We overhauled the aircraft carrier the Midway—ripping out the asbestos-cov­ered pipes in the engine rooms. The only ventilation was an open hatch above us. You could see the sunbeam coming down and the asbestos fibers floating in the sunbeam.
    We’d put masking tape around our shirt sleeves to keep the fibers from going up. See, your hands are tough, but the rest of the body is real soft.

   

    Two years ago my wife says, “Why are you blowing so hard?” My breathing was hard when I’d do little things. One day I read in the newspaper about asbestos and the symptoms it causes and I said, “Hey, this is me.”
    I saw the tumor on the X-ray and got a look at my medical report. It had the statement, “He might have one year to live.” Well, I’m 71, and I’ve lived a good life. But when you first look at something like that, it’s frightening.

  
The doctors told me they could cure it with radiation. Well, I’ve never been so sick in all my life. I had to take pain pills even to drink water. But after six weeks they took an X-ray and said, “Mr. Robinson, this is beautiful. it’s gone.” I thought, “Real good.”
     See, my case is settled, so I have no axe to grind. These are the facts. They knew what was going on. They should have given us protective clothing and masks. We were not trained and we were not told.

    I got over $300,000 from the settlement and I’ve had a little fun. I bought a boat and I love to fish. But, you know, I haven’t had that boat in the water. The fish around here have consumed all of these different toxins and things and I’m afraid of eating them.