The USS Leland E. Thomas (DE-420) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort laid down on January 21, 1944, and launched on February 28, the same year. It was commissioned on June 19, 1944, under Lt. Cmdr. Leslie E. Rosenberg’s command as DE-420 and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on May 3, 1946. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 215 people on board and had its main missions in San Diego, Norfolk, Manus, Hollandia, San Pedro, Luzon, and Maine. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on September 1, 1972, and sold for scrapping the following year. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Leland E. Thomas received one battle star. Unfortunately, those who have worked with asbestos during their working life may ignore the symptoms and simply attribute them to older age or other chest problems. The initial symptoms of asbestos-related diseases tend to be breathlessness, difficulty swallowing, fatigue, and in some instances pain around the chest or ribs. These symptoms are similar to the symptoms associated with other non-asbestos diseases, particularly other lung conditions.
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