The USS Thomason (DE-203) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on June 5, 1943, and launched on August 23, the same year. It was commissioned on December 10, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. Charles B. Henriques’ command with the hull number DE-203 and served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on May 22, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 213 men on board and had its main missions in New Hebrides, New Guinea, the Society Islands, Samoa, Espiritu Santo, Wakde, Sarmi, and the Palaus. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy Register on June 30, 1968. One year later, on June 30, the ship was sold for scrapping. Whenever asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, the tiny fibers can become airborne and be inhaled. Once logged into the lung tissue, they can cause irritation, inflammation, and scarring. Pleural thickening - a disease that can be caused by asbestos exposure - is characterized by scarring of the lining of the lung (pleura) indicating that a person has lung damage and is at risk of more serious complications. Although this condition is not cancerous, it impairs lung function by restricting breathing capacity.
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