The USS Newport News (CA-148) was a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser laid down on November 1, 1945, and launched on March 6, 1948. It was commissioned on January 29, the following year under Capt. Floyd Smoot’s command as CA-148 and served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years until it was decommissioned on June 27, 1975. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 1,667 people on board and had its main missions in Norfolk, Newport News, Sicily, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Da Nang, Panama, Haiphong, Guantanamo, and Gitmo. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy Register on July 31, 1978, and sold for scrapping in New Orleans in 1993. Levels of exposure to asbestos and their apparent relationship with diseases such as lung cancer, bronchial cancer, mesothelioma, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, plus many other types of pulmonary issues, classify certain occupations as being clearly exposed to asbestos - engineers, boilermakers, fire control technicians, damage controlmen, electrician’s mates, gunner’s mates, hull maintenance technicians, machinery repairmen, pipefitters, radiomen, Seabees, and welders.
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