Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
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[1]Naval Vessel Register ship detail MERCER (APL 39) ex-APB 39; NavSource APL-39/APB-39 page (archives/10/13/1339.htm); DANFS 'Mercer II (APB-39)' - designation chain corroborated across all three [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page title block ('APL-39 / ex Mercer (IX-502) (1975-2001) / USS Mercer (APB-39) (1945-1975)') and chronology; NVR title block (Wayback 2021-11-07)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Same-hull consolidation: this record and the primary corpus record uss-mercer-apb39 (Tier 2) represent one physical hull - authorized as Barracks Craft (non-self-propelled) APL-39 on 17 December 1943, reclassified self-propelled barracks ship APB-39 in August 1944 before construction, built as and commissioned USS Mercer (APB-39), reclassified IX-502 circa 1974-75, and reclassified back to non-self-propelled Barracks Craft APL-39 on 7 March 2001 for the COMPACFLT berthing program at Sasebo until disposal in December 2024. All evidence rows apply to the same hull under its successive designations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-2024
- Limitations
- Establishes identity continuity only. The first APL-39 designation (Dec 1943 - Aug 1944) existed only on paper - the hull was laid down, launched, and commissioned as APB-39; the second APL-39 era (2001-2024) was uncommissioned 'in service' status. During the APL era the NVR retained the name Mercer ('MERCER (APL 39)'). No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-00
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Mercer II (APB-39)' (NHHC; live URL returned 404 2026-09-26, text verified verbatim via Wayback capture 2024-05-26) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Mercer II (APB-39)', full text (Wayback 20240526184035)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents this hull as USS Mercer (APB-39): 'The second Mercer (APB-39), originally APL-39, was reclassified APB-39, 7 August 1944; laid down 24 August 1944 by Boston Navy Yard; launched as APB-39, 17 November 1944: sponsored by Mrs. Lillian Gaudette; named Mercer 14 March 1945; and commissioned 19 September 1945, Lt. Comdr. Edward E. Vezey, Jr., USNR, in command.' Berthing/messing duty at New York from 7 November 1945 (DANFS prints '1915' - a typo; all other sources give 1945); Inactive Fleet January 1946; Orange, Tex., to spring 1947; decommissioned Green Cove Springs 18 June 1947; recommissioned 12 October 1951; receiving ship Naples, Italy, to 1 July 1952; barracks ship for Mobile Construction Battalions at Davisville, R.I.; three Argentia, Newfoundland deployments (1953, 1954, 1955); berthed USMMA midshipmen for the 1953 Eisenhower inaugural; decommissioned Green Cove Springs 17 February 1956; reactivated, modernized at Long Beach; recommissioned 11 May 1968; Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, San Diego 2 June; arrived Vung Tau 31 July 1968 supporting Mobile Riverine Force operations. Specs per DANFS header: dp. 4,080; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 11'2"; s. 10 k.; cpl. 141; trp. 1,226; a. 8 40mm, 8 20mm; cl. Benewah.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1969
- Population
- Ship's company; up to ~1,226 embarked personnel per DANFS header
- Limitations
- DANFS text ends in 1969 ('into 1969 she has supported...') - written while the ship was still in Vietnam; post-1969 history (1970 decommissioning, IX-502/APL-39 eras, 2024 disposal) comes from other rows. Contains no asbestos information. Live NHHC page 404s - same link-rot pattern as Batch-01; Wayback capture is the cited copy. DANFS is the official Navy ship-history publication and covers this hull under its commissioned APB-39 name.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-01
-
[3]Naval Vessel Register, MERCER (APL 39) ex-APB 39, 'BARRACKS CRAFT (N-S-P)' (NAVSEA/NAVSHIPSO; live detail page now redirects - hull removed from register after disposal; cited via Wayback capture 2021-11-07, re-verified 2026-09-26) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR ship detail page APL 39, vessel status + milestone dates + program characteristics tables
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NVR register data for the hull under its APL designation: page title 'MERCER (APL 39)' ex '(APB 39)', type 'BARRACKS CRAFT (N-S-P)'; UIC 01659; class APB 35; builder 'Naval Shipyard Boston'; award 08/04/1944, keel 08/25/1944, launch 11/17/1944, delivery 09/18/1945, commission 09/19/1945; propulsion type 'Diesel Engines'; accommodations 39 officers / 1,300 enlisted; custodian 'COMPACFLT BERTHING & MESSING PROGRAM, PEARL HARBOR, HI'; planning yard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & IMF; program manager PMS 325; page last updated 06/27/2018; status line 'Reclassed, hull reclassed to - APL' dated 06/01/1974.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- record last updated 2018-06-27; capture 2021-11-07
- Population
- Berthing-barge residents: crews of ships in maintenance availabilities (rotating population)
- Limitations
- NVR keel date (08/25/1944) conflicts with DANFS laid-down date (24 August 1944) - logged in gaps. NVR status-date 06/01/1974 is ambiguous (the hull was still APB-39 in service until 1975; it likely records the IX-502 or APL reclassification bookkeeping, not a physical change). Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-02
-
