The USS Walke (DD-723) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer laid down on June 7, 1943, as DD-723 and launched on October 27, the same year. It was commissioned on January 21, 1944, under Commander John C. Zahm’s command and served in the US Navy for 26 years until it was decommissioned on November 30, 1970. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 336 people on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Scotland, Cherbourg, Korea, and Vietnam. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Naval Register and sold for scrapping to General Metals in Tacoma. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Walke (DD-723) reived 6 battle stars.
Many companies known to have been negligent in exposing shipyard workers to asbestos and triggering deadly illnesses have chosen to file for bankruptcy and set up trusts to compensate victims. An asbestos trust fund is a viable payout option for victims of asbestos exposure to obtain compensation for their medical costs and pain and suffering if they have substantial proof that the asbestos exposure occurred from working at a particular job site during a certain period of time.