Named after the Northeastern University of Boston and her class, the SS Northeastern Victory (MDV-735) was laid on March 28, 1945, to be finished just 96 days later. The 10,600-ton ship was the 703rd ship built. She was constructed for the Maritime Commission, by Richmond Shipyards Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard 2, of Richmond, California. She operated under the Merchant Marine Act by the American-Hawaiian SS Company in the Atlantic, delivering cargo to Allied occupation forces in Europe.
When asbestos is disturbed, the fibers become airborne and can be inhaled, ingested or these stick to clothes and hair and then can be breathed in secondhand exposure even hours later. Anyone who has worked onboard the SS Northeastern Victory (MCV-735) or has been involved in her repair should be on the alert for signs of asbestos-related diseases and consult a doctor immediately if they experience any associated symptoms.