The USS Foss (DE-59) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on December 31, 1942, and launched on April 10, 1943. It was commissioned on July 23, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. J. J. Jordy’s command with the hull number DE-59 and served in the U.S. Navy for 14 years until it was decommissioned on October 30, 1957. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 213 men on board and had its main missions in the Netherlands West Indies, New York, Aruba, Algiers, Dakar, Oran, Portland, Azores, and Hawaii. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Naval Register on November 1, 1965. Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers that may become airborne when disturbed. These fibers may become inhaled into the lungs, where they may cause significant health problems. The asbestos content varies according to the product and how it is used. Among those materials with higher concentrations of asbestos are insulating products on heating systems. Service members who came in contact with these products probably inhaled heavy amounts of asbestos.
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