The USS Joseph E. Campbell (DE-70/APD-49) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on March 29, 1943, and launched on June 26, the same year. It was commissioned on September 23, 1943, under Comdr. J. F. Bowling’s command with the hull number DE-70 and served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on November 15, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 213 men on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Northern Ireland, French North Africa, Okinawa, Cebu Island, and Guantanamo Bay. After decommissioning, the ship was sold first to Chile and then struck from the Naval Register on December 1, 1966. The use of asbestos in naval ships increased greatly before and during the World Wars and naval service, especially sea-going service and ship re-fitting prior to the 1980s, was considered a high-risk activity. Asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot be smelled or tasted, and asbestos exposure does not cause any immediate effects or symptoms, so it is easy for a person to inhale or swallow asbestos dust without realizing it. Over time, trapped asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, scarring, and eventually genetic damage to the body’s cells.
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