The USS Levy (DE-162) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort laid down on October 19, 1942, and launched on March 28, the following year. It was commissioned on May 13, 1943, under Capt. Frank S. Schmidt’s command with the hull number DE-162 and served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years until it was decommissioned on April 4, 1947. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 216 men on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, the Society Islands, Hollandia, Truk, Statwan, Ponape, Manus, the Marianas, Leyte, Eniwetok, the Carolines, the Marshalls, Mili Atoll and Florida. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy Register on August 2, 1973, and sold for scrapping to Boston Metals Co. Between the 1930s and the 1970s, vessel building, repair, and overhaul work performed at American shipyards typically occurred in cramped spaces with poor ventilation systems resulting in regular exposure to high levels of asbestos fibers. Workers were frequently exposed to asbestos dust from gaskets, packing, insulation, and other asbestos-containing materials and products throughout their time at these shipyards.
760-621-6147
