Several months after being commissioned in 1922, the USS S-32 (SS-137) underwent engineering alterations by its prime contractor, the Electric Boat Company, so asbestos insulation might have also been installed on the walls of the submarine. One year later, it was recommissioned and won 5 battle stars during World War II. The vessel was eventually decommissioned for good in 1945 and then sold for scrap.
Virtually all 20th-century built submarines were manufactured with asbestos, making the risk not only to veterans who served on those ships, but also those who were involved in dozens of occupations in shipbuilding or repair. Navy veterans who were diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases are urged to look at their eligibility for trust fund payments that were established to compensate those suffering from the past exposure.
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