It was December 1941. The United States entered into World War II, which had been raging in Europe since 1939, and the country went into overdrive to provide whatever was necessary for our military. Over the following years, shipyards around the country began constructing hundreds of ships for the U.S. Navy.
These ships needed to survive and endure the risks of war, like enemy fire - and they were facing advanced incendiary bombs, which were more flammable and destructive weapons than cannonballs. The ships also needed to be fireproof to protect the service members, and any weapons and cargo aboard, from any accidents that may occur.
Fortunately for the military at the time, one particular ingredient was already well known for its durable, fireproofing qualities. Unfortunately, and lesser known by the masses, was that the war wasn’t the only danger they faced. This ingredient was known to cause health problems.
Of course, it was asbestos, and millions of Navy Veterans were exposed. Let’s take a look at asbestos and the U.S. Navy, on this episode of Asbestos Rewind.
You can find the full playlist of our Asbestos Rewind series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVfbqiUmvVSWDj3RCT7TOgUhR76fjr4Hv
