The USS Charles R. Greer (DE-23) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort laid down on September 7, 1942, and launched on January 18, the following year. It was commissioned on June 25, 1943, under Lt. N. C. Sutton’s command with the hull number DE-23 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on November 2, 1945. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on November 16, 1945, and sold for scrapping in 1947. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Charles R. Greer received 2 battle stars. Asbestos was used for many years as an insulating material to counter the threat of fire aboard ships. Shipyard workers and Navy personnel were exposed to this hazardous substance during construction and repair activities. During construction, they manipulated asbestos insulation products by cutting, shaping, mixing, and sawing them. Workers were also exposed to specific asbestos-containing products, such as felt, block, pipe covering, thread, gaskets, tape, cement, and packing, as they used these products to insulate pipes and machinery located throughout vessels.
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