USS Fanshaw Bay
The USS Fanshaw Bay was Casablanca-class escort aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. After a contract awarded in late 1942, the Fanshaw Bay's keel was laid by Kaiser Shipbuilding of Vancouver, Washington in 1943. She was launched in November 1943 and commissioned December 9th, with Captain D.P. Johnson in command. She would said from her homeport of San Diego in April 19 to Majuro, where she would conduct ant-submarine patrols for her first 10 days, predominantly in a training capacity. In May, Fanshaw Bay returned to Pearl Harbor for refreshment and further training.
In late May, she would sail to the Mariana Islands for final preparations leading up to the assault on Saipan. Operating 30 miles off the coast of the island she would conduct air combat patrols, reconnaissance flights, and anti-submarine operations leading up to the June 15th invasion. Fanshaw Bay was struck by a bomb on the day of the invasion and narrowly averted a torpedoing due to swift maneuvers. However, she would require a return to Pearl Harbor for replenishment and battle repairs. She would see action again in August, when she arrived at Manus in preparation for the invasion of Morotai.
Fanshaw Bay would go on to participate in important capacities in both the invasion of Leyte and Okinawa. Her planes flew hundreds of sorties over both small islands and the Japanese mainland. She would return to San Diego in November of 1945. The Navy removed Fanshaw Bay from commission in August 1946 and she was placed in reserve in Tacoma, Washington, nearby her birthplace of Vancouver. The Fanshaw Bay not only won the Presidential Unit Citation, but also five battle stars for her service during WWII. She was an integral vessel in the U.S. Pacific effort and will be undoubtedly be remembered as such.
The men who served aboard the Fanshaw Bay were among the bravest in the U.S. Navy. Unfortunately, sometimes we forget to remember that these brave sailors were the backbone of all of the Fanshaw Bay's success in the war. It is also unfortunate that too often these men were exposed to dangerous materials and were not even aware. Among these materials was asbestos. Asbestos was used in many capacities aboard naval ships, but most often in materials requiring insulation, such as boilers and piping. For those who worked around these areas, it is possible an exposure could have occurred. It is important for these individuals to monitor respiratory systems, as they may indicate an adverse exposure. Asbestos exposures have been linked to a number of respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma, an aggressive and rare form of cancer.
