Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command, "Sgt. George Peterson" (published 9 September 2015) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback Machine capture dated 2024-05-26, Medal of Honor citation paragraphs
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- "Staff Sergeant George Peterson, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., was killed in action while serving as an acting platoon sergeant with Company K, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division near Eisern, Germany. On 30 March 1945, his company encountered intense small-arms, machine gun, and mortar fire from an enemy battalion... Sergeant Peterson was struck and killed by an enemy bullet. For his actions, which enabled his company to advance with minimum casualties, Sergeant Peterson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor." (quoted/condensed verbatim, archived DANFS page)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Namesake biography only; establishes no vessel material, construction, or asbestos fact. Included for identity/context completeness per the DANFS entry structure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-07
-
[2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - SGT. GEORGE PETERSON (AK-248), Ship History Detail 4523 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 4523 - Characteristics, Milestones, and Vessel Name History sections
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database record for SGT. GEORGE PETERSON (AK-248): U.S. Official Number 248682; shipyard Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company; MARAD type C1-M-AV1; length 321.30 ft, beam 50.00 ft, net tons 2,123, gross tons 3,805; fate 'Sold - NTU' (non-transportation use). Milestones: Entry/Acquisition 3/27/1959 (matches DANFS MARAD-transfer date); Disposition/Withdrawal 2/17/1972. Name-history chain: 1945-1948 Coastal Guide; 1948-1971 Sgt. George Peterson (AK-248); 1971-1979 Marsha Lynn; 1979-1982 Al-Ind-Esk-A Sea.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1945-1982
- Limitations
- Authoritative for MARAD custody milestones and the post-1971 civilian name chain. Length (321.30 ft) differs from the DANFS ship-specific line (338'9") - likely a difference in measurement basis (e.g., length between perpendiculars vs. length overall); not resolved to a single figure here, both are carried. Page states 'no historical narrative for this vessel at this time' and contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-05
-
[3]HistoryLink.org (Washington state history encyclopedia), "Fish processor Al-Ind-Esk-A Sea sinks in Port Gardner Bay off Everett on October 22, 1982" (File 8556); The Daily Herald (Everett, WA) / HeraldNet.com retrospective coverage [reputable_press]
- Locator
- HistoryLink.org File 8556, full essay text; HeraldNet.com "Remembering the sunken ship, the Al-Ind-Esk-A Sea"
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- As the civilian fish-processing ship Al-Ind-Esk-A Sea (converted 1979; owner TransAlaska Fisheries Corp./The 13th Regional Corporation), the former Sgt. George Peterson hull caught fire at anchor off the Port of Everett, WA on 20 October 1982 after a welder's torch ignited insulation around the ship's refrigeration units; six of an 18-member crew aboard for repairs evacuated safely to a tender vessel; officials declined to fight the fire due to explosion/toxic-fume risk from onboard ammonia refrigerant; the hull burned for nearly two days and sank in Port Gardner Bay on 22 October 1982. The loss was covered by a reported $14 million Lloyd's of London policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1982
- Population
- Civilian fish-processing crew, 1982
- Limitations
- This event is 11 years post-Navy/MARAD disposal and concerns the civilian fish-processing conversion's refrigeration-plant insulation, not any WWII/MSTS-era shipboard material. The source does not state the composition of the ignited insulation, and it is NOT asserted as asbestos-containing here. Included only to document the hull's final disposition; establishes no asbestos claim of any kind, ship-specific or otherwise.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-06
-
[4]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, "Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding," American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing, insulating, gasket, and packing material across U.S. shipbuilding during WWII, the general era and Maritime Commission construction program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull (MC hull 2172) was built, and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls of many types.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII Maritime Commission shipyard workers and merchant/MSTS crews generally (class/era context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, the C1-M-AV1 type, or the Alamosa class, and does not describe engine-room, cargo, or crew-space insulation schemes for diesel-propelled Maritime Commission cargo hulls specifically. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. No C1-M-AV1-specific technical/operating manual was located to narrow this further (contrast with EC2-S-C1 Liberty ship records, where such a manual exists).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-08
-
[5]HyperWar Foundation (compiler Patrick Clancey), "Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945: USS Alamosa (AK-156)," itself citing the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class specification block: Displacement/Length/Beam/Draft/Speed/Armament/Complement/Capacity/Diesel engines line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Compiled secondary reference for the Alamosa-class lead ship, USS Alamosa (AK-156): 'Diesel engines, single screw, 1,700 shaft hp,' Maritime Commission C1-M-AV1 type - offered as class/type propulsion context confirming this DANFS-designated 'cl. Alamosa' / 'T. C1-M-AV1' hull is a diesel motorship, not a steam/boiler vessel.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1944-1946 (Alamosa's Navy service)
- Limitations
- This is a secondary compilation (not a primary Navy document) describing a different, commissioned hull of the same class/type (AK-156), not this vessel. Cited only to correct a possible propulsion-type assumption (diesel vs. steam); does not itself establish or negate asbestos content aboard this hull or the class generally.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-09
-
