In the years of the "police action" in Korea, the dangers of asbestos were not widely known — particularly among the members of the military who were dealing with asbestos on a daily basis as part of their service to their country. Now, some 35 years after the Korean War was ended by armistice in the summer of 1953, mesothelioma diagnoses began increasing in veterans.
Many Military Jobs Involved Asbestos
As the first armed confrontation of the Cold War between the superpowers of the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the Korean War produced more than 36,000 U.S. military combat casualties and more than 1.5 million deaths among all of the combatants and civilians. Thousands of men and women served the U.S. war effort in military and civilian jobs that brought them into contact with toxic levels of asbestos, including:
Asbestos: A Confirmed Carcinogen
Asbestos is a human carcinogen; that is, when a human being ingests or inhales asbestos, it can produce cancer, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other types of tumors. The only confirmed cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure, and it's estimated that from 1940 to 1979, more than 27 million people in the United States were exposed to asbestos as part of their jobs. The members of the military who supported the war effort in Korea are certainly among this alarming number.
Answers to Your Questions about Korean War-Era Asbestos
Developing mesothelioma is a tragic consequence of many individuals' military service. If you are a Korean War vet with mesothelioma or concerns about your risks, contact us today for more information.