The USS Otterstetter (DE-244) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort laid down on November 9, 1942, and launched on January 19, the following year. It was commissioned on August 6, 1943, under Lt. Cmdr. W. B. Porter’s command as DE-244 and served in the U.S. Navy for 17 years until it was decommissioned on June 20, 1960. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 209 people on board and had its main missions in Texas, Norfolk, Casablanca, Charleston, Okinawa, New York, Pearl Harbor, and Argentia. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on August 1, 1974, and sunk as a target during training exercises in 1976. Asbestos was widely used throughout Navy ships and could be found from bow to stern, in pipe lagging for insulation, electrical wiring, and even the ship's dining and sleeping quarters were also lined with asbestos insulation, putting service members at risk of asbestos exposure when they were sleeping, eating, and serving their country in battle. Those who served on the USS Otterstetter or participated in its repair were exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos, putting them at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses like lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
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