USS Alamogordo (ARDM-2)

Evidence

20 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-20).

1. [1]research packet ba-packet.md (5 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-alamogordo-ardm2-pkt-ba-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'Alamogordo' (Naval History and Heritage Command, published 2015-06-11) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry 'Alamogordo' (danfs/a/alamogordo.html), full text; Wayback capture 2025-02-21

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Namesake: 'A city in southern New Mexico ... seat of government for Otero County. Nearby Holloman Air Force Base, then known as Alamogordo Air Base, was the site of the first man-induced atomic explosion on 16 July 1945.' Entry header: 'ARD-26: dp. 5,200; l. 491'8"; b. 81'0"; dr. 5'8" (l.); cpl. 120; cl. ARD-12.' Narrative: ARD-26, a non-self-propelled floating dry dock completed in 1944 at Oakland, Calif., by the Pacific Bridge Co., commissioned 15 June 1944, Lt. Comdr. Irving B. Smith, USN (Ret.), in command. Outfitting at Oakland and training at Tiburon mid-June to late August; taken in tow 3 September 1944; layovers of ten days at Pearl Harbor and seven at Eniwetok; arrived Guam 24 October 1944, reporting to ServRon 11 then temporarily ServRon 10. More than eight months at Guam repairing warships damaged in the Leyte, Luzon, and Okinawa campaigns, reporting variously to ServRon 12, ServRon 10, and NOB Guam. Second week of July 1945 towed to the Ryukyus; transported equipment around Okinawa and docked warships for repairs until mid-August; resumed Guam repair duties 22 August 1945 and remained so employed for the next 17 years. Latter part of 1962 towed back to the west coast; placed out of service October 1962 and berthed with the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. Towed to the east coast in 1964; converted to a medium auxiliary repair dry dock at Baltimore by the Bethlehem Steel Corp.; named Alamogordo and simultaneously redesignated ARDM-2 on 22 March 1965; placed in service again 3 August 1965. Moved to Charleston, S.C., as a support unit for Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 18; 'has continued to provide repair services to the boats of SubRon 18 at Charleston for more than two decades. As of the beginning of 1986, she was still active at Charleston.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1986

   Population

   Dock crew (complement 120 per DANFS header); crews of docked warships under repair

   Limitations

   Official narrative establishes identity, specifications, and full service chronology only - no machinery, materials, or asbestos content. DANFS coverage ends ~1986 (published 2015); strike, disposal, and Ecuadorian service are not covered. Live NHHC URL was not reachable in-session; entry text verified via Wayback Machine capture 2025-02-21 (web.archive.org/web/20250221123218/).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-01

3. [3]Naval Vessel Register ship detail, ALAMOGORDO (ARDM 2) ex-ARD 26 (live page returned boilerplate; ship detail verified via Wayback capture 2024-09-09) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR SHIPSDETAIL_ARDM_2.HTML via Wayback capture 2024-09-09

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NVR fields: ALAMOGORDO (ARDM 2) ex-ARD 26; Medium Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock (non-self-propelled); class ARDM 1; UIC 05376; status 'Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, grant aid, ex-US fleet hull'; date status changed 12/18/2000; delivery 06/01/1944; stricken 11/23/1993; overall length 536 ft.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-2000

   Population

   ARDM-2 crew, 1965-1993

   Limitations

   Register-level fields only - commission/decommission milestone fields were blank in the capture; stricken date and SAP disposal status are the substantive entries. Post-conversion length 536 ft conflicts with MARAD's 563.00 ft (logged as a gap). No materials or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Alamogordo (ARDM-2) ex-USS ARD-26 page (volunteer archive aggregating NVR data, Navy photographs, and crew contributions) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource page 09/67/6702, specifications block, CO table, ribbons bar

