The USS Pasquotank (AOG-18) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker laid down on August 13, 1942, and launched on November 28, the same year. It was commissioned on August 26, 1943, under Lt. Alford R. Norris’ command with the hull number AOG-18 and it served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on March 27, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 62 people on board and had its main missions in Panama Canal, New York, Fiji, New Guinea, Truk, and San Francisco. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on May 21, 1946, and transferred to Maritime Commission where it was renamed SS Tongue River. Eventually, it was scrapped in 1964. Many of the U.S. Navy’s gasoline tankers contained asbestos parts or insulation. When disturbed, asbestos easily turns into dust that can be carried through the air. Anyone who inhales asbestos dust or fibers risks these fibers becoming lodged in their internal organs, leading to many types of chronic and incurable illnesses.
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