The USS Hugh Purvis (DD-709) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer laid down on May 23, 1944, as DD-709 and launched on December 17, the same year. It was commissioned on March 1, 1945, under Commander B. L. Gurnette’s command and served in the US Navy for 27 years until it was decommissioned on June 15, 1972. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 336 people on board and had its main missions in Panama, Hawaii, Newport, Maine, New England, New Orleans, Haifa, Gaza, Boston, and Cuba. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Naval Register on February 1, 1973, and sold to Turkey where it was renamed Zafer. Veterans who worked in shipyards or on Navy ships were at risk of asbestos exposure and may now experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, dry cough or wheezing, chest pain, or tightness. Some of the high-risk jobs included hull maintenance workers, pipe coverers, boilermakers, machinists, electricians, seabees, welders, and engine operators. If you suffer from a disease caused by exposure to asbestos and you are also a Navy veteran, you will need to get advice from experts as soon as possible, as there are strict time limits for bringing a claim for compensation.
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