The USS Peterson (DE-152) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort laid down on February 28, 1943, and launched on May 15, the same year. It was commissioned on September 29, 1943, under Lt. Cmdr. Richard F. Rea’s command as DE-152 and served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years until it was decommissioned in June 1965. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 209 people on board and had its main missions in Texas, Bermuda, Pearl Harbor, Guantanamo, Panama Canal, Wakayama, Liverpool, Saipan, Culebra Island, New York, San Diego, and Plymouth Sound. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on August 1, 1973, and sold for scrapping to Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service in 1974. While asbestos was effective in slowing corrosion and retarding fire, it also posed a threat to those who breathed in or ingested the thin, needle-like fibers. The U.S. Navy was aware that asbestos posed some health risks during WWII, but it was not until the 1970s Navy officially stopped filling new ships with asbestos. If your loved one is a Navy Veteran or former shipyard worker, you should also consider contacting a lawyer to discuss whether the affected person may be entitled to compensation.
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