The USS Traw (DE-350) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort laid down on December 19, 1943, and launched on February 12, the following year. It was commissioned on June 20, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. James T. Kilbreth’s command as DE-350 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on June 7, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 215 people on board and had its main missions in Norfolk, New Guinea, Ulithi, Marseilles, Leyte, Okinawa, Panama Canal, Samar, and San Diego. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on August 1, 1967, and used as a target ship during training exercises the same year. Lung cancer, which can be considered a malignant growth of abnormal cells in the lungs, is known to be triggered by a number of inhaled carcinogens, including asbestos. Recognized for their properties of flexibility, chemical resistance, and strength, asbestos fibers have been used extensively by the U.S. Navy in its World War II ships.
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