The USS Rall (DE-304) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort laid down on May 24, 1943, and launched on September 23, the following year. It was commissioned on April 8, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. C. B. Taylor’s command as DE-304, and served in the U.S. Navy for one year until it was decommissioned on December 11, 1945. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 198 people on board and had its main missions in Iwo Jima, Espiritu Santo, Okinawa, Ulithi, Leyte, Ie Shima, Hagushi, Pearl Harbor, Maui, Saipan, and San Pedro. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on January 3, 1946, and sold for scrapping the following year. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Rall received 3 battle stars. Anyone responsible for removing or installing asbestos products on vessels was at high risk of asbestos exposure. Navy ships contain tons of asbestos, which is why Navy veterans make up the highest percentage of patients with asbestos-related diseases compared to other branches of the military. Jobs on the Navy ships with the highest risk of asbestos exposure included boilermen, hull technicians, machinery repairmen, pipefitters, radiomen, Seabees, and welders.
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