The USS Vance (DE-387) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort laid down on April 30, 1943, and launched on July 16, the same year. It was commissioned on November 1, 1943, under Lt. Comdr. E. A. Anderson’s command with the hull number DE-387 and served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years until it was decommissioned on October 10, 1969. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 209 people on board and had its main missions in Norfolk, Boston, Pearl Harbor, Casablanca, New York, Far East, and Green Cove Springs. After the decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on June 1, 1975, and used as a target ship during training exercises in 1985. The inhalation of asbestos fibers is associated with several debilitating and often fatal asbestos-related diseases. Exposure affected thousands of Navy veterans. When a person inhales the mineral’s fibers, they can cause permanent damage to the lungs. Mesothelioma, for example, is an aggressive and rare form of cancer that science links to exposure to it. If you were exposed to asbestos during your time in the military, you are eligible for compensation from asbestos trust funds and the VA.
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