USS Cormorant
The USS Cormorant was Bluebird-Class Motor Minesweeper vessel. The Cormorant’s keel was laid down on February 5th, 1952 at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California. The ship was launched June 8th of 1953 and commissioned as Cormorant on the 14th of August, 1953. In February of 1955, Cormorant was re-classified as a Coastal Minesweeper.
Minesweeper vessels were unique in that they needed to attract the least amount of magnetism possible, as magnetism is what would detonate deep-water mines. For this reason, Cormorant and other minesweeper vessels were constructed of predominantly wood. Her hull fittings were constructed with low magnetism metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, and bronze.
Cormorant would conduct minesweeping patrols in the Far East, operating out of her homeport of Sasebo, Japan. While in the Pacific, she conducted exercises in Korean and Japanese waters, while also voyaging to the Philippines, Okinawa, and Formosa for training. Cormorant would spend her entire career in the South Pacific, conducting hundreds of exercises anywhere from Taiwan to Pearl Harbor. Like many wooden vessels, her career would be somewhat brief, being stricken from the Naval Register on the 15th of March, 1974. Cormorant’s remains would be disposed of through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for scrap.
The Cormorant’s crew served an important training service for sailors of the U.S. Navy. What is often lost in the great history or naval vessels such as Cormorant however, are the toxins many were exposed to while serving aboard these vessels. Asbestos exposure, in particular, was particularly prominent among naval servicemen like those who served aboard Cormorant. Asbestos was used as a marine insulation material aboard naval vessels. Unfortunately, while it was adept at insulation and was fire-retardant, it was also found to be hazardous, causing breathing problems and even cancer. Those who worked with asbestos materials aboard naval vessels could potentially be at risk of health complications like those above. All those who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos are urged to speak with a health professional immediately.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
