The USS Philip (DD/DDE-498), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey, 7 May 1942; launched 13 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Barrett Philip; and commissioned 21 November 1942, Commander Thomas C. Ragan in command. Among the junior officers at commissioning was Ensign Benjamin C. Bradlee, who later became executive editor of The Washington Post. The ship's first mission came during the early morning of 30 June 1943 when she bombarded installations in the Shortland Islands area in the southwest Pacific. The USS Philip (DD/DDE-498) was decommissioned on 30 September 1968 and struck from the Navy List on 1 October 1968. It was sold on 15 December 1971 but sank in a storm on its way to being scrapped on 2 February 1972. Considered to be a carcinogenic substance by the World Health Organization (WHO) asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that had been heavily used by numerous industries, including the shipbuilding industry until 1980, when multiple health organizations worldwide began raising awareness of the terrible health consequences of exposure. Those veterans previously exposed to asbestos should receive persistent monitoring in order to early detect adverse health outcomes.
760-621-6147
