The USS L. Y. Spear (AS-36) was in service of the US Navy from 1970 through 1996 as the first ship of a new class of submarine tenders. The vessel was laid down in 1966 by General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, launched a year later, and commissioned in 1970. She was primarily designed to service nuclear attack submarines and assigned to Submarine Squadron 6 with Norfolk, Virginia, as her home port. The submarine tender was capable of providing logistic and technical support for twelve submarines and servicing four of them simultaneously. The USS L. Y. Spear was decommissioned in 1996 and struck from the Navy Register in 1999. She received the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Award, the Navy E Ribbon, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award for her service. The ship was dismantled entirely by 2011. Before the1980s, asbestos was favored for its isolating properties in the ship construction industry, and the vessels abounded in the carcinogenic material. It exposed Navy veterans to inhaling the toxic fibers, and many developed cancer following service. Veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer are eligible for compensation and may file claims with the asbestos trust funds and the VA.
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