The USS Vigil (AGR-12) was a Guardian-class radar picket ship, constructed as a Liberty Ship in 1944, initially under the name SS Raymond Van Brogen. It was launched in 1945 and delivered to the War Shipping Administration. The ship performed several resupply missions in the Pacific Ocean theatre, carrying troops, aircraft, and other supplies. After the end of WWII, she was transferred to Waterman Steamship Corporation, which operated her from Mobile, Alabama, then taken out of service and berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Mobile, Alabama. In 1957 she was placed in service and assigned to the Continental Air Defense Command and has operated out of Davisville, Rhode Island, as a seaward extension of the radar coverage system. In 1965 she was placed out of commission and returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet to be sold for scrapping five years later. During that period, it was very common for manufacturers to use asbestos in various parts of the navy ships, because of its heat-resisting, fireproofing and high durability qualities. Personnel working below deck with boilers, pipes or electrical components may now be at risk of developing serious diseases, due to asbestos exposure.
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