The USS Hurst (DE-250) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort laid down on January 27, 1943, and launched on April 14, the same year. It was commissioned on August 30, 1943, under Lt. Cmdr. B. H. Brallier’s command as DE-250 and served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years until it was decommissioned on May 1, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 209 people on board and had its main missions in Texas, Norfolk, Casablanca, Charleston, Galveston, New York, Pearl Harbor, and Boston. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on December 1, 1972, and sold to Mexico where it was renamed ARM Commodore Manuel Azueta (A-06). All U.S. Navy vessels built prior to 1970 were laden with asbestos, a dangerous mineral responsible for affecting thousands of Navy personnel. Navy veterans also served in other jobs and activities that placed them in danger of asbestos exposure that could lead to the aforementioned diseases. In particular, those who worked closely around boilers, gaskets, insulation, electrical wiring, and piping may have been directly exposed to asbestos.
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