[4]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VBA), 'Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents' (ship list maintained for VA regional offices under 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(iii); verbatim 2021 copy hosted by VFW Florida, re-verified by full-text extraction 2026-09-26 - 'USS Mercer (APB-39)' in the Category I list) [other_primary]
- Locator
- VA ship list, Category I inland-waterways section, entry 'USS Mercer (APB-39)'
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- VA lists USS Mercer (APB-39) by name in Category I - 'Ships operating primarily or exclusively on Vietnam's inland waterways' - making service aboard this hull qualifying service for the Agent Orange herbicide-exposure presumption for the listed period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- list current through 2021 edition; ship's qualifying period 1968-1969
- Population
- Veterans embarked aboard Mercer in Vietnam, 1968-1969
- Limitations
- This is a HERBICIDE-exposure determination, not an asbestos record - it establishes only that VA concedes herbicide exposure for service aboard this hull, and confirms (via official records) that the hull operated on Vietnam's inland waterways as APB-39. It does not establish or imply any asbestos condition or claim eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-03
-
[5]GSA Personal Property Management System (PPMS) auction record, sale no. 11QSCI25051, auctionId 307208, lot 1: 'APL 39: Non-Self Propelled Lighter Barrack Craft' (public API record re-verified live 2026-09-26) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ppms.gov API getAuction/307208 (public JSON record); gsaauctions.gov listing page 307208
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The hull was offered for public sale under its final designation as 'APL 39: Non-Self Propelled Lighter Barrack Craft' at 'U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Naval Base, Sasebo, AJ 96322 (FPO AP)'. Auction 307208 opened 2024-12-02 and closed 2024-12-30, status Closed, 8 bidders, minimum bid $70,200, FSC 1910 (ships/small craft/pontoons). Sale completion confirmed by a COMPACFLT N43 (Fleet Maintenance) official's public statement, Feb 2025: 'we sold APL-39 ... avoided $1.5M in disposal costs and replaced her with overhauled APL-40 and the new YRBM-57.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2024-12-02 - 2025-02 (sale confirmation)
- Population
- Buyer/recycling workers (post-sale); Sasebo berthing residents pre-sale
- Limitations
- The public PPMS API returns the auction core record; the lot description and uploaded sale documents - which typically carry the asbestos/lead-paint/PCB hazmat clauses in GSA vessel sales - sit behind bidder authentication and could not be retrieved; whether the listing carried an asbestos disclosure is unknown. Buyer and post-sale disposition are not in the public record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-04
-
[6]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History Magazine, 'Historic Fleets' (October 2001), Benewah-class berthing barges profile [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Naval History Magazine, October 2001, 'Historic Fleets' article
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- USNI documents the class and this hull: six Benewahs (APB-35 through -40) authorized 17 December 1943 as APL-35-40, retyped APB 'Barracks Ship, Self Propelled' 8 August 1944, all built by Boston Navy Yard to a modified LST design on the 328-foot hull with two 800-horsepower diesels; Mercer's full-load figure 2,189 tons, crew 141, berthing/dining for 1,226 passengers, six 40-foot personnel launches. Four modified hulls (incl. Mercer) served as riverine force flagships in Vietnam (lengthened 03 deckhouse, helicopter platform, tripod mast, two quad 40mm plus two 3-inch guns). Post-1970: Mercer and Nueces modified and reactivated 1 November 1975 as IX-502/IX-503 for non-self-propelled accommodations at shipyards; hull numbers returned to APL-39/APL-40 on 7 March 2001.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-2001
- Limitations
- USNI is a reputable secondary source, not an official register - dates corroborate NavSource/NVR but minor conflicts exist (full-load tonnage 2,189 vs DANFS dp. 4,080; class retype dated 8 Aug vs DANFS hull-specific 7 Aug 1944). USNI (Oct 2001) places Mercer at San Diego while NavSource photos place her at Sasebo circa 2000 - location sequence 1997-2001 not fully resolved. Article text verified 2026-09-25; live page returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-09-26. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-05
-
[7]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, 'APL-39 ex Mercer (IX-502) / USS Mercer (APB-39)' (volunteer-compiled per-hull record; secondary source, re-verified 2026-09-26) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 10/13/1339.htm, title block, chronology block, and campaign table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource compiles the record under the APL-39 page title ('APL-39 / ex Mercer (IX-502) (1975-2001) / USS Mercer (APB-39) (1945-1975)'): authorized 17 December 1943 as Barracks Ship (non-self propelled) APL-39; reclassified APB-39 8 August 1944; commissioned USS Mercer (APB-39) 19 September 1945; decommissioned 7 January 1970; four Vietnam campaign stars (Counteroffensive Phase V, Phase VI, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969) plus Presidential Unit Citation and Navy Unit Commendation; one Purple Heart fatality (CS1 Thomas E. Sheppard, KIA 22 November 1968); reclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary IX-502 (messing/berthing barge), in service 1 November 1975 at U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility Sasebo; served as barracks ship at Willamette Iron and Steel Works, Portland, OR, mid-1970s; reclassified Barracks Ship (non-self propelled) APL-39 7 March 2001; part of the CincPacFlt Berthing and Messing Program berthed at SRF Det. Sasebo; final disposition by public sale at Sasebo December 2024.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-2024
