The construction of the USS Rock (SS-274) was sponsored by Mrs. B. O. Wells in 1942 when it came to life by virtue of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Wisconsin. Commissioned in 1943, the USS Rock completed 6 war patrols, winning 4 battle stars for World War II activity. From 1953 to 1959, it served as a radar picket submarine, while from 1959 to 1969, it functioned as an auxiliary general submarine. The USS Rock damaged and sunk a total of 42,282 tons of enemy shipping. In 1969, the submarine was decommissioned and later sold for scrap.
As the USS Rock (SS-274) was laid down during a time when asbestos was widely employed in shipbuilding, the toxic mineral was present on the submarine in great amounts, especially in its wall insulation. Consequently, we strongly advise veterans who served on it to undergo annual medical examinations to make sure the asbestos fibers they breathed in have not caused any damage to their lungs.
760-621-6147
