After serving 22 years in the US Navy, William Hawk remained attached to the naval service, working as a civilian employee in a defense contractor’s arms department whose sole-source contract was with the Department of the Navy.
During his naval career, William was exposed to asbestos on many different occasions. He served on many vessels that contained asbestos insulation. Also, he had been stationed at the Naval General Headquarters during renovation that may have exposed him to asbestos fibers. This ultimately led to him contracting mesothelioma.
At age 75, almost 55 years after William Hawk had taken up the position in the Navy, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. During one of his routine walk, he experienced shortness of breath that was unusual for him. His wife, Eleanor, suggested him to see a doctor and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Tracy Morgan of Rockville General Hospital, CT. At first, Dr. Morgan suspected pneumonia and prescribed him some antibiotics. But the antibiotics did not do any good. Three weeks later, Will experienced prolonged periods of painful coughing and was rushed back to the hospital. Later, chest x-rays showed a tumor in his left lung, thereby confirming the diagnosis of mesothelioma. At age 76, six months later, Admiral William Hawk died of complications related to mesothelioma.
Each year, many naval officers and shipyard workers develop some sort of disabilities and take early retirements due to possible asbestos materials exposure present on the ships.
According to the Sinai School of Medicine in New York, ‘asbestos related deaths, either from asbestos or mesothelioma, grew by 47% from approximately 1,650 to 2,420 per year’. It is estimated that more than 10,000 tradesmen and marines die of asbestos exposure each year leaving speculations about the environmental unfriendly chemical agents available on vessels, threatening the safety of Navy men and women. Additionally, many more become debilitated and are forced to stop working and take disability or early retirement. Thus, steps, including civil laws, should be employed to protect Navy personnel from the environmental hazards.
Note: Names have been changed to retain the anonymity of the entities. |
