The USS Rainier (AE-5) was a Lassen-class ammunition ship laid down on May 14, 1940, under the name of Rainbow. It was launched on March 1, 1941. On the day of commissioning, December 21, 1941, it received the name Rainier after Mount Rainier and was under Capt. William W. Meek’s command. Its first missions were from Port Chicago in California to Pearl Harbor and then to Tongatapu, Fijis, Noumea, Auckland, and back to the United States. During the Vietnam War, the ship operated between Subic Bay and replenishment areas off Vietnam. It was decommissioned for the second time and struck from the Naval Register on August 7, 1970. For its service brought to the US Navy during the Korean and Vietnam wars, the USS Rainier received 12 battle stars overall. Exposure to asbestos can be a serious health risk if asbestos-containing material is disturbed during maintenance or repair work in such a way that its fibers become airborne. Symptoms of asbestos-related diseases - such as shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain - often do not appear until 10 to 40 years after the exposure. If you served on the USS Rainier (AE-5) you might have been exposed to toxic asbestos fibers, and you may be eligible for free health care, disability compensation, and other VA benefits.
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