Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]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 emergency program under which this C1-M-AV1 hull was mass-produced (Maritime Commission Design AV, contracts approved 1943-09-02 for 100 ships) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or the C1-M-AV1 type 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-alamosa-ak156-01
-
[2]shipscribe.com, USS Alamosa (AK-156) Class page - class notes (CNO-to-BuShips directive of 1 Jul 44) and AK-156 ship note (ferry commission 10-25 Aug 44; conversion by Commercial Iron Works, Portland, begun 30 Aug 44) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class Notes paragraph ('On 1 Jul 44 CNO asked BuShips to convert three ships of this class (AK-156, 158, and 160) ... insulation and ventilation in the ammunition cargo holds and special stowage for pyrotechnics') and Ship Notes row for AK-156
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ship-specific conversion-scope record: shipscribe class notes (compiled from Navy sources) record that on 1944-07-01 CNO asked the Bureau of Ships to convert three ships of this class - AK-156, AK-158, and AK-160, this hull among them - for service as ammunition tenders for advanced Central Pacific bases, 'the conversions to include insulation and ventilation in the ammunition cargo holds and special stowage for pyrotechnics'; the ships retained their AK classification. The ship note for AK-156 records the conversion by Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Ore., begun 1944-08-30 - matching DANFS's decommissioning-for-conversion window (1944-08-25 to 1944-09-25).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Commercial Iron Works conversion-yard trades (Portland, Aug-Sep 1944); Navy crew embarked at recommissioning
- Limitations
- Ship-specific documentation that insulation was installed in this hull's ammunition cargo holds during the Aug-Sep 1944 Commercial Iron Works conversion - the insulating material is NOT identified (the word 'asbestos' does not appear); 1944-era ship insulation commonly contained asbestos, but asbestos content aboard this hull is not established by this record. shipscribe is a compiled reference (Tim Colton, coltoncompany lineage), not a primary document; the underlying CNO/BuShips directive is paraphrased, not quoted verbatim. Does not establish quantity, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-02
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[3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. I - 'Alamosa' (AK-156) entry (Wayback capture of NHHC danfs/a4/alamosa.htm; canonical NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Vol. I 'Alamosa' full entry via Wayback Machine capture 2014-10-19 of history.navy.mil/danfs/a4/alamosa.htm; canonical https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/alamosa.html returned 404 (standing NHHC link rot, same as batches 01 and 808)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (Vol. I) 'Alamosa' entry records: namesake 'a town in Conejos County, Colo.'; stat line (AK-156: dp. 7,450; l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21'; s. 11.5 k.; cpl. 79; a. 1 3", 6 20mm.; cl. Alamosa; T. C1-M-AV1). Laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2101) 1943-11-15 at Richmond, Calif., by Kaiser Cargo, Inc.; launched 1944-04-14, sponsored by Mrs. J. J. Mullane; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 1944-08-10, Lt. Comdr. K. C. Ingraham in command. After brief fitting out in the San Francisco Bay area, sailed for Portland, Oreg.; entered the Commercial Iron Works yards and decommissioned 1944-08-25 for conversion to an ammunition issue ship; recommissioned 1944-09-25; underway 1944-10-06 for shakedown out of San Pedro; took on ammunition at Mare Island; sailed November for the Marshall Islands; arrived Eniwetok 1944-12-07, assigned Service Squadron 8; for the duration of WWII carried ammunition and cargo between Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam, Ulithi, Peleliu, and Leyte. Post-hostilities: drydocked Apra Harbor, Guam 1945-10-01; repairs complete, underway 1946-01-07 for home; arrived Seattle 1946-01-27; decommissioned there 1946-05-20; turned over to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration for disposal; struck from the Navy list 1946-06-14. DANFS closes: 'the ship remained in the hands of the Maritime Commission until early 1970 when she disappeared from merchant ship registers.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Population
- Navy crew (cpl. 79 per DANFS); ammunition/cargo handling between Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam, Ulithi, Peleliu, Leyte
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity, chronology, and operations. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material statement - the Commercial Iron Works conversion is documented as an event only, with no materials scope described. The closing line ('disappeared from merchant ship registers' early 1970) is imprecise against MARAD custody records showing the hull at Olympia NDRF until sale/delivery in May 1972 - see correction row.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-03
