The USS Darby (DE-218) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on February 22, 1943, and launched on May 29, the same year. It was commissioned on November 15, 1943, under Comdr. D. D. Humphreys’ command with the hull number DE-218 and served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years until it was decommissioned on April 28, 1947. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 213 men on board and had its main missions in the Solomons, Manus, Emirau, Eniwetok, Guam, Ulithi, and Iwo Jima. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on September 23, 1968. Between the 1930s up to mid-1970s, the U.S. Navy used asbestos extensively throughout its ships due to its excellent heat-retaining properties. Navy personnel who worked below decks in boiler rooms and engine rooms were in especially close contact with the mineral. Asbestos was later discovered to be a menace to the health, and exposure to the substance was linked to more than 12 different asbestos-related diseases including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
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