The USS Geneva (APA-86) was a Gilliam-class attack transport launched on January 31, 1945. It was commissioned on March 22, 1945, under Comdr. Peter J. Neimo’s command, with the hull number APA-86 and it served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on January 23, 1947. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 849 people on board and had its main missions in Hawaii, Buckner Bay, Kwajalein, China, Luzon, Japan, Cebu, and Okinawa. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on February 25, 1947, and sold for scrapping in 1966. The fireproof qualities of asbestos meant extra protection for ships and cargo, and demand for asbestos products skyrocketed. Everything from the insulation on pipes to paint coating on the ship walls contained the carcinogenic substance and the most dangerous places for exposure were below-deck compartments including boiler rooms, engine rooms, and ammunition storage rooms. Even sleeping quarters and mess halls contained dangerous levels of asbestos in paint and insulation, putting Navy personnel at risk wherever they were.
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