The USS Laning (DE-159/APD-55/LPR-55) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort laid down on April 23, 1943, and launched on July 4, the same year. It was commissioned for the first time on August 1, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. E. C. Woodward’s command with the hull number DE-159 and served in the U.S. Navy for 9 years until it was decommissioned for the last time on September 13, 1957. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 186 men on board and had its main missions in Bermuda, Aruba, Algiers, Tunisia, Korea, and China. It also participated during the Korean War. After decommissioning, the ship was reclassified as LPR-55 on January 1, 1969. During World War II, a huge increase in shipbuilding and weaponry needs meant that thousands of tons of asbestos were used in Navy vessels to insulate pipes, boilers, steam engines, and steam turbines. Those who served in the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Army Transport Service, and Merchant Marine between 1940 and the 1980s are at the greatest risk of developing asbestos-related diseases due to a high rate of exposure.
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