The USS Yacona (AOG-45) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker laid down on November 23, 1944, and launched on January 14, the following year. It was commissioned on February 7, 1945, under Lt. Richard A. Urquhart’s command with the hull number AOG-45 and it served in the US Navy for 1 year until it was decommissioned on December 20, 1945. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 62 people on board and had its main missions in Norfolk, Havana, Miami, Hampton Roads, Florida, and Hawaii. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on January 8, 1946, and sold to Gulf Oil Corporation in 1947 and, subsequently, to Sociedad Campania de Navegacion in 1976.
Because asbestos was affordable and possesses insulation abilities, tensile strength, resistance to heat and chemical damage, incombustibility, and sound absorption, it was used in nearly every part of each Navy ship. Only thirty to forty years later was discovered how dangerous asbestos can be to our health. If you are a Navy veteran and are experiencing asbestos exposure-related symptoms, you may be entitled to compensation and VA benefits.
760-621-6147