The USS Tulagi (CVE-72) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier laid down on June 7, 1943, and launched on November 15, the same year. It was commissioned on December 21, 1943, with the hull number CVE-72 under Capt. Joseph Campbell Cronin’s command and served in the US Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on 30 April 1946. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on May 8, 1946. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Tulagi received 4 battle stars.
Asbestos fibers exhibit properties such as incombustibility, non-reactivity toward most chemicals, and low electrical conductivity. The risk with asbestos-laden products is that when the material is cut, drilled, or scrapped during repair jobs performed regularly on the Navy ships, its microscopic fibers become airborne. Navy personnel deployed on military ships built in the first half of the 20th century are now at risk of developing asbestosis, mesothelioma, or other serious asbestos-related conditions.