The USS Latimer (APA-152) was a Haskell-class attack transport ship launched, acquiredand and commissioned in 1944. After shakedown, she transported troops to the WestPac and conducted amphibious assault exercises in preparation for the invasion of Luzon. The ship was assigned to task group TG 77.9 as a reinforcement transport vessel in 1945, participating in the invasion of Okinawa. In 1947, she was decommissioned and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, and was reactivated in 1950, becoming the first ship to be removed from "mothballs" during the Korean War crisis. The vessel was decommissioned and stricken from the Register in 1960 and scrapped in 1972. Because all ships built before the 1980s were constructed with asbestos, the USS Latimer was no exception, potentially endangering personnel’s health. Asbestos dust was a common shipboard occurrence after regular maintenance activities that disturbed products made with this toxic mineral. Inhaling or ingesting airborne asbestos fibers led to veterans developing severe diseases 20 to 50 years later. Today, approximately 30% of veterans are struggling with a disease as a consequence of their military asbestos exposure. Those diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer may qualify for compensation from the asbestos trust funds and disability benefits from the VA.
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