The USS Toledo (CA-133) was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser laid down on September 13, 1943, and launched on May 6, 1945. It was commissioned on October 27, the following year under Capt. August J. Detzer’s command, as CA-133 served in the U.S. Navy for 14 years until it was decommissioned on May 21, 1960. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 1,142 people on board and had its main missions in Guantanamo, the West Indies, Port-au-Prince, San Francisco, Korea, San Diego, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy Register on January 1, 1974, and sold for scrapping to the National Metal and Steel Corporation in Terminal Island the same year. The military no longer uses asbestos, but it is still found on old military bases and ships. The military removed much of the asbestos in the 1980s when it was found to cause severe illnesses, but it was sometimes left behind due to time constraints or costs. According to the Veteran’s Administration, those who served or worked on ships or in shipyards should make an appointment with their doctor. Veterans exposed to asbestos while serving in the U.S. Navy can file claims with the VA while also separately seeking compensation through one or more of the established asbestos trust funds.
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