The USS La Prade (DE-409) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort laid down on November 18, 1943, and launched on December 31, the same year. It was commissioned on April 20, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. C. M. Fellows’ command as DE-409 and served in the U.S. Navy for two years until it was decommissioned on May 11, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 215 people on board and had its main missions in Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, Manus, Norfolk, Kossol Roads, Okinawa, Leyte, Ulithi, Palaus, and San Diego. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on January 15, 1972, and sold for scrapping the following year. The airborne asbestos fibers were usually at a higher concentration in poorly ventilated spaces like the engine rooms and boiler rooms. Boilermakers, engine mechanics, firemen, and others who frequently worked in these locations were at a very high risk of inhaling asbestos. Gunmen were also at high risk because of the prevalence of asbestos in turrets. If you or one of your parents served in the U.S. Navy and have been diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma, or another asbestos-related cancer (esophageal, bladder, colorectal, etc.) you may be entitled to receive compensation from over $30 billion available in asbestos trust funds.
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