The USS Bluegill (SS-242) was a Gato-class submarine in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1969. Laid down in 1942, the USS Bluegill is the only ship to have been named after this freshwater fish. During World War II, it earned 4 battle stars. The submarine was decommissioned in 1969 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in the same year. It was eventually scuttled as a trainer off Hawaii one year later.
Because asbestos was used frequently for the insulation of pipes, boilers, electrical fixtures, and hull construction, many Navy veterans have been exposed to asbestos over the decades. Because the USS Bluegill (SS-242) was laid down during the heyday of asbestos, people who served on it should pay close attention to their health, as they might develop serious diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, or lung cancer 20 to 50 years after exposure.
760-621-6147
