The USS Major was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on August 16, 1943, and launched on October 23, the same year. It was commissioned on February 12, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. O. W. Goepner’s command with the hull number DE-796 and served in the US Navy for 4 years until it was decommissioned on March 13, 1948. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 186 men on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Cuba, Trinidad, Maine, Yorktown, Bizerte, and Boston. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy Register on December 1, 1972, and sold for scrapping one year later.
Asbestos used on Navy ships had many functions: it was found in every part of the ship, in all rooms, especially sleeping quarters, in insulating materials, floors, ceilings, doors, cables, and many types of equipment. Since the health risks associated with asbestos exposure have been established through scientific research, it is highly recommended that everyone who gets in touch with this mineral on vessels should closely observe any symptoms of breathing disorders.
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