USNS Lt. Robert Craig (T-AK-252)

The USNS Lt. Robert Craig (T-AK-252) was one of the Navy’s Boulder Victory-class cargo ships, originally built for the United States Maritime Commission. The USNS Lt. Robert Craig was laid down in 1945 as the SS Bowling Green Victory by the California Shipbuilding Corporation in Los Angeles, California and launched in August of that same year. Although she was launched just after the end of World War II, the U.S. Army still acquired the Lt. Robert Craig, operating her under the designation USAT Lt. Robert Craig.

The Lt. Robert Craig remained in Army service until 1950, when the U.S. Navy acquired the vessel and redesignated her the USNS Lt. Robert Craig. The U.S. Navy rebased the Lt. Robert Craig to San Francisco where she began a series of Pacific deployments in support of Navy operations throughout the Pacific region.

The Lt. Robert Craig’s deployments typically took her to the central and western Pacific, where she made port calls in the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan, among other destinations. After four years in the Pacific, the Lt. Robert Craig was reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet where she made numerous transatlantic runs, operating primarily in northern Europe.

In between cruises to the Mediterranean and northern Europe, which began in 1956, the Lt. Robert Craig received periodic overhauls. These overhauls, which were essential in maintaining the Lt. Robert Craig’s operational readiness and effectiveness, frequently involved metalwork that released large quantities of asbestos from within the ship’s hull. The maintenance crews were almost certainly subjected to asbestos inhalation and it is likely that the Lt. Robert Craig’s sailors also received varying degrees of asbestos exposure following these overhauls.

Vietnam War Service

The USNS Lt. Robert Craig continued to serve reliably in the Atlantic until the mid-1960s, when the escalation of the war in Vietnam forced the Navy to assign significant resources to Southeast Asia. The Lt. Robert Craig reported for duty in the Pacific beginning in 1965, and over the course of the next five years she made several resupply runs to Vietnam.

Although not designed as a combat ship, the USNS Lt. Robert Craig did come under enemy fire at points in her career. The largest attack came in August 1968, while the Lt. Robert Craig was operating off the coast of Cat Lai, Vietnam. On August 22, shortly after unloading ammunition for troops ashore, the USNS Lt. Robert Craig was struck by an enemy rocket. The rocket attack catapulted debris into the air and the ensuing explosion may have caused sailors to be exposed to asbestos.

In recognition of her invaluable service during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy awarded the Lt. Robert Craig and her crew the National Defense Service Medal, as well as the Vietnam Service Medal and one Vietnam campaign medal. The USNS Lt. Robert Craig continued to serve with the Navy until June 15, 1973 when she was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register.

Asbestos Risks

For as long as there have been wars, servicemen and servicewomen in the military have accepted that their lives will contain serious risks. But in addition the obvious risks one associates with military service, a hidden danger included exposure to asbestos.

The ability to stop the spreading of flames on a ship was crucial in limiting the size of accidents. During the period that USNS Lt. Robert Craig and other ships like her were built, the mineral known as asbestos was frequently used in shipyards because of its insulating and fireproofing capabilities. Unfortunately, the use of asbestos has exposed many past crew members and shipyard workers to toxic asbestos fibers. Exposure to asbestos has been noted to cause the development of several conditions, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Boiler rooms and engine rooms were common locations for exposure to asbestos. The high temperatures in these areas caused the need for fireproofing and asbestos was used on many products. Other areas throughout ships that contained asbestos were pipes, walls and ceilings that need to be insulated. Any disturbance to these materials may have caused the dispersion of asbestos fibers where they could be inhaled.

If you or a loved one have been exposed to asbestos and have since contracted an asbestos-related disease, please click here to receive a free informational packet about treatment options and compensation. Many who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions have received financial assistance to help cover medical costs and lost income.

Sources:

Auxiliary Vessels Index