Built by Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1957, the USS Constellation was a Kitty Hawk-class supercarrier, as well as one of the fastest ships in the United States Navy. The ship was sponsored by Mary Herter, wife of Secretary of State Christian Herter, and was commissioned in 1960 with Captain T. J. Walker in command. It is worthy of note that the USS Constellation participated in the Vietnam War and was also the first carrier to enter the Persian Gulf since 1949. However, since asbestos was a very popular building material at the time the USS Constellation was laid down, the carcinogenic mineral was present in large amounts aboard it, thereby endangering the health of military personnel. Exposure to asbestos occurs when one inhales or ingests the tiny fibers of the mineral, which may subsequently lead to the development of awful diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Therefore, people who served aboard the USS Constellation are advised to undergo regular medical examinations, as they have a high risk of developing a serious disease. In 2017, the ship was completely scrapped.
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