Originally known as the USS ATA-204, the USS Wandank was a U.S. Navy auxiliary ocean tug that served between 1945 and 1947 and between 1952 and 1971. It was built by Gulfport Boiler and Welding Works, Port Arthur, Texas in 1944. The ship is perhaps best known for aiding scientific operations in the Marianas, especially serving as a communication relay and support ship for the bathyscaphe Trieste in Project Nekton.
However, like the majority of military ships laid down during the last century, the USS Wandank contained over 300 different asbestos products, which posed a great health threat to everyone who was present aboard it. The longer one served on this ship, the greater their chances of developing a serious disease as a result of asbestos exposure are. For this reason, veterans who were on the USS Wandank need to keep a close eye on their health. In 1979, the ship was sunk as a target.
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