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ALAMOSA (AK-156), Ship History Detail 87 (vessel status card scans 7I_01.png, 87_161AB.jpg, 87_161AF.jpg, 87_AF.jpg incl. Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales and reserve-fleet vessel-data card; ALAMOSA.pdf transfer ledger) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 87 - status-card scans read directly (cards/7I_01.png custody face; cards/87_161AF.jpg reserve-fleet data card; cards/87_AF.jpg Form MA-20; cards/87_161AB.jpg tonnage/BHP fragment; documents/9e87b69b-9a6f-4ae1-91cd-6549dc25852c.pdf transfer ledger); milestones table Entry 5/22/1946, Sold 5/1/1972, Delivered 5/19/1972
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory records for this hull (Detail 87 'ALAMOSA (AK-156)'): MARAD type C1-M-AV1; shipyard 'Kaiser Company'; year built 1944; register dims 321.40 ft x 50 ft, depth 29; gross 3,805 / net 2,123; cargo capacity 3,945; fate 'Sold -NTU'. Vessel status card reads: Hull No. 2101; 'Built by Kaiser Richmond Yard #4 at Richmond, Cal.' with yard annotation '(R4) #58'; completed 8-10-44; 'Basis to W.S.A. 8-10-44 @ Richmond, Cal. del. by Builders to USMC'; allocation table shows 'Navy Dept. (Del. by USMC)' under agreement form 'LB' at Richmond 8-10-44 - i.e., delivered by builder to USMC, based to WSA, and bareboat-allocated to the Navy all the same day; 'USMC Reserve Fleet' entry 5-22-46 1:00 PM PST at Olympia, Wash., 'from Navy Dept. - Surplus'. Reserve-fleet vessel-data card: ownership WSA; fleet Olympia (unit notation partially legible); entered fleet 5-22-46; hull MC-2101; field note 'Special usage ship - Emergency Mobilization Planning' citing a Fleming memo of 1959-07-17 and a second memo of 1959-07-23 (author partially legible); fuel oil on entry 5,000 bbls diesel; 'Termination port, last voyage: HAMPTON ROADS' (unexplained against DANFS's Seattle decommissioning - flagged, not resolved); tonnage DWT 4967 (vs 5032 on the status card and MA-20 - variance logged); card fragment carries 'BHP 1700' and 'Dky. Blr.' (donkey boiler). Transfer ledger (ALAMOSA.pdf) confirms Navy Department -> War Shipping Admin. and WSA -> Reserve Fleet, both 5-22-46 1:00 PM PST Olympia, 'Surplus / Lay Up'. Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales: PD-X-934; awarded to American Ship Dismantlers, Inc. 5-1-72; contract MA-6678; purchase price typed $6,227.22 with a pencil figure reading approximately 36,227.22 struck through above it; advertised under PD-X-934 dated 3-29-72, opened 4-27-72, under two conditions - (1) NTU, (2) Scrap Hull - U.S.; 'Award under condition (1) NTU'; location of vessel Olympia, Washington Reserve Fleet; physical delivery 5-19-72 1:00 PM PDT. Database milestone table agrees on PD-X-934 and 5-1-72 but carries the price as $36,277.22 - see correction row.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Limitations
- Authoritative government custody record for this hull; status-card handwriting read against typed fields (the 1959 memo authors and the reserve-fleet unit notation are partially legible; the struck pencil price figure is read as approximately 36,227.22). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or machinery-manufacturer detail beyond 'BHP 1700' and 'Dky. Blr.' - supports no asbestos claim. The NTU (non-transportation use) award condition indicates the hull was not to return to service, but the card does not state the dismantling site or date.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-04
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[5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Alamosa (AK-156) page (compiled reference incl. DANFS transcription, awards table, CO list, specifications) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/09/13/130156.htm - full page incl. specifications block, commanding-officer table, awards
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-156 page) records the same chronology as DANFS plus: call sign NEFD; ribbons American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal (no battle stars); command history LCDR K. C. Ingraham (10 Aug - 25 Aug 1944), decommissioned for conversion, LCDR George Zimmerman (25 Sep 1944 - 2 May 1945), LCDR William Charles Ball (2 May - 7 Jun 1945), LT Francis M. Hillman (7 Jun 1945 - 20 May 1946); specs - 2,382 t (lt) / 7,450 t (fl); 338'8" x 50' x 21'1"; 11.5 kts; complement 10 officers + 69 enlisted; largest boom 30 t; cargo capacity 3,945 DWT incl. 9,830 cu ft refrigerated / 227,730 cu ft non-refrigerated; armament 1x3"/50 DP + 6x20mm AA; fuel 6,300 bbls diesel; propulsion one Nordberg Diesel TSM 6, two 250 kW 120/240 V DC diesel-drive ship's-service generators, single propeller, 1,750 shp; final disposition 'sold for scrapping, 1 May 1972 (PD-X-734) for $6,227.22, to American Ship Dismantlers Inc., for non-transportation use; removed from the Reserve Fleet, 19 May 1972'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1972
- Limitations
- NavSource is a privately compiled standard reference, not a government publication; its spec block presumably derives from standard compilations - not independently corroborated here. Its sale number 'PD-X-734' conflicts with the MARAD MA-20 card and milestone table (PD-X-934) - see correction row. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-05
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[6]shipbuildinghistory.com - Kaiser Richmond No. 4 yard page (compiled yard table and history) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Kaiser Richmond No. 4 page - yard history paragraph and row for hull 58 / MC 2101
