The USS Wharton (AP-7) was a troop transport ship for the United States Navy during World War II. The vessel was completed in September 1921 under the name of Southern Cross and operated in the South American trade until 1938. After entering the Navy's fleet a year later, the ship was renamed Wharton and designated a transport with the hull number AP-7; conversion into a troop transport was made by the Todd Shipbuilding Corp. Assigned to the Naval Transportation Service, Wharton transported service personnel and cargo during World War II Pacific Theatre operations. In the following years, the vessel participated in the invasion of the Marshall Islands, assisted the wounded at Guam, and supported the invasion of the Philippines and Okinawa. She was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy's lists in 1947 after being declared a surplus to the needs of the Navy. Asbestos was heavily used on Navy ships due to its durability and excellent fireproofing properties. It's the cause behind Navy personnel developing severe health problems in alarming numbers nowadays.
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