USS Antietam
The USS Antietam CV 36 K was an Essex-class aircraft carrier that was launched from the Philadelphia Naval Yard in 1945 and officially commissioned on January 28th, 1945 under the command of Captain James R. Tague. After initial training along the eastern seaboard, the Antietam set sail for Trinidad. Her first assignment brought her through the infamous Panama Canal and all the way to the western seaboard of the United States of America, heading to the Pacific. Just before the Antietam had arrived at her stated destination, the Japanese Imperial Fleet surrendered and the war was finished.
The Antietam remained in the Pacific, ad continued to provide occupational support for three more years. The USS Antietam headed back to California in 1949, where she was placed in reserve. The ship was then lifted out of commission two years later in the wake of the North Korean invasion of South Korea. Being an aircraft carrier, she was ordered to remain off the coast while her Navy pilots flew their combat missions from the base of the aircraft carrier. At time when the Antietam wasn’t engaged in battle, she returned to her home base in Japan, where she then participated in missions for the United Nations. During early 1952 the ship had completed four missions and was able to return to the United States. After arriving to the United States, the USS Antietam joined the Pacific Fleet once again.
Work completed on the channel upon entering Pensacola dramatically increased its size so that the USS Antietam could dock with the rest of her training ships in 1959. Hurricane Carla smashed into Texas with great strength in 1961, and the Antietam was able to provide medical assistance and supplies for victims of the violent storm. About a month later the ship steamed to Honduras where she ferried supplies and medical personnel to victims of Hurricane Hattie. The USS Antietam spent the remained of her career participating in training exercises and strategic maneuvers. In 1962, the USS Antietam was placed in reserve, replaced as a training vessel by the USS Lexington. The Antietam was officially decommissioned in the year 1963. The USS Antietam CV 36 K received two battle stars for her service in Korea.
The USS Antietam CV 36 K and her crew undoubtedly faced a perilous onslaught of threatening dangers while in service, but the risks from enemy attack or violent weather weren’t the only negative aspects of daily life at sea. Asbestos was widely accepted during that time as a good material used for construction of insulation, specifically the insulation involved with piping and ducts within the ship itself. The crews of these ships such as the Antietam were exposed to these deadly airborne asbestos particles every day and the dangers of inhaling these fibers were extremely prevalent. The cancer known as mesothelioma has been directly linked to the exposure of asbestos such as this, and any crewmembers of the USS Antietam CV 36 K who fears their internal organs have been infected with these dangerous fibers should monitor their respiratory health carefully and consult their medical doctor immediately to begin mesothelioma treatment.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
