The USS Obstructor (ACM-7) was a Chimo-class minelayer laid down in 1942 as USAMP 1st Lt. William G. Sylvester and commissioned on April 1, 1945, as USS Obstructor under Lt. Sammie Smith’s command with the hull number ACM-7 and served in the U.S. Navy for one year until it was decommissioned on June 28, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 69 people on board and had its main missions in Norfolk, Panama Canal, San Diego, the Marshalls, the Marianas, Manila, Haiphong, and San Francisco. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on July 19, 1946, but it was acquired by the US Coast Guard and commissioned as USCGC Heather (WAGL-331) in 1947 and it was in service for another 20 years until it was finally decommissioned. Everyone who served on the USS Obstructor (ACM-7) inhaled the asbestos fibers and is at risk for developing lung disease. As a result of being exposed to asbestos in the U.S. Navy, you are entitled to file for VA benefits such as VA health care and disability compensation. Navy veterans with service-connected diseases like asbestos, asbestos-related lung cancer, or mesothelioma, may also be eligible for compensation from other sources like asbestos trust funds.
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