The USS Ault (DD-698) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer laid down on November 15, 1943, as DD-698 and launched on March 26, the following year. It was commissioned on May 31, 1944, under Commander Joseph C. Wylie’s command and served in the US Navy for 29 years until it was decommissioned on July 16, 1973. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 336 people on board and had its main missions in Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Eniwetok, Formosa, Pearl Harbor, San Diego, and Ulithi. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Naval Register and sold for scrapping in 1974. Boilers and engine rooms of military ships were insulated with asbestos-containing material. Material containing asbestos also lined the ships as an insulator and to prevent the risk of fire. Anyone who has worked onboard the USS Ault (DD-698) or been involved in her repair should be on the alert for signs of asbestos-related diseases and consult a doctor immediately if they experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, dry cough, wheezing, chest pain or tightness. However, asbestos-related diseases can be tricky to identify, because symptoms are often mistaken for the gradual aging process and body deterioration.
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