The USS Providence (CL-82/CLG-6/CG-6) was a Cleveland-class light cruiser laid down on July 27, 1943, and launched on December 28, 1944. It was commissioned on May 15, 1945, under Capt. Thomas John Ryan’s command with the hull number CL-82 and served in the U.S. Navy for 18 years until it was decommissioned on August 31, 1973. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 1,255 people on board and had its main missions in Newport, Boston, Guantanamo, Naples, Taranto, and Long Beach. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on September 30, 1978, and sold for scrapping to the National Steel Corporation in Terminal Island two years later. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Providence received 2 bronze stars and another 6 campaign stars. Enlisted personnel who served in the Navy between the 1940s and mid-70s unknowingly faced prolonged exposure to the toxic mineral during their time in the service. Asbestos can cause a number of serious, even fatal diseases. These include cancers, such as bronchial cancer, mesothelioma, colon/rectal cancer, throat/esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and other non-malignant lung diseases such as asbestosis, pleural plaques, and pleural thickening.
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