The USS Richard P. Leary (DD-664), a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, was laid down on 4 July 1943 at the Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts; launched on 6 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. George K. Crozer III; and commissioned on 23 February 1944, with Commander Frederic S. Habecker in command. In 1959, the ship was transferred to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and renamed Yūgure. The destroyer remained in service with the Japanese until 1974 when it was returned to the United States, who then sold the ship for scrap in 1976.
Out of all military branches, veterans of the United States Navy are at the greatest risk for developing asbestos-related illnesses. Asbestos-containing materials were widely employed in every United States Navy ship built from the 1930s to the 1970s because of its affordability, tensile strength, and resilience to heat and chemical degradation. The USS Richard P. Leary (DD-664), is one of the thousands of Navy ships where active-duty Navy personnel were exposed to asbestos.
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