The USS Fuller (APA-7) was a Heywood-class attack transport laid down in 1918 and launched in 1919. It was commissioned on April 9, 1941, under Capt. P. S. Theiss’ command with the hull number APA-7. It served in the US Navy for 5 years until it was decommissioned on March 20, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 380 people on board and had its main missions in Tulagi, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, Wellington, Saipan, Eniwetok, and New Zealand. After the decommissioning, the ship was sold for scrapping in 1957 to Dulien Steel Products Corporation in Seattle. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Fuller received 9 battle stars.
Being a good insulator with fire-resistant properties, asbestos pipe, and boiler lagging was extremely important in the shipbuilding industry because of the high pressures created by the engines and steam pipes. When asbestos is friable, it can be easily crushed or disturbed. Once disturbed, asbestos releases fibers into the air where they can be easily inhaled and carried into the lower regions of the lung where they can cause fibrotic lung disease and cell damage.
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