The USS Dortch (DD-670), a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, was laid down on 2 March 1943 and launched 20 June 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Miss M.C. Dortch, daughter of Captain Dortch; and commissioned 7 August 1943, Lieutenant Commander R.C. Young in command. During October and November 1943, the ship sailed to Trinidad, British West Indies, where it served as plane guard and screen for the USS Langley (CVL-27) during the carrier's shakedown cruise. The USS Dortch (DD-670) was placed out of commission in reserve on 13 December 1957, transferred to Argentina as Espora (D-21) on 16 August 1961 and struck from the Navy list on 1 September 1975. If asbestos particles are inhaled or ingested, the fibers can become lodged in the lining around the lungs or other internal organs. Over time, those tiny fibers cause chronic inflammation and scarring, which can lead to the formation of cancer cells. Some of these cancers include throat cancer, esophageal cancer, bronchial cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and colorectal cancer. What makes these conditions so complicated is that asbestos dust and fibers can lay dormant for many years – even decades – before manifesting into a diagnosable condition.
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