The USNS Neptune (ARC-2) was the flagship of her class of cable repair ships. She was built in 1945 by Pusey & Jones Corp. as the USACS William H. G. Bullard for the US Army Signal Corps. The ship was assigned to install the Sound Surveillance System within the classified Project Caesar and transported, deployed, retrieved, and repaired submarine cables, towed cable plows, and acoustic projectors and led acoustic, hydrographic, and bathymetric surveys. In addition to the Navy crew, civilian cable engineers and specialists worked onboard during operations. In 1953 the ship was named Neptune and went to Bethlehem Steel Co. for modifications needed for a series of classified operations. Between 1965 and 1966, she was overhauled, and in 1973, transferred to the MSC, re-designated as T-ARC-2. The vessel continued operations with MSC civil service crews, receiving a Navy E ribbon in 1988. After being modernized by General Dynamics Corporation, the ship performed cable repair tasks worldwide until 1991. Although asbestos exposure is a known health risk now, the toxic mineral was an ideal material for last century's shipbuilding due to its heat, fire, and chemical resistance. Navy veterans diagnosed with asbestos cancer are entitled to compensation from trust funds created to compensate victims of exposure and their loved ones.
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