USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller (T-AK-242)

The USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller (T-AK-242) was one of the U.S. Navy’s Boulder Victory-class cargo ships, originally built during World War II for the U.S. Maritime Commission. The USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller was laid down in 1945 by the Permanente Metals Corporation in Richmond, California and launched in April of that same year.

After her launch, the Sgt. Andrew Miller was acquired by the U.S. Army, which operated her under the designation USAT Sgt. Andrew Miller. After a brief shakedown cruise, the Sgt. Andrew Miller was commissioned into service with the Army on July 26, 1946. The USAT Sgt. Andrew Miller remained with the Army until March of 1950, when she was acquired by the U.S. Navy.

When the Navy acquired the Sgt. Andrew Miller they immediately redesignated her USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller and reassigned the vessel to San Francisco, California. Upon arriving in San Francisco, the Sgt. Andrew Miller entered port for a weeks-long overhaul that replaced and upgraded various pieces of internal equipment. The overhaul also required a moderate degree of metalwork and hull revisions, a process that may have resulted in the release of asbestos into the Sgt. Andrew Miller’s interior. In mid-April of 1950, the USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller made her first Navy deployment.

Korean War Service

Shortly after she entered active duty service with the U.S. Navy, the Sgt. Andrew Miller was deployed in support of American operations for the Korean War. The Sgt. Andrew Miller made a number of deployments to the Korean Peninsula over the course of the war, making stops at Inchon and Chinnampo, among other Korean ports. During the war, the USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller was called upon to provide logistical support for UN forces on the Korean Peninsula, and her role in resupplying UN troops earned her a United Nations Service Medal. Over the course of the Korean War, the USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller was recognized with one Korean Service Medal and another Republic of Korea War Service Medal.

Service during the Vietnam War

Following the cessation of hostilities in Korea, the USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller began a period of peacetime deployments with the Navy’s Pacific Fleet. These deployments lasted until the mid-1960s, when the Navy once again called upon the Sgt. Andrew Miller to support American combat operations. This time, the Sgt. Andrew Miller was deployed to the southwestern Pacific where she delivered desperately-needed supplies to American forces in Vietnam.

In recognition of her service during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy awarded the Sgt. Andrew Miller and her crew the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, as well as the Vietnam Service Medal. Following her service in Vietnam, the USNS Sgt. Andrew Miller was decommissioned, although she remained on the Naval Register until February 18, 1983.

Asbestos Risks

Asbestos was often used on ships such as the USNS Marine Adder in order to insulate and fireproof materials onboard. Unfortunately, using asbestos has caused thousands of past shipyard workers and crew members to develop asbestos-related diseases from being exposed to asbestos. Boiler rooms and engine rooms were two of the most common areas for asbestos exposure. In addition to these locations, pipes, walls and ceilings insulated with asbestos often exposed crew members as well.

Exposure to asbestos has been linked to several serious illnesses, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. The latter is especially harmful due to the latency period for symptoms to arrive. In most cases, symptoms of mesothelioma can take as long as 20 to 50 years to develop, leaving patients completely unaware of their condition. By the time the majority of patients are diagnosed, the cancer has often reached the advanced stages of development.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, you may have legal options for compensation. Many have received financial assistance to help cover medical costs, lost income and any other expenses. For more information about compensation and treatment options, please click here to receive a complimentary informational packet.

Sources:

Auxiliary Vessels Index