The USS Midway was built by Newport News Shipbuilding in 1943 as the lead ship of its class. It was commissioned a week after the end of World War II and until 1955, it was the largest ship in the world. The ship operated for 47 years, having taken part in the Vietnam War. It also served as the Persian Gulf flagship in Operation Desert Storm. Because the crew of the USS Midway achieved extraordinary results, the ship earned numerous awards, including the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Occupation Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. Since it was laid down during the heyday of asbestos, the mineral was inevitably present on the USS Midway, primarily in the form of insulation. Exposure to asbestos, which occurs when a person inhales or ingests the tin fibers of the mineral, can result, within 20 to 50 years, in awful diseases such as lung cancer or mesothelioma. Thereby, the military personnel who were aboard this ship should undergo periodical medical examination. In 1992, the USS Midway was decommissioned and can now be seen in a museum in San Diego, California.
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