The USS Barbour County (LST-1195) was the seventeenth of the United States Navy's twenty Newport-class tank landing ships, which superseded the conventional bow door-design tank landing ships. The ship was launched in 1971 and commissioned into the US Navy the following year. It was involved in the Vietnam War, including the evacuation of Saigon, as well as the Gulf War. In addition, the USS Barbour County (LST-1195) assisted with disaster aid in Bangladesh. The ship was decommissioned in 1992 and laid up with the intention of selling it. This did not occur, and the ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 2001 before being destroyed as a target ship in 2004. Between World War II and the late-1970s, asbestos was used in various materials to strengthen these and make them fire-resistant. Navy veterans who came into contact with asbestos during maintenance, repair, or demolition work, were at risk of asbestos exposure since they were unwittingly breathing in the fibers. Up to 40 years later, asbestos exposure can cause tissue scarring among veterans. Mesothelioma is the most frequent disease caused by asbestos exposure in the military, despite its rarity among malignancies.
760-621-6147
