The USS Whiteside (AKA-90) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship laid down on April 22, 1944, and launched on June 12, 1944, with the hull number AKA-90. It was commissioned on September 11, 1944, under Comdr. C. P. Woodson’s command and served in the US Navy for 14 years until it was decommissioned on January 30, 1958. It carried a complement of 366 men on board, plus 78 troops. During this period, the ship operated in Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor, Guam, New Hebrides, Ulithi, Okinawa, Yokohama, Samar, Philippines, Solomons, and Batangas. In the spring of 1971, the ship was sunk as a target. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Whiteside received 2 battle stars and 4 battle stars for the activity during the Korean War. Exposure to asbestos is detrimental to a person’s health. Unfortunately, the mineral was included in more than 300 products that were part of the shipbuilding process before regulations were implemented in the 1970s. As a result, many Navy veterans were diagnosed with serious medical conditions because of their prolonged exposure to asbestos.
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