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Archive entry: ARD-12-class auxiliary repair dock / ARDM-1-class medium auxiliary repair dock, built by Pacific Bridge Co., Alameda, CA; laid down/launched 'date unknown'; commissioned USS ARD-26 15 June 1944, LCDR Irving B. Smith USN (Ret.) commanding; decommissioned 1962; Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego Group; converted to medium auxiliary repair dry dock at Bethlehem Steel Corp., Baltimore, MD; reclassified ARDM-2 22 March 1965; commissioned USS Alamogordo (ARDM-2) 3 August 1965; decommissioned 'date unknown'; laid up NDRF James River, Lee Hall, VA; struck from the Naval Register 23 November 1993; transferred to Ecuador under the Security Assistance Program, renamed BAE Rio Orellana (DF-83), 18 December 2000; 'active with Astinave (Astilleros Navales Ecuatorianos) at Guayaquil, Ecuador, 2021.' Specifications: 5,200 tons; ARD-26 491'8", ARDM-2 536'; draft 5'8" light; beam 81'; complement 120; armament ARD-26 two 40mm + two 20mm gun mounts, ARDM-2 none; call signs NHZI (1944) / NFZZ (1965). Ribbons: American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, WWII Victory (no battle star). Commanding officers: LCDR Irving Barclay Smith USN (Ret.) from 5 June 1944 (ARD-26); LT John Gregory Grienenberger 3 Aug 1965-Jul 1967; LT James Vivian Williamson Jr. Jul 1967-Mar 1969; LT Louis Ralph Capone Jr. Mar 1969-Feb 1971; LCDR Bernard Raphael Downs 1989-1991.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-2021

   Population

   ARD-26/ARDM-2 crews (commanding officers as listed); Ecuadorian crew post-2000

   Limitations

   Volunteer-run secondary archive, not an official repository - corroborates DANFS/NVR where they overlap but adds unverified detail. CO table dates Smith's command from 5 June 1944 against DANFS's 15 June 1944 commissioning (NARA SL-44 log series begins 6/15, supporting DANFS). 'Decommissioned, date unknown' for the ARDM-2 era. Machinery line reads 'unknown.' The 2021 Ecuadorian activity claim is a photo caption, not an official record.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-03

5. [5]MARAD Vessel History Database, ship history detail record 86 - ALAMOGORDO (ARDM-2) / ARD-26 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/86 - fields and milestone table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD record: year built 1944; shipyard Pacific Bridge; type ARDM floating drydock, non-self-propelled; length 563.00 ft; name history ALAMOGORDO (ARDM-2) / ARD-26. Custody milestones: Entry/Acquisition 21 March 1995, description 'Navy Submarine Drydock' (NDRF James River); Disposition/Withdrawal 10 January 2001, description 'W/d from Prog V f/long term USN lease' - consistent with the NVR Security Assistance Program transfer effective 18 December 2000.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944; 1995-2001 custody

   Limitations

   Official custody record confirming the 1995-2001 NDRF interval and the January 2001 withdrawal for transfer; milestone text is terse and the 'long term USN lease' phrasing does not match the SAP grant-aid wording in NVR/NavSource. Length field (563.00 ft) conflicts with NVR/NavSource 536 ft - flagged as a gap, not resolved. No materials or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-04

6. [6]U.S. Navy and National Archives photographs via NavSource 09/67/6702 - dated captions documenting ARD-26/ARDM-2 in repair service [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 09/67/6702 photo table - images 09670603, 09670201, 09670204, 0552815, 09670202, and 2021 Rio Orellana photo

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Captioned photographs: (1) US Navy photo of the Industrial Department drydocks at Apra Harbor, Guam - ABSD-3 and ABSD-6 center with storage island ARDC-3, ARD-24 and ARD-26 in background; (2) ARD-26 in front of ABSD-6 with barges alongside, Apra Harbor, circa 1944-45 (contributed by a crew member); (3) NARA 80-G photo by Robert Meek - 'USS ARD-26 with USS Sigsbee (DD-502) dry docked at Guam while repairing battle-damage, circa 6-13 May 1945'; (4) ARD-26 at San Diego with USS Mullany (DD-528) in her dock, September 1962 (crew photo); (5) ARDM-2 at anchor on the Cooper River, Charleston - US Navy photo credited to 'All Hands' magazine (caption dates October 1981; the Internet Archive All Hands index lists Alamogordo references in the January and March 1981 issues - minor discrepancy); (6) ex-ARDM-2 in service as Rio Orellana (DF-83) at Guayaquil, May 2021. Collectively these document the dock performing its design function on battle-damaged and routine warships at Guam in 1945, at San Diego in 1962, and moored at Charleston circa 1981, plus post-transfer Ecuadorian service.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-2021

