USS Lee Fox
USS Lee Fox was a Buckley-class destroyer escort commissioned in the US Navy in 1943. She was named in honor of Ensign Lee Fox, a serviceman killed in action during the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She was built with greatest possible speed in order to help guard Atlantic waters against possible German submarine attack.
During her lifetime, the Lee Fox sustained more damage from inclement weather than she did from enemy fire, however. On her shakedown voyage in 1943, she was caught in a hurricane off Bermuda that almost capsized the vessel. A fire then erupted in one of the engine rooms. Two months later she was caught in a storm off Cape Cod, which resulted in a flying projectile of some type that exploded and caused more damage and sent her to the shipyard for more repairs.
After these two unlucky incidents, the Lee Fox made 18 trips across the Atlantic escorting men and supplies to England in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. The last trip of this type involved towing heavy equipment such as cranes and power plants to England, which were to be used once ports were captured in Europe. While returning from this trip, the Lee Fox had her only run-in with submarines during her career, when torpedoes struck two of the ships in the convoy.
In February 1945, the Lee Fox was refitted and classified a high-speed transport. By May, she was ready to leave Norfolk for the Pacific campaign. She carried troops and supplies to Guam and the Philippines, before hearing of the Japanese surrender. In September, she was ordered to Tokyo Bay to provide escort for a task force charged with the responsibility of seeing that the northern islands of Japan were following the terms of the peace.
In November, she sailed for home, carrying 123 veterans to San Diego. She reached her homeport of Boston by January 17. She was decommissioned on May 13 and named part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. In September 1966 she was sold for scrap in New Orleans.
The Lee Fox recovered from rather shaky beginnings to provide a valuable service to her country. The same is true of her crewmembers. Sadly, the men who worked aboard the Fox were exposed to a danger they knew nothing about. The vessel was constructed, like many others of its time, with asbestos used for insulation around pipes and electrical systems. Therefore, sailors who served aboard the ship are at risk for severe lung conditions including a type of cancer called mesothelioma. Anyone with concerns about possible exposure to asbestos on the Lee Fox or in another situation should consult with a thoracic oncology or respiratory specialist for an evaluation.
