USS Massey DD-778 (1944-1974)
The USS Massey was an Allen M. Sumner class destroyer built in Seattle and commissioned in November of 1944.
Action in World War II and Korea
She arrived in the Pacific war zone early in the following year and had an active role in the Okinawa campaign. After that, the Massey was sent on sweeps of Japanese shipping in the East China Sea. However, the war came to an end and she assisted with the occupation effort before returning to the United States towards the end of 1945.
The USS Massey was moved the Atlantic Fleet in early 1946 and took a trip to Chile early that year. However, that was the only departure she had from the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea until the middle of 1950, when she took another tour of duty as a war ship in Korea. She returned to the Atlantic and resumed her regular deployment action in the Mediterranean and the waters of Northern Europe.
After the War
The USS Massey had a FRAM II modernization in 1963 to enhance her chances of finding enemy submarines. She was sent on a Vietnam War deployment in 1966 and eventually sailed around the world. The Massey was in the Mediterranean when the Arab-Israeli War broke out in 1967. She assisted the USS Liberty after the ship was attacked by Israeli forces.
She returned to the United States in 1969 and was assigned the role of a Naval Reserve Fleet training ship. This role kept her in the Atlantic or the Caribbean Sea. She was decommissioned in 1973 and scrapped in November of 1974.
Asbestos in Navy Ships
Although an essential component of the naval fleet, especially during World War II, naval destroyers also pose a lasting health risk to soldiers serving on them. Unfortunately, products containing asbestos were common, especially on older ships, because of the material’s high resistance to heat and fire. Despite its value as an insulator, asbestos fiber intake can lead to several serious health consequences, including mesothelioma, a devastating cancer without cure. Current and former military personnel who came into contact with these ships should seek immediate medical attention in order to detect possible health consequences associated with asbestos exposure.
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