The USS Thomas F. Nickel (DE-587) was a Rudderow-class destroyer escort laid down on December 15, 1943, and launched on January 22, the following year. It was commissioned on June 9, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. Claude S. Farmer’s command as DE-587 and served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years until it was decommissioned on February 26, 1958. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 221 people on board and had its main missions in Bizerte, Manus, Panama, Boston, Hollandia, San Pedro, Leyte, Luzon, San Diego, and Biak. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on December 1, 1972, and sold for scrapping to Levin Metals Corporation in San Jose the following year. Navy veterans who experienced asbestos exposure, generally do not receive a diagnosis until decades after retirement. If you think you were exposed to asbestos while serving aboard the USS Thomas F. Nickel (DE-587), it is vital you speak with your primary care physician as soon as possible to understand your treatment options and future prognosis better. Screening tests are combinations of multiple diagnostic tests, such as chest X-rays, physical exams, and pulmonary functions tests, that may help doctors detect potential problems long before symptoms appear and when the disease is most treatable.
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