The USS Solar (DE-221) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on February 22, 1943, and launched on May 29, the same year. It was commissioned on February 15, 1944, under Lt. Comdr. Hadlai A. Hull’s command with the hull number DE-221 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on May 21, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 213 men on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Oran, Boston, Gibraltar, Miami, Cuba, and New London. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on June 5, 1946. Four days later, on June 9, 1946, the USS Solar sank after an ammunition explosion. The United States Navy used more asbestos-containing products than any other branch of the military. Prior to the 1980s, the shipbuilding industry used asbestos for countless applications including engine rooms, turbines, boilers, pumps, valves, gaskets, packing, cables, pipes, and electrical equipment. Marines and other military personnel transported on military ships were at high risk for exposure to the hazardous mineral.
760-621-6147
