The USS Joyce (DE-317) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort laid down on March 8, 1943, and launched on May 26, the same year. It was commissioned on September 30, 1943, under Lt. Cmdr. R. Wilcox’s command as DE-317 and served in the U.S. Navy for 17 years until it was decommissioned on June 17, 1960. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 209 people on board and had its main missions in Texas, Norfolk, New York, Guantanamo, Saipan, Sasebo, Newport, Panama Canal, and Green Cove Springs. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on December 1, 1972, and sold for scrapping on September 11, 1973. Like all other ships built before the 1970s, the USS Joyce (DE-317) was constructed using a number of asbestos-containing products and materials. Specifically, asbestos was used for its fireproofing properties as well as its resistance to corrosion, heat, and water. Therefore, the carcinogenic mineral could be found in virtually all areas of the ship including engine rooms, boiler rooms, weapon and ammunition storage rooms, mess halls, sleeping quarters, and navigation rooms.
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