The USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort laid down on December 6, 1943, and launched on January 20, the following year. It was commissioned on April 28, 1944, under Lt Cmdr. W. Copeland’s command as DE-413 and served in the U.S. Navy for a few months until it was sunk on October 25, the same year during the Battle of Samar. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 215 people on board and had its main missions in Boston, Pearl Harbor, Panama Canal, Manus, Leyte, and Samar. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Samuel B. Roberts received 1 battle star and a Presidential Unit Citation. Navy personnel and other workers who actually built the ships were often at high risk of exposure to asbestos – the "miraculous" mineral used extensively in nearly all components of the ship. Navy veterans who served within the following trades: shipfitters, pipefitters, mechanics, electricians, insulation workers, welders, plumbers, hull maintenance technicians, machinery repairmen, radiomen, and Seabees, had the highest risk of asbestos exposure.
760-621-6147