   Population

   ARD-26/ARDM-2 crews; crews of docked ships (Sigsbee DD-502, Mullany DD-528)

   Limitations

   Photo captions document docking and repair events and stationing only; they carry no materials or asbestos information, and captions are secondary descriptions supplied by the archive's contributors (the NARA 80-G and USN photo numbers are stated but the catalog records were not retrievable in-session).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-05

7. [7]US National Archives photo USN 1115182-B caption via NavSource 09/67/6702 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 09/67/6702, image 09670205 caption (NARA USN 1115182-B)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Caption documents 'USS Alamogordo (ARDM-2) sinking in the harbor at Charleston, S.C., after an accident on 10 November 1965' - three months after the dock's 3 August 1965 return to service. The vessel was evidently raised and returned to duty, given the documented >20-year Charleston service that followed.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1965-11-10

   Population

   ARDM-2 crew, November 1965

   Limitations

   Single photo caption is the entire located record of this casualty - no investigation/casualty report, cause, whether a vessel was in dock, or salvage details were found in any consulted source. NARA catalog search for photo 1115182 returned only application boilerplate in-session; the photo number is as captioned by NavSource. No materials or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-06

8. [8]Carter, Rear Adm. Worrall Reed, USN (Ret.), 'Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil: The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II' (GPO 1953), Appendix - commanding-officer list (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]

   Locator

   BBBO Appendix, 'List of Commanding Officers,' floating drydock (ARD) section

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official Service Force Pacific logistics history's appendix lists ARD-26 among floating drydocks with commanding officers LtComdr I. B. Smith and Lt I. Roswell - corroborating DANFS's commissioning command (Lt. Comdr. Irving B. Smith) and placing the dock within the documented Pacific fleet-logistics organization.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   ARD-26 crew (LtComdr I. B. Smith; Lt I. Roswell), wartime period

   Limitations

   Appendix-level personnel/station corroboration only; the narrative does not itemize dockings performed by ARD-26 and contains no materials or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-07

9. [9]NAVFAC/UCT-1 underwater inspection report on ARDM-2 mooring chains, Cooper River, U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot, Charleston - abstract via DTIC index [other_primary]

   Locator

   DTIC-indexed report record (inspection completed Nov 1978); search 'ARDM-2 mooring chains'

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official engineering record: NAVFAC requested and Underwater Construction Team ONE performed an underwater inspection of the mooring chains of ARDM-2 USS Alamogordo, moored in the Cooper River at the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot, Charleston, completed November 1978; the report recommended derating chains failing inspection criteria. Documents the dock's specific berth and an inspection event naming this hull.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1978

   Population

   UCT-1 divers; ARDM-2 crew

   Limitations

   Located at abstract/metadata level via the report index; the full text was not retrieved and no DTIC accession number was captured - treated as a located lead pending full-text pull. Content is mooring-chain condition, not materials or asbestos; its value here is berth/stationing documentation, not exposure evidence.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-08

10. [10]Bureau of Ships, 'Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, 1945,' Vol. III, floating drydock characteristics table (shipscribe.com digital edition) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NAVSHIPS Ships' Data 1945 Vol. III, floating drydocks table (p. 606 scan)

