The USS Robinson (DD-562), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was laid down on 12 August 1942, launched in 1943, and commissioned in 1944. During World War II, USS Robinson participated in the Marianas, Peleliu, Philippines, and Borneo campaigns. The ship remained in reserve until recommissioned at the Charleston Naval Shipyard in 1951, being assigned later to Destroyer Division 321 and becoming the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 32. After operations along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean in 1955, the USS Robinson was decommissioned at Norfolk in 1964 and was berthed there with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. In 1974 the vessel was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and was sunk as a target in 1982. The USS Robinson received eight battle stars for World War II service. Asbestos was used to insulate the pipes running throughout the ships constructed for the Navy, and its airborne fibers posed a significant health risk to everyone onboard. Navy veterans should seek medical consultation urgently, as inhaling or ingesting tiny asbestos fibers may result in asbestos-related diseases many years after service.
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