The USS Gratia (AKS-11) was an Acubens-class general stores issue ship launched on October 21, 1944. It was commissioned on May 5, 1945, under Lt. Comdr. Charles B. Gray’s command and served in the U.S. Navy for 1 year until it was decommissioned on July 1, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 195 men on board and had its main missions in Galveston, Pearl Harbor, Manila, the Philippines, the Admiralties, and New Guinea. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on July 17, 1947, and delivered to the Maritime Commission the same year. Asbestos-containing materials can be disturbed or damaged through daily use or maintenance, and fibers are released into the air. When asbestos degenerates it releases microscopic fibers, smaller than hair and visible only by microscope. Once inhaled, the fibers can lodge in delicate lung tissue. Asbestos fibers build up over time damaging the lung tissue and lining. Eventually, this may favor the emergence of a tumor.
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