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked personnel
- Limitations
- NavSource is an unofficial compilation - used for the post-1970 chronology that DANFS does not cover; dates consistent with USNI/NVR where overlapping. The Willamette Iron & Steel barracks-ship stint is NavSource-only (no primary source located) - logged in gaps. Award list (4 stars, PUC, NUC, CAR x4, RVN citations) is compiled from official data but not re-verified against the NHHC/OPNAV awards list this session. NavSource spec block (12 kts; 2x quad 40mm, 8x .50cal, 10x .30cal) differs from DANFS header figures (10 k.; 8 40mm, 8 20mm) - both recorded, discrepancy noted.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-06
-
[8]Consolidated era inference - WWII Boston Navy Yard construction on a modified LST hull; BuShips-era amphibious/auxiliary construction practice [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class technical data (LST-hull APB design, Boston Navy Yard 1944-45)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a 1944-45 Boston Navy Yard-built self-propelled barracks ship on a modified LST hull: diesel propulsion (no boilers) narrows the steam-lagging pathway; asbestos-relevant applications are GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings and tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation (a purpose-built berthing ship carried unusually extensive accommodation-space insulation scope), machinery packing, and winch/crane brake linings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-2024
- Population
- Boston Navy Yard construction trades (1944-45); ship's company; embarked personnel; Long Beach NSY modernization workers (1967-68); maintenance crews at every berthing-barge assignment
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no member hull record or ship-specific material schedule located. The barracks-ship mission made accommodation insulation the dominant interior material aboard, but its fiber content is not documented for this hull. Establishes no quantities and no individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-07
-
[9]Task & Purpose, 'The Navy has a floating barracks that is somehow worse than living on an actual ship' (29 July 2021) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Task & Purpose article body, 'old as hell' paragraph (verbatim quote re-verified 2026-09-26)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Contemporary press documents the program cohort this hull belonged to as APL-39: '13 of the service's current fleet of 18 [berthing barges] were built between 1944 and 1946, back when lead paint and asbestos were industry standards.' APL-39 was one of those WWII-era barges still in the COMPACFLT berthing program in 2021 (sold out of it Dec 2024).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2021
- Population
- Sailors berthed on WWII-era APL barges (program-wide)
- Limitations
- Fleet-level characterization - the article does not name APL-39 or any single hull, and 'industry standards' is journalism, not a survey. Establishes era context for the berthing-barge fleet, not asbestos aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-08
-
[10]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure', HRD-80-2 (18 October 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2; indexed PDF text
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-control posture during the period this hull was in service as IX-502: the Navy's reported position (1979) was that all ships in service contained some quantity of asbestos, and standing policy (OPNAVINST 6260.1, 1974/1978) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs - so WWII-era insulation typically remained in place aboard retained hulls for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and in-service crews (program-wide)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not ship- or class-specific; gao.gov blocks automated fetch (HTTP 403 confirmed again 2026-09-26) - content verified via product-page description and search-indexed PDF text. Fieldwork yards in the report were Long Beach and Norfolk naval shipyards.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-09
-
[11]Batch-2494 + batch-2404 search ledgers (same hull): DANFS/NHHC, Naval Vessel Register, VA ship list, GSA/PPMS auction record, USNI Naval History, NavSource, GAO reports, CourtListener ship-name and hull-number sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-39-apl39-01 through sl-uss-apl-39-apl39-08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, FOIA release, or docketed case naming this hull under any designation (USS Mercer / APB-39 / IX-502 / APL-39) was found in the public sources searched across this session and the batch-2404 session on the same hull (see search_ledger). The GSA sale documents most likely to carry a hazmat clause are behind bidder authentication and were not retrievable.
