USS Denebola AF-56
The USS Denebola AF-56, a member of the Military Sealift Command fleet, was constructed at the Oregon Shipbuilding Company in Portland and launched on June 10, 1044. Originally named the S.S. Hibbing Victory, the ship initially served in the merchant fleet in the Atlantic and the Pacific before being acquired by the Navy in 1952. She was converted to a military provisions ship at New York Naval Shipyard, and was renamed the USS Denebola AF-56 in 1954, after the second star in the constellation known as Leo the Lion. In fact, “Denebola” translates to “tail of the lion” in Arabic.
In November of 1962, the USS Denebola AF-56 served in the Cuban missile crisis and received an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for her service. Equipped with two 3x50 twin rapid-fire dual-purpose mounts, the USS Denebola carried heavy cargo that required refrigeration to other vessels participating in active conflicts. Cargo carried by this particular ship included frozen beef, produce, dry goods, and other supplies. One former crewmember named Joe Whitaker, who served aboard the USS Denebola AF-56 from 1957 to 1959, recalled a stop in Denmark where Danish people were permitted to come aboard for an “open house” of sorts. Of all the provisions on board, Kool Aid was the favorite with the Danish, who requested almost all of the Kool Aid on board! In 1973, the vessel was parked in Barcelona, Spain during a terrible storm which caused extremely high waves – crewmembers had to hold on to ropes and other objects to avoid being swept out to sea.
The USS Denebola AF-56 participated in a number of important missions throughout her time of service. She participated in NATO exercises in 1957 and 1958, and also served as plane guard for former president Dwight D. Eisenhower following the 1957 NATO conference in Paris. In 1958, while touring the Mediterranean, the USS Denebola AF-56 replenished supplies to ships anchored off of Beirut following the crisis in Lebanon. She received a Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, two National Defense Service Medals, and two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals (one for service in Cuba; one for service following the conflict in Lebanon). The ship was decommissioned in 1976 and sold for scrap.
The former members of the USS Denebola AF-56 crew served an important purpose throughout the fifties and sixties, and undoubtedly remain as a source of great national pride. However, the crew may have been at a disadvantage while aboard this ship, as they may have been exposed to asbestos, a toxic material used in piping insulation and floor and ceiling tiles up until the 1980s. Former crew members who may have inhaled airborne asbestos are considered to be at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer that occurs in an unfortunate number of veterans. Those aboard this or other ships that served during WWII and after should speak with their doctor about mesothelioma diagnostic testing, as should individuals who may have worked on the ship’s demolition and come into contact with scrap parts containing old asbestos.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
