The USS Jeffers (DD-621/DMS-27), a Gleaves-class destroyer, was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey, on 25 March 1942 and launched on 26 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Lucie Jeffers Lyons, great-granddaughter of Commodore Jeffers. The ship was commissioned on 5 November 1942, with Lieutenant Commander W. G. McGarry in command. After training operations, the USS Jeffers (DD-621/DMS-27) sailed from New York on 5 May 1944 for the United Kingdom, where it prepared for the invasion of Normandy. The ship was stricken from the register on 1 July 1971 and later sold on 25 May 1973 and broken up for scrap. Inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers can have deadly consequences. The microscopic particles can get lodged in the body’s internal tissues. Over time, the particles can irritate the tissues enough to create a tumor that can become cancerous. Keep in mind that symptoms can take at least 20 years after the initial date of asbestos exposure to appear. Go to a doctor right away if you experience symptoms like dry cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, or persistent chest pain; explain that you may have been exposed while serving in the Navy.
760-621-6147