- 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 - the hull was built in 1944-45 to WWII Navy practice and served until 2024, an era and program consistent with retained era materials. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-10
-
[12]USS Nueces (APB-40) command history report to the Director of Naval History (1968-69, scanned Navy document hosted by NavSource - live URL confirmed 200 on 2026-09-26) + archival leads [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource-hosted Nueces command report PDF (1340c.pdf); NARA Riverside photo numbers from NavSource captions
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Primary-era Navy document names this hull: Nueces' command history records that 'NUECES, accompanied by USS MERCER (APB-39) departed [the Republic of Vietnam]' on 22 August 1969 and that the two sailed together from San Diego via Pearl Harbor and Subic Bay. Unretrieved leads: US Naval Shipyard Long Beach photo series LB051668-50131/-50132/-50134 (Mercer sea trials, early 1968, now NARA Riverside); Mercer's own command operation reports (NHHC archives); GSA lot documents for sale 11QSCI25051 (bidder-authenticated); Boston Navy Yard construction records for the hull (NARA RG 181).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-1969 (document); leads open
- Limitations
- Lead list, not retrieved content - the Nueces PDF is a NavSource-hosted scan of an official command report (OCR quality poor); the NHHC command-report index path for Mercer was not located (direct-URL probes 404). None of the leads is expected to contain asbestos data except possibly GSA sale documents and yard work packages.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-11
-
[13]CourtListener API v4 opinion + docket sweeps via authenticated fleet helper (cl-auth-search.py); opinion sweep results per batch-2404 same-hull ledger 2026-09-25 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger row sl-uss-apl-39-apl39-07; batch-2404 ledger sl-uss-mercer-apb39-05; MDL-875 docket 1245688 entry 8040-2
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener coverage for this hull across the two same-hull sessions. Opinion sweeps completed 2026-09-25 under batch-2404 - '"USS Mercer" asbestos' (0), '"APB-39"' (0), '"APL-39" asbestos' (0), '"USS Mercer"' (0), '"IX-502"' (0). Docket sweeps completed this session (2026-09-26): '"APL-39"' = 2 hits, both patent cases (Smartflash LLC v. Apple Inc., E.D. Tex. 6:13-cv-00447; Brassica Protection Products v. Caudill Seed Warehouse, S.D.N.Y. 1:07-cv-07844) - name collisions, not asbestos. '"APB-39"' = 3 hits: (a) IN RE: Asbestos Products Liability Litigation (No. VI), MDL No. 875 (J.P.M.L.) - the match lands in docket entry 8040-2, a 2011 Notice of Potential Tag-Along attaching the complaint in Nash et al v. Huntington Ingalls (N.D. Cal. 3:11-cv-05356-EMC); the 'APB-39' text match sits inside that complaint - a pleading-stage allegation at most, and the document itself is unretrievable (RECAP storage returns NoSuchKey), so whether the match is a vessel-list entry or an incidental string is unverified; (b) United States v. QTC Medical Services (C.D. Cal. 2:14-cv-08961, False Claims Act qui tam) - incidental name mention in a 332-page complaint, name collision; (c) HZNP Finance v. Actavis (Fed. Cir. 17-2149, patent) - name collision. Docket sweep '"IX-502"' = 5 hits, all unrelated civil cases (LG.Philips LCD v. Tatung, D. Del. patent; DeSpain v. Louisville Metro Gov't, W.D. Ky. prisoner civil rights; Doe v. Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education, W.D.N.C.; Mintz v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield, D. Mass.; Doe 1 v. Howard University, D.D.C.) - the string matches are exhibit/Bates-type fragments, name collisions. No qualifying asbestos litigation adjudicated against or naming this hull was located; the single asbestos-context docket hit is an unadjudicated pleading mention.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-25/26
- Limitations
- Litigation-stage discipline: the MDL-875 tag-along attachment is a complaint - a pleading allegation, not a finding - and the matched document could not be retrieved (RECAP NoSuchKey), so the 'APB-39' match context is unverified; even if it is a vessel-list entry it is unadjudicated. '"IX-502"' docket sweep completed 2026-09-26 after pacing waits - all 5 hits are unrelated civil cases (exhibit/Bates-type string collisions). Name-match searches cannot prove no filing exists - pleadings that omit hull numbers or index only a party name would not surface.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-39-apl39-12