The USS Yancey (AKA-93/LKA-93) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship laid down on May 22, 1944, and launched on July 8, with the hull number AKA-93. It was commissioned on October 11, 1944, under Comdr. Edward R. Rice’s command and served in the US Navy for 14 years until it was decommissioned for the first time in March 1958. It carried a complement of 368 men on board. During this period, the ship operated in Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Yokohama. It was struck from the Naval Register on January 1, 1977. For the services brought to the country during World War II, the USS Yancey received 2 battle stars and 3 battle stars for the activity during the Korean War. Asbestos is a natural fiber that was commonly used in hundreds of applications in military settings, particularly aboard Navy ships until the 1970s. People who live or work in environments where asbestos is present are at risk of suffering serious health issues as a result of the fact that its microscopic fibers tend to become airborne, and those in close proximity end up breathe them in.