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    Official 1945 BuShips data table lists ARD-26 in the ARD-12-and-later group row: one-piece steel ship-form floating dock of the ~3,500-ton class, overall length 491'8", beam 81'0", inside clear width ~59', draft over blocks ~20'9" and submerged ~33'3", suitable for destroyers, submarines, and landing ships; construction year entries 1944-1944. Confirms the DANFS specification header against a contemporaneous official characteristics table.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1944-1945

    Population

    ARD-class crews (design context)

    Limitations

    Group-row characteristics (ARD-26 shares a row with other late ARDs), accessed through an OCR'd scan - figures consistent with DANFS but fine typography is partially legible. No materials or asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-09

11. [11]U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, May 1994 issue - 'Ships/Craft Placed Out of Service' status-changes list [reputable_press]

    Locator

    Proceedings May 1994, 'SHIPS/CRAFT PLACED OUT OF SERVICE' list

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    USNI Proceedings' official status-changes column records '23 Nov 1993 - Alamogordo (ARDM-2) - For disposal,' corroborating the NVR strike date and establishing the end of commissioned service.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1993-11-23

    Limitations

    Reputable professional naval publication, not itself the register of record - used here to corroborate NVR's 11/23/1993 stricken date and supply the 'for disposal' action wording. No materials or asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-10

12. [12]ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton), U.S. Navy floating drydocks table - ARD-26 row [other_primary]

    Locator

    shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/auxafd.htm, ARD table, ARD-26 row

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    Builder reference table lists ARD-26: Pacific Bridge Co., Alameda; 5,200 tons; ~489 ft; delivered June 1944; later ARDM-2; disposition to Ecuador - corroborating builder, tonnage, delivery month, and the ARD-26-to-ARDM-2-to-Ecuador chain.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1944

    Limitations

    Well-regarded secondary shipbuilding reference, not an official source - used for corroboration where official sources are silent (delivery month, builder yard location). The ~489 ft table length is a secondary figure vs. the official 491'8". No materials or asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-11

13. [13]U.S. Navy Bureau of Yards and Docks, 'Building the Navy's Bases in World War II' (GPO 1947), Chapter IX, Floating Drydocks (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Chapter IX, 'Floating Drydocks,' section 'Auxiliary Repair Dock' (HyperWar bases-9.html)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Official postwar Navy history describes the ARD-type wartime dock (the ARD-12-class design lineage of this hull): mobile steel unit dock, 'ship-form hull,' normal lifting capacity ~3,500 tons for destroyers, submarines, and small auxiliaries, each 'equipped with its own diesel-electric power plant, pumping plant, repair shops, and crew's accommodations' - railway-type diesel engines directly connected to generators, ballast pumping plants, welding equipment on machinery decks, a hull repair shop in the bow, and crew quarters and messing in the wing walls. No propulsion machinery was installed despite design provision; docks were towed between stations at 6-8 knots.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1942-1945 (design program as documented 1947)

    Population

    ARD-class crews and repair personnel (class context)

    Limitations

    Class/design description, not a hull record - the chapter describes the ARD design generally and does not name ARD-26, and it contains no materials or asbestos statements. The documented diesel-electric plant, pump rooms, welding equipment, and crew accommodations establish only the space types where era-typical insulation products would be expected; asbestos presence aboard this dock is inference, not ship-proven.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-12

14. [14]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 and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this dock was built at Pacific Bridge Co. in 1944 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in Navy and merchant construction.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1940s era documented; article 1987

    Population

    WWII shipyard workers and vessel crews (class context)

    Limitations

    Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, this vessel type, or Pacific Bridge Co. and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-13

15. [15]David, Ogawa, Takahashi et al., 'Health effects of asbestos exposure on Guam' literature review, Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health (2012), PMC3846257 / PMID 22550694; plus U.S. EPA Guam Shipyard inspection report (2013) [other_primary]