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder-yard context: Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 was an emergency yard developed by Kaiser Cargo, Inc., with three ways in the fifth wave of shipbuilding expansion; originally intended as an expansion of Richmond #3 (designated Richmond #3A), it was assigned separate management, renamed Richmond #4, located on the south side of the inner end of the channel at Wharf Street, and closed at the end of the war. The yard table carries this hull as yard no. 58, original name ALAMOSA, type C1-M-AV1, MC no. 2101, delivered Aug-44, 'To USN as AK 156, scrapped 1972'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 construction workforce (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Yard-level context for the builder of this hull; documents the facility's emergency-yard nature and the hull's yard number, but contains no asbestos or materials information and establishes nothing about materials aboard this hull. The Atlas shipyards.json slug 'kaiser-shipyards' covers the Richmond complex generally, not Yard No. 4 specifically.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-06
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[7]shipbuildinghistory.com Commercial Iron Works yard page; Oregon Public Broadcasting 'Zidell's Willamette River Cleanup Is Coming to a Close'; Daily Journal of Commerce (Portland) 'Zidell plans waterfront development after cleanup'; EPA Documerica photo, NARA catalog id 548109 (April 1973, American Ship Dismantling Division, Willamette River, Portland) via Digital Public Library of America [reputable_press]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/commercial.htm; opb.org Zidell cleanup article; djcoregon.com 2009-12-22; dp.la/item/422aa612e3a2207b78e59a0f30e55c5f (EPA/NARA Documerica, Apr 1973)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Conversion-yard and disposal-site context: (a) Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR - the yard that performed this hull's Aug-Sep 1944 ammunition-issue conversion - was founded November 1916 on a 30-acre site south of the Ross Island Bridge, built about 185-188 vessels for the U.S. Navy during WWII, closed in 1946, and the site was sold to Zidell Marine as a ship-dismantling facility (shipbuildinghistory; DJC/OPB reputable press). Reputable press documents asbestos among contaminants left at that site by the post-war shipbreaking industry (OPB coverage of the Zidell cleanup; Herald & News on the Willamette 'toxic graveyard'). (b) The 1972 buyer, American Ship Dismantlers, Inc., was a Portland shipbreaking firm - EPA's Documerica program photographed 'American Ship Dismantling Division' scrap heaps on the Willamette River at Portland in April 1973 (NARA catalog id 548109 via DPLA), the period in which this hull was dismantled.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1916-1973
- Population
- Conversion-yard trades (1944); shipbreaking workforce (1972 era)
- Limitations
- Facility-level context only - documents that both the conversion yard's successor site and the buyer's industry involved documented asbestos contamination and shipbreaking, but establishes nothing about materials aboard this specific hull or during its 1944 conversion. The MA-20 card does not state where the hull was dismantled; Portland (the buyer's location) is a reasonable inference, not a documented fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-07
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[8]Batch-833 search ledger (this record): DANFS Wayback mirror; MARAD ShipHistory 87 + status cards + MA-20; NavSource; HyperWar; shipscribe; shipbuildinghistory (Kaiser Richmond #4, Commercial Iron Works); NVR hull check; CourtListener (API throttled; Google-indexed check); web-wide litigation search; NARA catalog; NavalCoverMuseum [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-alamosa-ak156-01 through sl-uss-alamosa-ak156-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS Alamosa / AK-156 / MC hull 2101 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was sold in May 1972 under a non-transportation-use (NTU) condition to a Portland shipbreaking firm - predating the Navy's asbestos-control programs of the late 1970s and NESHAP demolition rules - so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist for this hull. The ship appears on bulk law-firm marketing lists of Navy hulls (e.g., freeasbestostesting.com, mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com, duboselawfirm.com, levylaw.com); those lists enumerate every Navy ship and carry no ship-specific evidence - classified non-qualifying and not cited.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 C1-M-AV1 hull with a documented insulation installation in its ammunition holds is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Direct CourtListener API queries were rate-limited (125/day quota exhausted; 429, ~4.3h backoff); the Google-indexed CourtListener check returned only Colorado county/city name collisions - no hull-naming opinion - but an exhaustive opinion/docket sweep was not completed; residual litigation-discovery risk is noted rather than resolved. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-08
-
[9]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS Vol. I (Wayback mirror); NavSource AK-156 page; MARAD Detail 87 status cards and MA-20; shipscribe AK-156 class page; HyperWar Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945 AK-156 table; NavalCoverMuseum ALAMOSA AK 156 page; Colorado 1913 session law 'To Establish the County of Alamosa' (scholar.law.colorado.edu/session-laws-1901-1950/1532); Colorado Encyclopedia 'Alamosa County' [other_primary]
