The USS Robert H. Smith (DD-735/DM-23) was a Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayer laid down on January 10, 1944, as DD-735 and launched on May 25, the same year as DM-23. It was commissioned on August 4, 1944, under Comdr. Henry Farrow’s command, and served in the US Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on January 29, 1947. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 363 people on board and had its main missions in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, Ulithi, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on February 26, 1971. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Robert H. Smith received 5 battle stars. Asbestos is resistant to the internal defenses of the human body. Once inhaled and lodged inside the lungs, asbestos fibers will not break up, dissolve, or be removed. Prolonged exposure to these fibers can cause inflammation and scarring in the lungs, which leads to breathing complications. If you suffer from a disease caused by exposure to asbestos and you are also a Navy veteran before the 1970s, when the government began to enforce asbestos safety regulations, there is a possibility that your time in service is the reason for your illness.
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