The USS Sacandaga (AOG-40) was a Mettawee-class gasoline tanker laid down on August 4, 1944, and launched on September 24, the same year. It was commissioned on November 9, 1944, under Lt. Edwin W. Heister’s command with the hull number AOG-40 and it served in the U.S. Navy for one year until it was destroyed by a typhoon on October 9, 1945. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 62 people on board and had its main missions in Panama, San Diego, Johnston Island, California, and Okinawa. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on December 5, 1945, and eventually abandoned.
Between World War II and the late-1970s, thousands of ships were built with asbestos materials, leaving millions of veterans and shipyard workers at risk of exposure and later developing asbestos-related illnesses. Anyone who served aboard the USS Sacandaga (AOG-40) should monitor their health carefully, and consult a doctor if they experience symptoms of shortness of breath, persistent dry cough, and chest tightness or pain.
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