The USS Appanoose (AK-226) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy during World War II, named after the Appanoose County, Iowa. It was originally laid down under a MARCOM contract by Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard in June 1944 and acquired by the Navy in August. It was renamed and commissioned under Lieutenant Commander Volmer H. S. G. Holm’s command. The ship began its service in October 1944 and sailed for the Philippines. After making its way towards Leyte Islands, the ship anchored in Samar and, despite several torpedo attacks, managed to successfully assemble the pontoons and moved to Tacloban, in January 1945. Asbestos products onboard Navy ships included insulation, pipes, boilers, cement, sealers, gaskets, cables, tubes, valves, electrical fixtures, wiring, pumps, decking, paints, non-skid flooring, and in bulk headwalls, ship hulls, engine and boiler rooms, sleeping quarters, mess halls and navigation rooms. Navy personnel most at risk include hull maintenance workers, pipe coverers, boilermakers, machinists, seabees, welders, and engine operators.
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