The USS Bigelow (DD-942) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer laid down in 1955, launched in 1956, acquired, and commissioned in 1957. The destroyer participated in the Vietnam War and supported NASA's Mercury and Gemini III programs as a recovery vessel. In 1967, while operating off Vietnam, the ship was involved in an explosion in a gun mount that resulted in six sailors being injured and one killed. In 1977, the ship served as a test platform for the Phalanx CIWS and also hosted Glenn R. Brindel, later commanding officer of USS Stark, as executive officer from 1978 to 1980. The ship played a key role in several military operations during the Cold War as part of Combined Task Group CTG 136.1.1. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, she participated in the blockade of Cuba, earning her the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. The USS Bigelow (DD-942) was decommissioned in 1982 and sold for scrap. Asbestos exposure was a significant risk among military personnel who served in the Navy, as naval vessels were often laden with the carcinogenic mineral, primarily in the form of insulation and other construction materials. Once ingested, its microscopic fibers may lodge in the lung tissue, causing serious diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma - cancer of the lining of the lungs.
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