    Locator

    PMC3846257, Guam section; EPA Guam Shipyard facility inspection report (2013)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    Peer-reviewed review states that on Guam 'past exposure from military service is a possibility. Guam maintained active shipbuilding facilities even after WWII, and it is conceivable that both military and civilian workers who were involved in ship maintenance were exposed to asbestos.' The EPA facility report documents the Ship Repair Facility at Guam operating under the Navy from 1945 until its 1997 closure and subsequent lease to Guam shipyard operators - the industrial complex in which ARD-26 worked at Apra Harbor 1944-1962.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    facility era 1945-1997; literature 2012-2013

    Population

    Guam ship-repair and public-works workforce (facility context, 1945-1997)

    Limitations

    Facility- and island-level documentation only - neither source names ARD-26, Alamogordo, or any floating dock, and the review's phrasing is explicitly conjectural ('conceivable'). Establishes asbestos context for the repair complex around the dock, not the dock itself. Overlap of location, not of hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-14

16. [16]Pacific Daily News / The Post Guam reporting on Jacob v. PLENCO et al., District Court of Guam (filed ~2019) - complaint-stage coverage [reputable_press]

    Locator

    postguam.com / guampdn.com case coverage of Jacob v. PLENCO (D. Guam)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Eusebio and Marta Jacob v. PLENCO, Rockwell et al. (D. Guam): a journeyman electrician employed at the Navy Ship Repair Facility, Guam, 1962-1985, alleges asbestos exposure from products installed on ships repaired there. The complaint's named-vessel list (Asheville, Banner, Brister, Engage, Fortify, Grasp, Haverfield, Impervious, Inflict, Ponchatoula) does NOT include ARD-26/Alamogordo - and ARD-26 had left Guam by the 1962 start of the plaintiff's employment. Reporting is at the pleading stage; allegations, not adjudicated findings.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    employment alleged 1962-1985; filing ~2019

    Population

    SRF Guam workforce (facility context)

    Limitations

    Pleading-stage allegation coverage in reputable local press; the suit names other vessels and a shore facility, not this dock, and post-dates the dock's Guam tenure. Documents asbestos litigation activity around the same repair complex only - not evidence about this hull, and not a qualified vessel-litigation hit.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-15

17. [17]Atlas shipyard dataset (shipyards.json): charleston-naval-shipyard record (evidence_tier 2 - documented asbestos product list, litigation incl. Whalen v. John Crane and Twidwell verdicts, and a 1988 OSHA health-complaint inspection naming Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard Code 106); bethlehem-shipbuilding record (evidence_tier 3 - Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. aliases incl. Sparrows Point; occupational cohort study of Bethlehem Baltimore shipyard workers, PMID 7342758; EPA CERCLIS MD0000605049) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Atlas shipyards.json entries charleston-naval-shipyard and bethlehem-shipbuilding; College of Charleston ArchivesSpace, Carr papers collection

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Facility-level asbestos documentation exists at the project's shipyard records for both facilities that bracket this hull's ARDM-era service: Charleston Naval Shipyard (the dock's SubRon-18 support station 1965-circa 1991, moored at the Naval Ammunition Depot on the Cooper River) and Bethlehem Shipbuilding's Baltimore operation (the 1964-65 conversion yard). Press reporting and a College of Charleston archival collection (Carr papers, 'Asbestos Elimination Agendas and Meeting Minutes, 1979') independently corroborate asbestos-removal activity at the Charleston complex during the dock's stationing era.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    yard-era documentation, principally 1960s-1990s

    Population

    Charleston Naval Shipyard and Bethlehem Baltimore shipyard workforces (facility context)

    Limitations

    Shipyard/facility records only - they document asbestos conditions and litigation for the yards and their workforces, not for this drydock, its Navy crew, or materials within its structure. Stationing at an asbestos-documented facility is a location overlap, not vessel evidence.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-16

18. [18]CourtListener API v4 litigation sweep, 2026-09-26 (authenticated, via fleet helper cl-auth-search.py) [court_record]

