The USS Minneapolis (CL/CA-36) was a New Orleans-class cruiser laid down on June 27, 1931, and launched on September 6, 1933. It was commissioned on May 19, the following year under Capt. Gordon W. Haines’ command as CA-36 and served in the U.S. Navy for 13 years until it was decommissioned on February 10, 1947. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 919 people on board and had its main missions in Philadelphia, Panama, Pearl Harbor, the Gilberts, the Marshalls, the Coral Sea, Australia, New Zealand, Midway, Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Guam. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Minneapolis received 16 battle stars. Although no branch of the military was safe from asbestos exposure, the exposure was especially prevalent in the Navy due to the mineral’s extensive use in shipbuilding and ship repairs. Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is recognizing several diseases that stemmed from military asbestos exposure such as colon/rectal cancer, throat/esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, plus many other types of pulmonary issues, as being eligible for disability compensation. This means that Navy veterans with these recognized diseases can qualify for disability compensation under the presumptive service connection.
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