The USS Murzim (AK-95) was a cargo ship belonging to the Crater-class, built during World War II to be used by the US Navy for war operations. The ship was named after Murzim, a star in the constellation Canis Major. As a cargo ship, the USS Murzim was responsible for transporting cargo and troops in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Built under a MARCOM contract, the ship was laid down in July 1942 as the Liberty class ship SS Brigham Young at the California Shipbuilding Corporation’s shipyards in Terminal Island. It was transferred to the US Navy in April 1943 and underwent conversion to a naval cargo ship at Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Drydock Company’s shipyards. It was placed in the reserve fleet at Suisun Bay in August 1947 where it remained until March 1973 when it was sold to Nicolay Joffe Co. for scrapping. Due to its heat-resistant and durable qualities, asbestos was widely used in almost every Navy ship from the 1930s to the early 1980s. US veterans who served in the Navy, Coast Guard, U.S. Army Transport Service, and Merchant Marine, are very likely to have been exposed to asbestos while on duty, particularly between the 1940s-1980s. This puts them at very high risk of eventually developing life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.
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