J. R. Bowdler's command with the hull number DE-746 and served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years until it was decommissioned on February 21, 1958. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 216 men on board and had its main missions in Eniwetok, the Marshalls, Sakishima Gunto, Okinawa, Guam, California, Norfolk, and Canada. After the decommissioning, the ship was transferred to Thailand where it was renamed HTMS Pin Klo (DE-1). On September 3, 1974, the ship was struck from the Navy List. Although asbestos has been mined in the U.S. since 1894, its popularity increased during World War II as an insulator used in the shipbuilding industry to insulate pipes, boiler rooms, walls, and ceiling floors. The insulators who were required to wear protective clothing were often provided with gear made out of asbestos. If you think you were exposed to asbestos while serving aboard the USS Hemminger (DE-746), it is vital that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.
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