Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 955-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-banning-pce886-pkt-955-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Banning (PCE-886), 1956-1961 (Raymond A. Mann; updated Robert J. Cressman; published 2024-05-21) - live NHHC page verified [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + full service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: PCE-842 class; laid down 29 March 1944 at Portland, Oregon, by Albina Engine & Machine Works; launched 10 July 1944; commissioned at her builder's yard 31 May 1945, Lt. Eugene W. Stetson, Jr., D-V(S), USNR, in command. Spec block: displacement 903 (full load), length 184'6", beam 33'1", draft 9'5", speed 15.7 knots, complement 99; armament 1 3-inch, 3 40mm, 4 20mm, 4 depth charge projectors, 1 hedgehog, 2 depth charge tracks. Weather station ship in the Philippine Islands; Pearl Harbor weather-data service 1947-Aug 1948; American Samoa passenger/mail service 14 months; Bremerton Oct 1949 for deactivation; decommissioned 30 December 1949, Astoria Group Pacific Reserve Fleet. Recommissioned 7 September 1950 as amphibious control vessel PCEC-886; Japan March 1951; seven months supporting UN forces in Korea; Hunters Point Naval Shipyard overhaul November 1951; returned to Korea June 1952; amphibious feint at Kojo near Wonsan 15 October 1952; returned to U.S. March 1953, decommissioned August 1953; eight years in Astoria reserve; named Banning 15 February 1956 resuming PCE-886; stricken 1 May 1961; Hood River Port Commission memorial July 1961-1969; sold to Cummings Boat Co. of Tacoma, resold for commercial use as Growler. Two Korean-conflict battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Albina Engine & Machine Works construction trades 1944; wartime/postwar/Korean-era crew (design complement 99); Hood River memorial-period caretakers and visitors 1961-1969
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. The entry twice calls her 'the submarine chaser' though she was a PCE-type escort - terminology quirk carried in gaps. DANFS carries the commercial-name change to Growler but not the 1973 loss. Spec block figures conflict with secondary sources (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Patrol Craft Escort Photo Archive, Banning (PCE 886) ex-PCE(C)-886 ex-PCE-886 - designation timeline, specifications, commanding-officer list, photo credits [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 12/02886.htm, timeline block + specifications + CO table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull confirms the DANFS milestones and adds: call sign Nan-Zebra-Peter-Mike; 1950 recommissioning reclassified her 'Control Escort, PCE(C)-886'; propulsion two 1,000 bhp General Motors 12-578A diesel engines, Falk single-reduction gear, two shafts; armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, three twin 40mm mounts, four twin 20mm mounts, two depth-charge tracks, four K-gun projectors, one Mk6 hedgehog (K-guns removed 1948); commanding-officer roster from Lt. Eugene W. Stetson, Jr. (31 May 1945) through the 1950s; acquired 1972 by Growler, Inc. of Juneau, AK and renamed Growler; foundered 1 October 1973 in the Chukchi Sea off Cape Prince of Wales, AK. Photo credits include National Archives photo USN 1043667 via NHHC and a DANFS image of visitors boarding a conducted tour at Hood River.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Crew across two commissions (1945-49, 1950-53); memorial-period staff and visitors; commercial crew 1972-73
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-curated archive citing official captions and records - consistent here with DANFS but not itself an official source; its '12-578A' engine designation conflicts with class literature's 12-278A (see gaps) and its single-vs-twin armament counts differ from DANFS (see gaps). No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-02
-
[4]U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Shipwreck List (2011), 610 pp. (compiled from federal records incl. Merchant Vessels of the U.S. and Coast Guard casualty sources), p. 398 entry 'Growler' [other_primary]
- Locator
- BOEM 2011 Alaska Shipwreck List PDF, p. 398 of 610, row 'Growler / Freighter / 10/1/1973'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Federal wreck record for this hull's final identity: the freighter Growler, 1 October 1973 - '11 mi N of Wales, Bering Strait. Capsized in a savage winter storm and rough seas while carrying construction equipment between Nome and Kotzebue; an empty life raft washed ashore at Wales; 3 men were lost.' The Growler = ex-PCE-886 identification rests on DANFS (sold into commercial use 'under the name Growler') and NavSource (Growler, Inc. of Juneau, 1972; foundered date/place matching the BOEM entry).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1973
- Population
- 3-man commercial crew lost (captain James Halliger of Seward; engineer Harry Germeau of Port Townsend, WA; Ralph Geiger of Sequim, WA - names via secondary compilation)
- Limitations
- The BOEM entry does not itself link 'Growler' to PCE-886 - the identity chain runs through DANFS (commercial name) plus NavSource (owner/date). No casualty-investigation file located; BOEM list cites Merchant Vessels 1974 and press records. Lists her as a 'freighter'; a secondary compilation describes her as a 160-ft converted patrol vessel/landing craft (length vs 184'6" naval length - see gaps). No asbestos or hazmat content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-03
-
[5]History Museum of Hood River County, 'Port of Hood River Harbor, 1962' (museum-published history quoting the June 1962 port-dedication program) [museum_official]
- Locator
- hoodriverhistorymuseum.org post + reader comments (McDaniel family account)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Documents this hull's memorial period: on 14 March 1961 the Hood River Chamber of Commerce asked the Port of Hood River Commission to acquire a warship as a tourism attraction for the new boat basin, and the Commission resolved to pursue acquisition (dedication-program quotation). Banning was present at the Port of Hood River dedication of 22-24 June 1962 - Assistant Secretary of the Navy Ken BeLieu, a former Hood River resident, attended aboard USS Weiss. Museum-held firsthand comments describe public conducted tours and a Port captain's family living aboard in officers' quarters circa 1963-65.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1961-1969
- Population
- Port of Hood River staff, tour guides, visitors; resident port-captain family 1963-65
- Limitations
- Local-museum history, not a federal record; the acquisition narrative quotes the 1962 dedication program but the living-aboard and tour details come from retrospective reader comments (informal, unverified). Confirms memorial/museum use 1961-1969; contains no asbestos, hazmat, or material-content information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-04
