After the commissioning of the USS S-47 (SS-158) in 1925, the submarine conducted engineering and torpedo tests off the southern New England coast. It won 3 battle stars during World War II, as well as numerous awards, such as the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Nevertheless, because it was laid down when asbestos was a very popular insulating material, veterans who served on this submarine need to keep a close eye on their health. Like many of the S-class submarines, the USS S-47 was decommissioned in 1945 and sold for scrap in 1946. Repeated or continuous asbestos exposure over a long time can cause scarring over large areas of the lungs. When this happens, the lungs cannot expand properly, losing the ability to function properly. It is important to be aware of the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic characteristics of asbestos-related diseases, as they will persist for some time, especially asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma which appears to have the longest latency.
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