USS Mercy AH-8
The USS Mercy AH-8 served as a hospital ship during World War II. Built by Consolidated Steel Shipbuilding in Wilmington, California, the USS Mercy AH-8 was acquired by the Navy in 1943 and was launched on March 25th of that same year. Sponsored by Doris M. Yetter, a former nurse with the U.S. Navy who had served as a prisoner of war in Guam in 1941, the vessel was converted from a cargo ship at Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Drydock in order to serve as a floating hospital. The ship was commissioned on August 7, 1944 and commanded by Captain Thomas A. Esling, USNR. The USS Mercy AH-8 received two battle stars for her service during WWII.
With personnel from the U.S. Army’s 214th Hospital division aboard, the USS Mercy AH-8 headed towards the South Pacific, stopping at Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok on the way. After a five-day stop in New Guinea, the vessel left for the Philippines and arrived in Leyte Gulf in October in the midst of the Battle for Leyte Gulf. On October 25, 1944, the USS Mercy AH-8 headed towards San Pedro Bay to recover over 400 casualties. The next day, she headed towards the Admiralty Islands to administer medical attention to wounded troops and eventually transferred them to base hospitals for further treatment. In the next give months, the USS Mercy AH-8 made seven additional trips from Leyte Gulf to various islands to treat wounded U.S. troops.
The USS Mercy AH-8 would then head towards the Caroline Islands in April and serve during what was known as the Okinawa campaign. With a second hospital ship, the USS Solace AH-5, by her side, the USS Mercy AH-8 served for four days off of Hagushi Beach, where a constant stream of wounded patients arrived, suffering from injuries resulting from kamikazes and air attacks. On April 23rd, the ship made her way towards Saipan, and then returned to Okinawa two more times before May 24th. She then transported wounded from Leyte Gulf to Manila and Biak before she landed in Manila for a two-month stint. In September, she arrived in Korea, and then departed in October for one more stop in Manila. In November, the USS Mercy AH-8 returned to San Pedro, and then made one last stop in Pearl Harbor, where she served for two months. In May, the vessel was decommissioned, and was struck from the Naval Register in 1946.
Serving aboard a hospital ship during some of the bloodiest WWII battles was surely a life-altering experience. The brave individuals who served faced a number of hazards and undoubtedly experienced a number of unforgettable events. Unfortunately, one such hazard was likely that of asbestos exposure, as asbestos products were found on almost every vessel utilized during the WWII era in the form of piping insulation. Crewmembers who may have been exposed to asbestos may not experience symptoms of asbestos-related illness, such as mesothelioma, for as many as fifty years, so it is crucial that former crewmembers of the USS Mercy AH-8 and all other WWII ships watch their respiratory health closely and speak with their doctor if they begin to experience mesothelioma cancer symptoms. If their doctor diagnoses them with this fatal form of cancer, mesothelioma treatment should begin immediately as a means of controlling pain and improving quality of life.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
