USS Mathews (AKA-96)

The USS Mathews (AKA-96) was one of the United States Navy’s Andromeda-class attack cargo ships. These armed transports served in both World War II and the Korean War, operating as both simple transport vessels and also floating staging bases for amphibious assaults. The USS Mathews was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey in late 1944.

World War II Service

The vessel entered service with the U.S. Navy on March 15, 1945 and within three weeks the Mathews was sailing for the Pacific. The ship sailed for Eniwetok with a stop at Pearl Harbor along the way. The USS Mathews’ deployment schedule then took her to Okinawa, soon followed by a stop in Guadalcanal. Shortly after leaving the Guadalcanal, the Japanese surrendered, placing an end to hostilities in the Pacific. The Mathews’ role changed from an assault support vessel to a conventional cargo ship.

Although the war ended in the Pacific, the Mathews still had a lot of work to do in the region, primarily, ferrying troops around the western Pacific. Towards the end of 1945, the Mathews departed Japanese waters and headed for home in Norfolk, Virginia. The vessel spent just under a year on the east coast, after which she reported to Suisun Bay, California where she was decommissioned and placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

Service After World War II

After a relatively brief four-year stint in the Reserve Fleet, the USS Mathews was recalled to active Navy duty in 1951. The vessel underwent a series of repair and overhaul operations to bring the ship up to full combat readiness, but these modifications unfortunately may have exposed those nearby to asbestos. On February 16, 1952, the USS Mathews officially returned to active duty.

The majority of the Mathews’ early years were spent in active training along the California coast, but occasionally the ship ventured to Alaska’s Pribilof Islands. The Mathews also deployed across the Pacific to Korea in 1953, where she picked up a contingent of POWs for transport to Inchon.

The vessel spent the next several years engaged in operations primarily along the west coast, but occasionally deployed as far as the Philippines. In 1962, the ship deployed to the Caribbean in order to support the U.S. quarantine of Cuba, but quickly returned to the Pacific where she saw her first combat action. The USS Mathews served with distinction during the Vietnam War, earning four service medals over the course of the conflict. The Navy decided to decommission the ship in 1968. In 1969, less than a year after her decommissioning, the USS Mathews was sold for scrap.

Asbestos Risks

People who serve their nation in the military have always accepted that their enlistments come with expected dangers, regardless of whether or not they undergo battle. However, what many of our military personnel during the 1900s did not realize was that asbestos exposure could affect them as many as 50 years later.

Asbestos was commonly used throughout most of the 20th century for its ability to insulate and fireproof materials. Some of the more common locations where asbestos exposure occurred were boiler and engine rooms. In addition to this, walls, pipes and ceilings were often coated in asbestos for insulation purposes. Any disturbance to these materials could have caused microscopic asbestos fibers to become airborne where they could be inhaled.

The inhalation of asbestos fibers can result in several asbestos-related conditions, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an illness related to asbestos, you may have legal options for compensation. Many have already received financial assistance to help cover medical costs and lost income. For more information about this and treatment options, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a complimentary informational packet.

Sources

Auxiliary Vessels Index