USS Vermilion (AKA-107/LKA-107) Areas With Asbestos Exposure

The USS Vermilion (AKA-107/LKA-107) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship laid down on October 17, 1944, and launched on December 12, the same year. It was commissioned the next year on June 25, 1945, under Capt. F. B. Eggers’s command and served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years until it was decommissioned for the first time on August 26, 1949. One year later, the ship was recommissioned and served in the U.S. Navy for another 21 years until April 13, 1971. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 425 men on board. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on January 1, 1977. There is no safe level of exposure. However, a person who is around asbestos consistently over a long period of time is more vulnerable to its harmful effects later on in life. Asbestos was used in many products for decades despite documented evidence of the health risks. Repeated exposure to asbestos can cause medical problems including lung cancer, bronchial cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and many others.