USS Blue
The USS Blue was a Bagley-class destroyer ship built by Norfolk Naval Shipyard and launched in May of 1937. In August of 1937, Blue was commissioned by the United States Navy and assigned the venerable Commander J. Wright as her first commander. Following commissioning proceedings, Blue was prepared to begin training for combat. She spent her first year training along the Eastern seaboard in the Caribbean and finishing up final shakedown procedures to best prepare for the impending conflict in the South Pacific.
In August of 1938, Blue sailed towards the Pacific, becoming the flagship for the esteemed Destroyer Division 7, an elite maritime battle formation. She began training with the Pacific task force in West coast waters until April of 1940, when she and her division were sent to Pearl Harbor, where she remained until war broke out. Though Blue was in harbor at the time of the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor, she managed to make it to sea with a skeleton crew of officers and enlisted sailors. Throughout the remainder of 1941, she served as a patrol vessel around Pearl Harbor. In early 1942, she was ordered to support attacks on the Marshall Islands and other Atolls. Following this, she served as an escort between Pearl Harbor and San Francisco up until the summer of 1942. Later in that summer she would participate in the Battle of Guadalcanal. In late August, while on patrol of Ironbottom Sound, Blue was torpedoed by a Japanese destroyer. The explosion destroyed most of the ships primary engines as well as killing 9 servicemen. On August 23, Blue was abandoned and scuttled. She would receive five battle stars for her active 9 month engagement in WWII.
Though Blue's tenure in WWII was brief, it was nonetheless extremely important. Blue and her crew witnessed some of the most important early battles of the Pacific conflict. Her support of the Guadalcanal and Marshall Islands bombardments earned her battle stars and a chapter in American naval history.
Though many of Blue's brave crew were put in peril aboard the vessel because of the military nature of their jobs, many also faced a significant hazard within the walls and fixtures of Blue's hull. Asbestos could found almost anywhere in naval vessels such as Blue, and it is quite likely some of her crew were exposed to this harmful toxin while working aboard the ship or in a repair capacity. Asbestos has been linked conclusively with types of cancer and other respiratory complications. Those who think they may been exposed aboard the Blue or other vessel should consider this and tell their doctors of their concerns.
