The USS Bostwick (DE-103) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort laid down on February 6, 1943, and launched on August 30, the same year. It was commissioned on December 1, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. John H. Church’s command with the hull number DE-103 and served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on April 30, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 216 men on board and had its main missions in Bizerte, Maine, the West Indies, Azores, Iceland, New London, Rhode Island, and Florida. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy Register on February 10, 1949, and sold to China where it was renamed Tai Hu (DE-25). The widespread use of asbestos in the military during the 1930s through the 1980s led to the exposure of millions of service members at concentrations that, at times, resulted in significant adverse health effects. Historically, asbestos insulation and asbestos gaskets and packing have been used on pipes and machinery in naval ships and shipyards.
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