[6]Batch-9586 search ledger (this record): DANFS archived page; MARAD ShipHistory 4523; CourtListener API v4 name and hull-number searches (opinion and docket types) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-usns-sgt-george-peterson-01 through sl-usns-sgt-george-peterson-09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched - the DANFS entry and MARAD ShipHistory record contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement; CourtListener searches by exact ship name ("Sgt. George Peterson") and by hull number ("AK-248") returned no qualifying asbestos opinion or docket (one "AK-248" opinion hit was a Florida appellate docket-number collision, unrelated to this vessel - see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945-built Maritime Commission cargo hull is era-consistent with retained asbestos-containing materials at the time of Navy/MSTS use. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. The hull was scrapped/destroyed in 1982, foreclosing any present-day survey.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-10
-
[7]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 178 (US Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration), RG 336 (U.S. Army Transportation Corps), and NARA merchant-vessel logbook guidance [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/248.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/336.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/merchant-vessels-pl.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room visit or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission) - Construction Division records may hold MC hull 2172 (Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay) contract/outfitting files, including the canceled Washtenaw designation paperwork; RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) holds operational files for WSA-operated hulls (1945-1948, as Coastal Guide); RG 336 (U.S. Army Transportation Corps records) may hold Army Transportation Service operating files (1948-1950, as USAT Sgt. George Peterson); merchant/Army vessel logbooks are distributed by NARA regional facility per port of operation.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1945-1950 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 2172 or for the canceled Washtenaw paperwork is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-11
-
[8]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command, "Sgt. George Peterson" (published 9 September 2015) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback Machine capture dated 2024-05-26 of https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/sgt-george-peterson.html (live NHHC URL returns HTTP 404 as of 2026-09-24, confirmed by direct request)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- "Sgt. George Peterson, originally projected as Wash[t]enaw, but built as Coastal Guide, was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2172) on 9 March 1945 by the Leathe[m] D. Smith Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wis[c].; launched on 13 May 1945; sponsored by Mrs. L. R. Sanford; and delivered to the War Shipping Administration on 16 July 1945." (quoted verbatim from the archived DANFS page; bracketed letters restore evident OCR/line-wrap artifacts in the archived HTML - 'Wash tenaw' and 'Leathern' in the raw capture)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Establishes construction identity, the canceled planned Navy identity (name only - no hull number or cancellation date given in this text), and delivery to WSA. The planned 'Washtenaw' identity was never commissioned and accrued no Navy service; it is carried here as a canceled/superseded identity only, not as qualifying service. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-01
-
[9]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command, "Sgt. George Peterson" (published 9 September 2015) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback Machine capture dated 2024-05-26, paragraph beginning 'Subsequently operated by the United Fruit Co.'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- "Subsequently operated by the United Fruit Co. and the Polaris SS Co., Inc., Coastal Guide was transferred to the Army on 23 June 1948; renamed Sgt. George Peter[s]on; and operated by the Army Transportation Service until transferred to the Navy in July 1950 and placed in service as USNS Sgt. George Peterson (T-AK-248)." (quoted verbatim, archived DANFS page)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1948-1950
- Limitations
- Establishes the civilian-operator chain (United Fruit Co.; Polaris SS Co., Inc.) and the 1948 Army transfer. States the Navy transfer/MSTS in-service date as 'July 1950' - this conflicts with this batch's task-provided identity data (1 March 1950) and a Wikipedia infobox that also cites 1 March 1950 while citing only this same DANFS entry as its source. No adjudicating primary source (e.g., an MSTS movement/muster record) was located to resolve the conflict; logged in gaps rather than silently merged. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-02
-
[10]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command, "Sgt. George Peterson" (published 9 September 2015) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback Machine capture dated 2024-05-26, paragraph beginning 'The cargo ship then commenced'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- "The cargo ship then commenced eight years of operations in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Caribbean, and along the southeastern seaboard of the United States for the Military Sea Transportation Service. During that period, she interrupted her regular service only once to carry supplies north to arctic stations in the summer of 1955." (quoted verbatim, archived DANFS page)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1950-1959
- Population
- MSTS civil-service mariners assigned to a non-commissioned Navy-operated cargo ship, 1950-1959
- Limitations
- Establishes MSTS operating area (Gulf/Caribbean/southeastern seaboard) and the 1955 Arctic resupply voyage as the sole deviation from routine. Contains no asbestos, cargo-manifest, or hazmat information; does not establish crew composition beyond the ship-specific complement figure carried elsewhere.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-03
-
[11]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command, "Sgt. George Peterson" (published 9 September 2015) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback Machine capture dated 2024-05-26, final narrative paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- "Early in 1959, the AK was ordered inactivated; and, in March, she was placed out of service at New Orleans. At mid-month, she was towed to Mobile where, on the 27th, she was transferred to the Maritime Administration and berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet. She remained in reserve at Mobile until sold for non-transportation use in December 1971." (quoted verbatim, archived DANFS page)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1959-1971
- Limitations
- Establishes inactivation and MARAD/NDRF disposition. Sale date (December 1971) is close to but not identical to the MARAD ShipHistory database's own disposition/withdrawal milestone (2/17/1972, see ev-05) - likely a contract-date-vs-processing-date difference, not flagged as a substantive conflict but noted in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-usns-sgt-george-peterson-04