The USS Forster (DE-334) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort laid down on August 31, 1943, and launched on November 13, the same year. It was commissioned on January 25, 1944, with the hull number DE-334, and served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years until it was decommissioned on September 25, 1971. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 209 people on board. After the decommissioning, the ship was sold to South Vietnam where it was renamed RVNS Tran Khanh Du HQ-04, and, subsequently, to the Republic of Vietnam where it was renamed VPNS Dai KyHQ-03. Breathing in asbestos fibers may eventually scar the lungs of Navy veterans, which can lead to a number of symptoms, including shortness of breath, persistent cough, wheezing, extreme tiredness, chest pain, and in more advanced cases, clubbed fingertips. The shortness of breath may only occur after physical activity at first, but it can eventually become a more constant problem. See your GP if you have the above symptoms and you believe you were exposed to asbestos while serving aboard the USS Forster (DE-334).
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