The USS Oakland (CL-95) was an Atlanta-class light cruiser laid down on July 15, 1941, and launched on October 23, the following year. It was commissioned on July 17, 1943, under Capt. William K. Phillips’ command with the hull number CL-95 and served in the U.S. Navy for 6 years until it was decommissioned on July 1, 1949. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 802 people on board and had its main missions in Luzon, San Diego, Ulithi, Leyte, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Guam, Nansei Shoto, Leyte, Nagoya, and Formosa. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on March 1, 1959, and sold for scrapping in 1959 to Louis Simons. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Oakland received 9 battle stars. Nowhere was asbestos exposure more prevalent and dangerous than in naval shipyards. The fireproof qualities of asbestos meant extra protection for Navy ships that served during World War II and in the immediate aftermath demand for asbestos products skyrocketed. Everything from the insulation on pipes to the paint coating the ship walls contained the carcinogenic substance and the most dangerous places for exposure were below-deck compartments including boiler rooms, engine rooms, navigation rooms, weapons, and ammunition storage rooms.
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