    Locator

    CourtListener v4 search endpoint; zero qualifying hits naming the hull or its designations (ledger rows sl-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-14 through -22)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Authenticated searches across the vessel's designations: '"USS Alamogordo"' opinions returned 1 result - United States v. Newbold, 45 M.J. 109 (CAAF 1996), a Navy court-martial tried at Naval Base Charleston in which the vessel name appears as duty-station context (other litigation, not asbestos, not a liability finding). '"USS Alamogordo"' dockets returned 0. '"ARDM-2"' opinions returned 0; dockets returned 2 (State of California v. Ross; SEC v. MintBroker International - the string appears as an exhibit/identifier in unrelated civil matters). '"ARD-26"' opinions returned 1 (In re Marriage of Steven W. Ard and Marsha Ard-Phillips, Tex. App. 2015 - form/exhibit identifier collision); dockets returned 32, all screened as collisions (exhibit/Bates identifiers in unrelated civil litigation). '"Alamogordo"' + asbestos opinions returned 3 (Abraham v. WPX Energy; Bustillos v. Board of County Commissioners; In re Gen. Motors LLC - all collisions with the New Mexico city/its institutions). An OR-broadened '"Alamogordo"' dry-dock query returned 1,082 hits, all sampled results New Mexico city/entity collisions, confirming high collision mass for the bare name. No qualifying asbestos-litigation result naming this hull under any designation was located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    CourtListener indexes published opinions and RECAP dockets - null results cover indexed litigation only and do not reach trial-level filings, settled cases, or asbestos-trust claims. 'Alamogordo' is a high-collision place name; 'ARD-26'/'ARDM-2' strings collide with form and exhibit identifiers. One supplemental query ('"Alamogordo" mesothelioma OR asbestos') was blocked by the fleet pacing budget and logged as blocked in the search ledger rather than retried into a throttle. Absence of a case is not absence of exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-17

19. [19]Batch-2578 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; Naval Vessel Register; NavSource; MARAD Vessel History; NAVSHIPS Ships' Data 1945; HyperWar official histories; NARA Special List 44; DTIC index; USNI Proceedings; Atlas shipyards dataset; CourtListener name/hull searches [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-01 through sl-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-26

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material inventory, medical study, museum documentation, or docketed case naming ARD-26, ARDM-2, Alamogordo, or Rio Orellana was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). No historic designation (NRHP, NHL, or equivalent) located. The hull's survival in Ecuadorian drydock service means any original-material documentation would lie with Navy disposal records, the conversion yard's work packages, or the current operator - none located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-built wartime floating dock with machinery, shops, and berthing spaces is era-consistent with asbestos-containing construction, plus a 1964-65 industrial conversion, and the hull's continued survival means original-era materials may persist undocumented. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-18

20. [20]NARA Special List 44 (U.S. Navy deck logs by ship name/number), ARD-26 entry; NARA record-group structure (RG 181 naval shore establishments; RG 19 Bureau of Ships); DTIC/NAVFAC report; MARAD NDRF custody file [other_primary]

    Locator

    SL-44 index, 'ARD-26 6/15/1944 - 6/30/1945' entry; DTIC report index; NARA photo catalog

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (index-confirmed or located-but-not-retrieved; no spend authorized): NARA Special List 44 lists ARD-26 deck logs covering 15 June 1944 - 30 June 1945 (wartime period only; the 1945-1993 logs sit in later accession series at College Park). Bethlehem Steel Baltimore conversion work packages (1964-65) are the highest-value unretrieved lead for ship-specific materials documentation. The full 1978 NAVFAC/UCT-1 mooring-inspection report (DTIC accession number not captured). Any casualty/investigation report for the 10 November 1965 Charleston sinking (only a photo caption is currently located). NDRF James River custody file 1995-2001 and the Ecuador Security Assistance Program transfer papers. Original captions/records for NARA 80-G Guam-docking photos and USN 1115182-B.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1944-2001 records

    Limitations

    Index-level confirmation only - the wartime deck logs exist in SL-44 but were not retrieved or surveyed (deck logs rarely carry material detail in any case). Existence of asbestos-specific documents in any of these files is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamogordo-ardm2-19