The USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236) was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship that was laid down on September 16, 1944, under a Maritime Commission contract at the Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, California. It was launched on November 17, the same year and was commissioned on December 11, 1944, under LCDR. Eric H. Petrelius’ command, with the hull number AK-236 and it served the US Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on May 16, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 99 people on board and had its main missions in the Asiatic Pacific Theater during World War II and participated in the Iwo Jima operation and Okinawa Gunto operation. The ship was sold for scrapping in August 1993. Until the 1970s, asbestos was employed aboard almost all of the US Navy's military ships. Due to its incredible strength and remarkable heat-resistance properties, asbestos made its way into virtually every component of a vessel. Today, we are aware that asbestos is a hazardous material. When asbestos-containing material is disturbed and released into the air, it may pose a significant health danger to anyone around. In addition to the fatal malignancy mesothelioma, asbestos is also the cause of a number of other life-threatening illnesses, including asbestosis and lung cancer.
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