The USS Tortuga (LSD-26), a Casa Grande-class dock landing ship in the United States Navy, was laid down on 16 October 1944 by the Boston Navy Yard; launched on 21 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. George T. Paine; and commissioned on 8 June 1945, with Lieutenant Commander Raymond G. Brown, USNR, in command. From 1983 to 1987 the USS Tortuga (LSD-26) was used as a target ship and based at Port Hueneme, California. It was repeatedly hit by Tomahawk missiles. On 15 December 1987, the ship ran aground on San Miguel Island after breaking its tow during a storm. It was scrapped on site, with the process taking over eight months to complete. Asbestos has been used as a heating insulation material since the 1920s, and its most widespread use of asbestos was aboard Navy ships. It's tragically ironic that the brave men and women who fought for our country in World War II survived the dangers of military conflict in hostile enemy territory only to now face life-threatening illnesses like lung cancer and asbestosis as a result of the exposure to asbestos while on active duty.
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