The USS Rankin (AKA-103/LKA-103) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship laid down on October 31, 1944, and launched on December 6, the same year. It was commissioned the next year on February 25, 1945, and served in the US Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned for the first time on May 21, 1947. Five years later, on March 22, 1952, the ship was recommissioned and served in the US Navy for another 19 years until May 11, 1971. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 395 men on board and operated in Honolulu, Ulithi, Okinawa, Saipan, the Philippines, Manila, and Nagoya. On July 24, 1988, the USS Rankin was sunk near Florida but it had been already stricken from the Navy List on January 1, 1977. While anyone who worked in the shipbuilding industry could have been exposed to asbestos, people with certain job titles may have had a higher risk, including insulators, boiler tenders, engine mechanics, shipfitters, pipefitters, steelworkers, repairmen, electricians, welders, machinists, and firemen.
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