The USS Arenac, which was named after the Arenac County of Michigan, was laid down by the California Shipbuilding Corporation in 1944 and commissioned one year later. It was a Haskell-class attack transport ship of the U.S. Navy, built under a Maritime Commission contract. The ship served during World War II and earned one battle star for the outstanding operations it conducted. It also received campaign streamers for the American Campaign and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, as well as a World War II Victory Medal and a Navy Occupation Service Medal. Since it was built before 1980, when proper asbestos regulations were finally enforced, numerous harmful products were present on the USS Arenac. Consequently, those who served on it were heavily exposed to asbestos, which now increases their chances of developing a serious disease, such as lung cancer or mesothelioma. It is estimated that over 300 distinct asbestos products were aboard each U.S. Navy ship during the last century. The USS Arenac was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to the breaker’s yard to be scrapped in 1974.
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