Pensacola Naval Air Station
The Pensacola Naval Air Station, also referred to as the 'Cradle of Naval Aviation', was created in 1862 and has had an incredibly illustrious career. It is situated on the shores of Pensacola Bay in Northwest Florida, about an hour outside of Mobile, Alabama. It has been victim to many violent acts of nature, including a hurricane in 1906 that destroyed several buildings and more recently, Hurricane Ivan, which struck in 2004 and caused significant damage to the base.
This station was actually the nation's first Naval Air Station as well as the very first Navy pilot training center in the US. However, when the station was first built in the 1800's, it was primarily used for suppressing slave trade as well as piracy in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. At the end of the Civil War, it was rebuilt and opened as a Navy Yard and was decommissioned in 1911. After this, it was chosen as the first Aeronautic Center and a flying school was opened in 1914.
Over the course of the World Wars, this was the central training facility for naval air training operations. In 1944, there were over 12,000 men that were trained here. Even today, the initial training of naval aviators begins at this air station. There have also been many notable astronauts that have received their training here. Some of these famous men include John Glenn, Alan Shepherd and Wally Schirra. This station also plays host to the National Museum of Naval Aviation, which preserves memorabilia that represents the growth of naval aviation.
Just like many shipyards of the time, many of the workers were unfortunately exposed to asbestos during employment. During the shipyard boom, asbestos was not regarded as the harmful substance that we now know it to be. Unfortunately, many of the employees that worked with asbestos have suffered adverse reactions to its dangerous effects. Interestingly enough, asbestos only becomes harmful when it is broken up and the particles become airborne. The small particles become lodged in the respiratory system and can cause diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
The people that are most vulnerable to these types of infections were welders, pipe fitters and electricians. Additionally, anyone who was responsible for installing or removing asbestos from the ships may have been contaminated. Many of the symptoms of asbestos-related illness do not show up for years after the initial contamination, meaning that many people do not realize that they may be infected with one of these diseases.
Since the discovery of the harmful nature of asbestos, the dangerous substance has been cleaned up. However, there are still many lawsuits facing the company from former employees, and the families of those who have passed away.