- Locator
- Per-item: NavSource final-disposition line vs MARAD card 87_AF.jpg (MA-20) and Detail 87 milestones; strike-date columns; complement lines; spec blocks; shipscribe Class Notes; scholar.law.colorado.edu 1913 session law; coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/alamosa-county; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/ALAMOSA_AK_156
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Sale number - NavSource carries 'PD-X-734' while the MARAD MA-20 card and milestone table carry PD-X-934; the card and milestone agree, so PD-X-934 is adopted and '734' treated as a transcription error. (b) Sale price - the MA-20 card shows $6,227.22 typed with a pencil annotation reading approximately 36,227.22 struck through above it; the MARAD milestone table carries $36,277.22; NavSource agrees with the typed $6,227.22 - typed card value adopted, pencil/milestone figures disclosed. (c) Strike date - DANFS, NavSource, and NavalCoverMuseum carry 1946-06-14; the shipscribe disposition table carries 1946-06-19 - DANFS adopted, variant disclosed. (d) Commissioning framing - DANFS/NavSource show commissioned 1944-08-10, decommissioned 1944-08-25, recommissioned 1944-09-25; shipscribe labels the 10-25 Aug period a 'ferry commission' and lists 25 Sep 44 in its 'Commiss.' column - consistent events, different labeling. (e) Complement - DANFS cpl. 79, NavSource 10 officers + 69 enlisted (79), HyperWar 79 agree; shipscribe class table carries 69 and the MC Design AV intent was 8 officers + 67 men (75) - DANFS adopted. (f) Dimensions/tonnage - length 338'6" (DANFS) / 338'8" (NavSource) / 339' (HyperWar) / 338.5' oa and 320.0' wl (shipscribe) / 321.4' register (MARAD card); DWT 5,032 (MA-20 and status card) / 4,967 (reserve-fleet card) / 3,945 (NavSource and MARAD 'cargo capacity' fields) / 3,500 (HyperWar) / 6,000 design intent (shipscribe class notes); full-load displacement 7,450 (DANFS/NavSource/shipscribe) vs 7,435 (HyperWar); light displacement 2,382 (NavSource) vs 2,474 (shipscribe); speed 11.5 (DANFS/NavSource/shipscribe) vs 12 (HyperWar); rated power 1,750 shp (NavSource/shipscribe) vs 'BHP 1700' (MARAD card fragment) vs 1,700 (HyperWar). (g) Namesake - DANFS records 'a town in Conejos County, Colo.'; the town of Alamosa has been the seat of Alamosa County since that county was created 1913-03-08 (Colorado session law, CU Law Scholarly Commons; Colorado Encyclopedia) - DANFS's county attribution reflects the town's original county (pre-1913) or is simply stale. (h) DANFS closing line - 'remained in the hands of the Maritime Commission until early 1970 when she disappeared from merchant ship registers' is imprecise: MARAD cards document Olympia NDRF custody until sale 1972-05-01 and delivery 1972-05-19. (i) NavalCoverMuseum carries 'Decommissioned 25 August 1945' for the conversion period - the correct year is 1944 (all other sources agree); treated as a typo. (j) Reserve-fleet card 'Termination port, last voyage: HAMPTON ROADS' is unreconciled with DANFS's Seattle arrival/decommissioning narrative - carried as a card datum, unexplained.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1972 (dates reconciled 2026-09-20)
- Limitations
- Resolves nothing by fiat - records which source says what so downstream consumers inherit the conflicts honestly. Where a primary record and a compiled reference disagree, the primary record (MARAD card, DANFS) is adopted and the variant disclosed. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-09
-
[10]NARA record-group guidance: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records; MARAD sale documentation (PD-X-934 / MA-6678 referenced on status cards) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov/research/military/logbooks (post-1941 Navy deck logs at College Park); archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html; catalog.archives.gov returned only its JS application shell to automated query on 2026-09-20 - no digitized AK-156 log confirmed
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for AK-156 (1944-46) at Archives II, College Park - the fitting-out period (Aug 1944, San Francisco Bay area), the Commercial Iron Works conversion (Aug-Sep 1944), shakedown, and the ammunition runs would be logged there; (b) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division records may hold the MC hull 2101 contract and C1-M-AV1 outfitting specifications for Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 hull 58; (c) Bureau of Ships conversion records for the Commercial Iron Works ammunition-issue availability (directive of 1944-07-01, work begun 1944-08-30) - the likeliest surviving source identifying the insulation material installed in the ammunition cargo holds; (d) MARAD sale file PD-X-934 / contract MA-6678 (1972) for any condition statements attached to the NTU sale; (e) the 1959 'special usage ship - emergency mobilization planning' memos referenced on the reserve-fleet card (Fleming memo 1959-07-17 and a second memo 1959-07-23) would document what preservation/inspection was done and reported.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1972 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alamosa-ak156-10