USS Kodiak (LSM-161) Areas With Asbestos Exposure

The USS Kodiak (LSM-161) was an LSM-1-class landing ship medium, laid down, launched, and commissioned in 1944. After serving as a training ship for over five months, the vessel departed for the Pacific Theatre and began supply operations in the Far East, where she shuttled troops and cargo for the remaining months of World War II. The ship was recommissioned in 1950 when the Korean War demanded additional naval logistic support. Two years later, she sailed for the Western Pacific for supply and transport operations in support of U.S. forces in Korea. In 1953, the vessel became a logistics support ship for the Alaskan area, where she provided services for VP Squadrons at Kodiak. The class landing ship medium was renamed USS Kodiak (LSM-161) in 1959. After many years of naval service, the ship was decommissioned and struck from the Register in 1965. More than any other service branch, the US Navy was at a high risk of suffering the consequences of asbestos exposure. Even after the Navy stopped using asbestos products in the mid-1970s, the damage had already been done for many veterans. Those who developed asbestos-related cancer can recover financial compensation from both asbestos trust fund claims and the VA.