The USS Great Sitkin (AE-17) was a 459-foot long ammunition ship launched on January 20, 1945, which was commissioned on August 11, 1945, under Lt. Comdr. William F. Smith's command. It had a beam of 63 feet and carried a complement of over 250 officers on board. After the shakedown, the vessel started to deposit condemned ammunition from New York to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Then, the USS Great Sitkin made a few trips to the Caribbean, Gibraltar, Mediterranean, and Atlantic for replenishment purposes. It also helped during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a 13-day confrontation between the USA and the Soviet Union in 1962. Six years later, in 1968, the vessel helped the Seventh Fleet in the Vietnam War and, on July 2, 1973, it was struck from the Naval Register. Like many veterans, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your time serving in the U.S. Navy. If you are a Navy veteran, it’s important to understand that you were put at high risk of exposure to asbestos, thus, if you experience symptoms like dry cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, or persistent chest pain, then it is important that you visit a doctor to get a proper checkup and diagnosis.
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