The USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865) was a Gearing-class destroyer laid down on November 1, 1944, and launched on April 12, the following year. It was commissioned on July 21, 1945, with the hull number DD-865 and it served in the US Navy for 29 years before it was decommissioned and struck from the Navy List on November 30, 1974. It was used as a target during training exercises on November 30, 1974.
Similar to any other navy ship built before 1980, the USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865) also used a lot of what we now recognize as an extremely hazardous mineral, asbestos, for thermal insulation and many other purposes. Making the most out of the material's inertness to high temperature, asbestos was used to cover electrical wirings on board as well as steam pipes, engines, and boilers. As medical records show when inhaled, asbestos fibers get stuck inside the human body, most commonly around the lungs, the abdomen, and the heart, irritating them until they reach a stage in which they can develop into cancerous tumors.
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