The USS Lake (DE-301) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort laid down on April 22, 1943, and launched on August 18, the same year. It was commissioned on February 5, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. A. D. Weeks’ command as DE-301 and served in the U.S. Navy for one year until it was decommissioned on December 3, 1945. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 198 people on board and had its main missions in Iwo Jima, San Francisco, Okinawa, Ulithi, Peleliu, Pearl Harbor, the Palaus, Eniwetok, Guam, and Kwajalein. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on December 19, 1945, and sold for scrapping the following year. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Lake received 2 battle stars. Asbestos poses a variety of health burdens that Navy veterans are still dealing with today. While prohibiting the mineral’s application has prevented future uses, a lot of World War II-era battleships remained in service for many years. These older vessels were modernized during refits but still contained tons of asbestos. If you believe you were exposed to asbestos while serving aboard the USS Lake (DE-301), it’s essential to seek medical advice, so that the condition can be properly diagnosed.
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