The USS Kretchmer (DE-329) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort laid down on June 28, 1943, and launched on August 31, the same year. It was commissioned on December 13, 1943, under Lt. R. C. Wing’s command with the hull number DE-329 and served in the U.S. Navy for 39 years until it was decommissioned on October 1, 1973. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 209 people on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Charleston, Naples, Curacao, Guam, Newport, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Florida. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on September 30, 1973, and sold for scrapping the following year. Any disturbance to the asbestos-containing materials could lead to its fibers becoming airborne and breathable. Those who worked in the boiler and engine rooms and those involved in the construction, repairs, or demolition of ships faced the most dangerous levels of exposure. Anyone who has worked onboard the USS Kretchmer (DE-329), or has been involved in its repair was likely exposed to asbestos. If you or a loved one developed serious health problems as a result of asbestos exposure, you have legal options.
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