The USS Volans (AKS-9) was an Acubens-class general stores issue ship laid down on October 19, 1942, and launched on February 2, the next year. It was commissioned on March 31, 1944, under Comdr. Sherman R. Perie’s command and served in the U.S. Navy for 2 years until it was decommissioned on June 17, 1946. During its activity, the ship carried a complement of 195 men on board and had its main missions in Norfolk, the Panama Canal Zone, Balboa, New Hebrides, Majuro, Ulithi, Manus, and Leyte. After decommissioning, the ship was struck from the Navy List on July 17, 1947. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Volans received 5 honor medals. The shipbuilding industry used asbestos to insulate piping systems, turbines, boilers, and nuclear reactors in ships. Although the use of asbestos has been significantly curtailed, the damage had already been done - thousands of Navy personnel had already been exposed to the hazardous material between World War II and the late 1970s.
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