The USS Jason (AR-8) was a Vulcan class repair ship, the oldest and the final ship in continual commission, serving from 1944 to 1995 in the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. She was laid down in 1942 by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company as a Heavy-hull Repair Ship ARH-1, launched in 1943 and commissioned in 1944. After shakedown, the repair ship steamed to the Pacific battle area to keep the U.S. Navy's vessels operating efficiently. For seven months, and often under enemy attack, the ship repaired broken hulls, buckled decks, and twisted bulkheads, turning heavily damaged ships into fighting shape. In 1946, the repair ship underwent overhaul and sailed again for the Far East, servicing the U.S. Pacific Fleet for the following years. By the time the USS Jason entered her new homeport in 1986, she was the most decorated ship in the Navy. The vessel was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1995. Asbestos was considered a miracle material and was used in shipbuilding until the 1980s. When disturbed, asbestos insulation can release microscopic fibers into the air, exposing everyone nearby to inhaling or ingesting the toxic particles and developing severe diseases decades later.
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