USS Lake Champlain
The Lake Champlain was a Ticonderoga-class aircraft carrier that was launched from the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia on November 2nd, 1944 and was sponsored by Mrs. Warren Austin who was the wife of Senator Austin of Vermont. The ship was officially commissioned on June 3rd, 1945 under the command of Captain Logan C. Ramsey. The USS Lake Champlain was the second ship to carry that name for the U.S. Navy. The first being a cargo ship that was in use between the years 1918 and 1919. The Lake Champlain was launched right at the end of World War II so her first mission, after some operational training, was to ultimately assist in bringing the American servicemen home from the Pacific Islands.
The ship picked up soldiers in England and ferried them home to New York, and she also set a record that year in internationally crossing the Atlantic in record time. She had made the trip in four days, eight hours and 51 minutes. The Lake Champlain was placed in reserve in Norfolk, Virginia until 1952. At the time the Korean War had begun she was modernized at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. After completing her extensive training in Caribbean waters she was ready to set sail for Korea. While traveling across the ocean the Lake Champlain became the largest ship to have ever transited through the Suez Canal. Later, she officially became the flagship for Carrier Task Force 77 and sailed for western Korea. Arriving in mid-June, she immediately initiated launching attacks against North Korean forces.
The aircraft assaulted bunkers and deep trenches as well as provided fire support for American ground forces fighting against the enemy. The peace treaty was signed in July so she headed through the South China Sea and docked at many ports before arriving in Mayport, Florida at the end of 1953. The last major mission of her career took place when she was named the primary recovery ship for the Gemini 5 mission. The USS Lake Champlain CVS 39 was decommissioned on May 2nd, 1966.
The USS Lake Champlain CVS 39 and her crew were some of the bravest in the U.S. Navy. It’s saddening that these crewmen were exposed to dangerous materials and were not even aware. Among these materials was asbestos. Asbestos was used in many different capacities aboard naval ships and submarines of all classes and types, but most often aboard ships within materials requiring insulation, such as piping and various duct systems. For sailors, repairmen, and others who worked in or around these areas, it is very possible that an exposure could have occurred. It is extremely important for these individuals to monitor their respiratory health carefully, as they may indicate an adverse exposure. Asbestos exposures from airborne fibers like those built into these ships have been linked to a number of respiratory illnesses and diseases, including mesothelioma, sometimes referred to as asbestos cancer.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
