The USS Rowan (DD-405) was a Benham-class destroyer laid down on June 25, 1937, and launched on May 5, 1938. It was commissioned on September 23, the following year under Lt. Comdr. B. R. Harrison’s command with the hull number DD-405 and served in the US Navy for 5 years until it was sunk by an enemy ship on September 11, 1943. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 175 people on board and had its main missions in Norfolk, the Caribbean, Halifax, Cape Town, Iceland, Reykjavik, the northern Russia or Norway. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Rowan (DD-405) received 5 battle stars. Certain Navy veterans are especially at risk for lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases than others, depending on the jobs they held on ships. Gunner’s mates, damage controlmen, electricians, pipefitters, those working in boiler rooms, were at an increased risk for asbestos exposure. If you currently experience symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing or unintentional weight loss, it might mean that you have developed lung cancer or mesothelioma after you have been exposed. Undergoing a chest X-ray and a series of pulmonary function tests is the most reliable way of receiving a diagnosis.
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