The USS Keweenaw (CVE-44) was a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier laid down on November 27, 1942, and launched on May 6, the following year. It was commissioned on October 25, 1943, as HMS Patroller with the hull number D-07 under the United Kingdom’s flag and served in the Royal Navy for 4 years until it was decommissioned on February 7, 1947. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 646 men on board. After the decommissioning, the ship was transferred back to the USA, struck from the Navy List on February 7, 1947, and sold for scrapping in Taiwan in 1974.
Navy veterans who served on the USS Keweenaw (CVE-44) or participated in her repair were exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos, putting them at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses like lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma, throat cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer. Because of the deadly nature of asbestos-related diseases, it is highly recommended that all veterans have routine checkups, such as pulmonary function tests and chest X-rays.
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