The USS Richard S. Bull (DE-402) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort laid down on August 18, 1943, and launched on November 16, the same year. It was commissioned on February 26, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. A. W. Gardes’ command as DE-402 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned in March 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 215 people on board and had its main missions in Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, Morotai, Leyte, Manus, Boston, Panama Canal, Kossol Roads, and Ulithi. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on June 30, 1968, and used as a target ship during training exercises the following year. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Richard S. Bull received 5 battle stars. When asbestos-based products are sanded, sawn, or drilled, they can form fine airborne dust made up of microscopic fibers. These fibers are easily breathed into the lung where they can become embedded. Due to the small size and elongated shape of the particles, they can resist the lung’s natural cleaning process and may cause serious health problems many years after exposure to asbestos.
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