USS Mifflin (APA-207) Areas With Asbestos Exposure

The USS Mifflin was a Haskell-class attack transport laid down on May 15, 1944, and launched on August 7, the same year. It was commissioned on October 11, 1944, under Comdr. Louis J. Modave’s command, with the hull number APA-207 and served in the US Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on July 5, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 536 people on board and had its main missions in California, Okinawa, San Francisco, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Maui, Tinian, and New Hebrides. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on October 1, 1958. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Mifflin received 2 battle stars. Crew members serving in the Navy have a high risk of exposure to asbestos. Asbestos fibers produce damage to the internal organs gradually, thus exposure consequences typically have a long latency period, setting in within 10 to 50 years after toxic dust inhalation. Veterans afflicted with asbestos-related diseases are eligible for compensation from one or more of the several trust funds created for victims of asbestos exposure, and also through the Department of Veterans Affairs.