The USS Roberts (DE-749) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort laid down on February 11, 1943, and launched on November 14, the same year. It was commissioned on September 2, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. Robert M. Catharine’s command with the hull number DE-749 and served in the U.S. Navy for 24 years until it was decommissioned on September 21, 1968. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 216 men on board and had its main missions in California, Hawaii, the Marshalls, Kwajalein, Okinawa, Eniwetok, Micronesia, and Ulithi. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on September 23, 1968. Three years later, the USS Roberts was sunk as a target during some training exercises. U.S. Navy veterans who served from World War II through Vietnam faced elevated risks of health conditions from the asbestos on board the ships they served on. All of these ships required the use of asbestos for thermal insulation, fire-resistant properties, soundproofing, and insulating qualities. When handled improperly, asbestos it’s an exceptionally hazardous material, and the serious and often fatal illnesses that can result from inhalation of asbestos fibers may not reveal themselves for decades.
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