The USS Manderson Victory (AK-230) was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship laid down on July 04, 1944, under a Maritime Commission contract at the Permanente Metals Corp., Yard No.1, Richmond, CA. It was commissioned on November 3, 1944, under LCDR. John Larsen’s command, with the hull number AK-230. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 99 people on board and had its main missions in the Asiatic Pacific Theater, and participated in the Okinawa Gunto operation during World War II. The ship was sold for scrapping in August 1993. As ships aged and deteriorated, the likelihood of asbestos fibers being "friable" (exposed, airborne, and possibly breathed) increased. The construction of ships, as well as their maintenance and ultimate destruction, increased the chance of tiny fibers being released into the air, which was exacerbated by the tight quarters and restricted ventilation of the ship's below deck regions. Asbestos exposure happened often when Navy personnel operating below deck in the engineering areas had to disrupt asbestos insulation and remove old gaskets and packing with tools while servicing boilers, turbines, pumps, and valves. Asbestos dust would get airborne as a result of this activity, increasing the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis, and, mesothelioma, among many others.
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