The USS Guest (DD-472), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was launched 20 February 1942 by the Boston Naval Shipyard; sponsored by Mrs. Ann Guest Walsh; and commissioned on 15 December 1942, with Commander Henry Crommelin in command. It was decommissioned in 1946 and transferred on loan to the Brazilian Navy in 1959, where it served as Pará (D27). It was stricken in 1979 and was sunk as a target ship in 1983. The USS Guest (DD-472) received eight battle stars for service in World War II. In naval boiler rooms, asbestos exposure was rampant. Boilers, forced air draft blowers, feed pumps, booster pumps, fuel oil service pumps, feedwater tanks, freshwater tanks, valves, and air compressors were often placed in these workplaces. Sailors assigned to boiler rooms were expected to be familiar with the operation, maintenance, and repair of all of this equipment. Throughout cruises, sailors went inside boilers to clean them, often removing old gaskets, packing material, and rope. Due to the continuous usage of this equipment, it needed round-the-clock maintenance, which included the replacement of worn asbestos gaskets and packing on a regular basis.
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