-
[6]K.M. (widow of J.M.) v. Lockheed Shipbuilding / Albina Engine and Machine / Willamette Iron and Steel (McAllister LHWCA death-benefits claim), U.S. DOL Benefits Review Board No. 08-0403 (issued 30 December 2008); subsequent history: Albina Engine & Machine v. Director, OWCP, 627 F.3d 1293 (9th Cir. 2010) (DOL OALJ law-library summary) [court_record]
- Locator
- BRB No. 08-0403 slip op. pp. 1-2, 8-11 (facts; exposure findings); DOL OALJ Black Lung & Longshore Decisions #228 (Dec 2010-Jan 2011) for the 9th Cir. disposition
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Federal adjudication documenting asbestos exposure at this hull's builder yard. Decedent James McAllister worked as a shipyard carpenter at three Portland-area yards 1956-1960 - Willamette Iron & Steel (WISCO), Albina Engine and Machine (this hull's builder), and the Puget Sound Bridge yard later owned by Lockheed - and died of pleural mesothelioma 22 September 2002. All parties stipulated the death was caused by asbestos exposure; the ALJ found 'convincing and undisputed evidence' of asbestos exposure at WISCO and, crediting contemporaneous-employee testimony that work and conditions at Albina Engine were similar, found the decedent last exposed at Albina Engine. The Benefits Review Board affirmed Albina Engine as responsible employer (30 Dec 2008). The Ninth Circuit granted Albina's petition and reversed (10 Dec 2010, 627 F.3d 1293) on last-employer allocation doctrine only - holding Lockheed liable under the sequential last-employer rule, so the earlier employers' exposure was never reached on the merits.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1956-2002 (exposure/death); 2004-2010 (litigation)
- Population
- Portland-area shipyard carpenters/trades 1956-1960 (WISCO, Albina Engine, Lockheed predecessor)
- Limitations
- Yard-level finding about the builder, not the hull: the exposure window (1956-57 at Albina) post-dates this hull's 1944 construction by ~12 years, and the case names no vessel. The 9th Cir. reversal reallocates liability among admittedly asbestos-exposed yards - it does not find an absence of asbestos at Albina. Establishes asbestos-exposure conditions at the Albina yard in the mid-1950s only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (GM diesel plant, no steam); McAllister adjudication documenting asbestos exposure at builder Albina Engine & Machine (ev-05); Atlas shipyard dataset records for same-city yards (willamette-iron-steel: Pabco litigation; oregon-shipbuilding: EPA-record ACM) showing Portland WWII yard-cluster asbestos use; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos-era documentation (ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block; BRB 08-0403 (Albina conditions); shipyards.json records 'willamette-iron-steel', 'oregon-shipbuilding'; GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered patrol craft escort built March-July 1944 at a Portland yard inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era would have carried period-standard asbestos applications: thermal insulation, machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation. As a diesel vessel she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; the confined-compartment exposure dynamic of a 184-foot escort still applies.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Albina construction trades (1944); crew (1945-49, 1950-53); reserve-fleet and memorial-period caretakers; commercial crew and yard workers in the 1969-72 conversion
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for PCE-886. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 highlights block (full text blocked, HTTP 403 via curl; page rendered via Firecrawl)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's use of asbestos insulation aboard ships and its replacement policies (1975 policy: remove/replace only damaged insulation or that requiring removal for repairs; modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas) - spanning this hull's entire construction (1944) and service era (1945-1973). Fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk - not Albina, Hunters Point, or Puget Sound. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-04) - content via product-page highlights.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-07
-
[9]Batch-8274 search ledger (this record): live NHHC DANFS page; NavSource; BOEM 2011 shipwreck list; Hood River history museum; DOL BRB + OALJ law library; NVR; NARA catalog; CourtListener (4 base queries, all count 0); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-banning-pce886-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS Banning / PCE-886 / PCEC-886 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener was fully searched 2026-10-04 - all four base queries ('USS Banning' opinion and docket; 'PCE-886' opinion and docket, limit 20) returned count 0, so the litigation record is a searched negative, not a blocked repository. The only 'asbestos aboard' material surfaced anywhere is generic law-firm marketing copy (e.g., simmonsfirm.com '300 asbestos products' listicle class) asserting Navy-wide asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 2026-10-04
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the ship's original-era materials were never surveyed publicly, and the hull is a 1973 wreck where it sank, so no in-situ assessment exists. Deck logs, Albina work packages, the 1969 Cummings sale file, and any USCG casualty file are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-08
-
[10]National Archives photographic record USN 1043667 (credited to NHHC via NavSource photo captions) + NARA RG 24 deck logs for PCE-886/PCEC-886 (1945-1953) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource photo credit line (USN 1043667, NHHC); NARA RG 24 deck-log series (undigitized)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Undigitized archival leads for this hull: National Archives still photo USN 1043667 shows the ship (captioned via NavSource's NHHC-credited image), and RG 24 deck logs covering her two commissions (1945-49 as PCE-886; 1950-53 as PCE(C)-886, including the Korean deployments) are the principal primary-source lead for any onboard material/work documentation.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-04
- Study period
- 1945-1953 (records coverage)
- Limitations
- Leads only - no archival retrieval performed. NARA catalog is JS-rendered (not text-searchable from this session); deck logs are undigitized. Neither holding is known to contain asbestos content; both are provenance leads, not findings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-banning-pce886-09