Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet af-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (mirror-sourced
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- qualifier: VERIFIED (mirror-sourced
- Evidence ID
- uss-benewah-apb35-pkt-af-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS entry 'Benewah I' (Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships) - canonical URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/benewah-i.html; text as transcribed at NavSource (navsource.org/archives/10/13/1335.htm) and in the public-domain Wikipedia DANFS transcription [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Benewah entry (full narrative); NavSource APB-35 chronology block and NHHC-photo captions NH 448126 ff.
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS history: authorized 1943-12-17 as non-self-propelled barracks ship APL-35; reclassified self-propelled barracks ship APB-35 on 1944-08-08; laid down 1945-01-02 at Boston Navy Yard; launched 1945-05-06 (sponsor Miss Priscilla Underwood); commissioned 1946-03-19. Barracks ship for Atlantic Reserve Fleet carrier crews at Boston; decommissioned 1946-08-30; moved February 1947 to NAAS Green Cove Springs, FL as headquarters ship for Subgroup 3, Florida Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet; recommissioned 1951-11-09 (outfitting at Gibbs Shipyard, Jacksonville; homeport Newport, RI); logistics support to mobile construction battalions in European waters; fitted as temporary flagship at Norfolk Naval Shipyard July 1953, then flagship for Commander, Fleet Air, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean at Naples; deactivation overhaul at Brewer Dry Dock Co., Staten Island from 1955-09-30, then Green Cove Springs Group reserve; in service in reserve August 1959; from February 1960 at Newport News, VA as living quarters for precommissioning crews of ships built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard July 1966 for conversion and modernization; recommissioned 1967-01-28; reached South Vietnam 1967-04-22 as flagship of CTF-117 (Mobile Riverine Force), operating in the Mekong Delta for ~44 months, principally near Dong Tam and Ben Tre; participated in the Cambodian Campaign May-June 1970; departed Vietnam 1970-11-26; INSURV board at Subic Bay found her unfit for further active service; decommissioned 1971-02-26, redesignated IX-311 on 1971-02-28 as Subic Bay station ship; struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1973-09-01; transferred to the Republic of the Philippines May 1974.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Limitations
- NHHC canonical DANFS URL returned HTTP 404 on 2026-09-25 (NHHC link rot, same defect class as Batch-01); text verified through two concordant transcriptions (NavSource chronology block; Wikipedia's verbatim DANFS incorporation). NavSource's chronology block gives commissioning as 9 March 1946 while DANFS and NavSource's own CO table give 19 March 1946 - DANFS date carried. Second decommissioning: DANFS 'sometime in December 1955' vs NavSource 1956-10-03 - unresolved, logged in gaps. Row establishes service history only; contains no asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-01
-
[3]NARA Catalog, National Archives Identifier 100310246 (local identifier 111-CCV-113-CC43650), digitized [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Catalog item 100310246; digital object 111-CCV-113-CC43650.jpg
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- National Archives Catalog record (RG 111, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 'Photographs of U.S. Army Operations in Vietnam,' file unit 'Vietnam - Boats & Transports'): official photograph with original caption '24 September 1967, My Tho River, Republic of Vietnam; The US Naval Ship, BENEWAH, is used by the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) as a troop ship. The BENEWAH is also equipped with a helicopter landing pad and floating piers used as docks for smaller [craft]' - documents the ship's configuration and Mobile Riverine Force role in place on the My Tho River.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1967-09-24
- Limitations
- Official government photograph and caption naming this hull on a stated date and location; supports identity/role only - no materials or asbestos information. Does not establish any exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-02
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[4]NARA Catalog, Navy Deck Log (NDL) series - e.g., 'Benewah (APB-35) - April 1967,' National Archives Identifier 7062260 (College Park, Textual Reference); sibling monthly records visible in catalog search 'benewah' [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Catalog search 'benewah' > Ships' logs records; NDL Batch N image scans
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds digitized deck logs for Benewah (APB-35) under the Navy Deck Logs (NDL) series: a catalog query returned 44 monthly records spanning December 1951 through February 1971 (selected months each year; e.g., naId 7062260 covers April 1967; naIds 182422373-182422627 cover January-March 1956), held at College Park as page-image scans. Deck logs are the standard path to day-level location/moorage data - including yard periods (Boston Naval Shipyard construction, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1966-67 conversion) - for any future asbestos-relevant event reconstruction.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1953-1970 (months cataloged)
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked troops (Vietnam era)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the catalog records confirm digitized ship-specific deck logs exist, but the log contents were NOT reviewed this pass - nothing in this row is evidence about materials aboard the hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-03
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[5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); consolidated era inference per LST-1 class profile methodology [other_primary]
- Locator
- BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST design group table; NavSource APB-35 specification block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a 1945-purpose-built diesel-powered barracks ship on the modified LST hull form: BuShips Ships' Data (Jan 1945) documents the LST-type plant as two GM 12-567A diesels (~1,700 shp per SDB; NavSource spec block for this class gives 1,600 shp), twin screw - a diesel plant with no boilers, narrowing the steam-lagging pathway. Asbestos-relevant applications consistent with era naval-ship construction: diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation and joiner materials, valve/flange gaskets and packing, winch/crane brake linings. Barracks-ship function (accommodation for ~1,226 troops) enlarged the insulated interior-finish footprint relative to the base LST design; the 1966-67 Philadelphia Naval Shipyard conversion added interior rework at a yard whose asbestos-product history is independently documented in the companion shipyard dataset.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945 (construction); 1966-67 (conversion)
- Population
- Boston Naval Shipyard construction trades (1945); Philadelphia Naval Shipyard conversion trades (1966-67); ship's company and embarked troops
- Limitations
- Design/era inference only - no materials schedule, survey, or ship-specific record names this hull; asbestos presence aboard is not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. Yard asbestos histories are yard-level records, not hull records.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-04
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[6]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 product page and report
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's shipboard asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard availability disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1975-1979 (policy period described)
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and ship crews (program context)
- Limitations
- Navy-program-level documentation; does not name this hull or any auxiliary. Establishes that era-installed insulation ordinarily remained aboard unless disturbed - relevant to the 1966-67 conversion period context but not evidence of material aboard this ship.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-05
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[7]Naval History magazine (U.S. Naval Institute), 'Historic Fleets,' Vol. 15 No. 5 (October 2001) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Naval History Oct 2001, Historic Fleets column, Benewah-class paragraphs
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Class context: the six purpose-built Benewah-class barracks ships (Benewah APB-35, Colleton, Echols, Marlboro, Mercer, Nueces - APB-40) were authorized 1943-12-17 as non-self-propelled APL-35 through APL-40, retyped APB on 1944-08-08, and built by Boston Navy Yard to a modified version of the standard LST design on the same 328-foot hull propelled by two ~800-hp diesels. Four of the six (Benewah, Colleton, Mercer, Nueces) were reactivated in 1967-68 with major modifications for riverine-flagship service in Vietnam: lengthened 03-level deckhouse surmounted by a helicopter platform, enlarged bridge superstructure topped by a tripod mast for new communications antennas, armament of two single 3-inch guns plus two quadruple 40-mm mounts.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1971
- Limitations
- Class-level professional-journal history; documents design basis and the 1967-68 reactivation modification scope. usni.org returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-09-25; quoted text captured via search-index snippet and concordant with DANFS/NavSource class data. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-06
-
[8]Department of Veterans Affairs, 'U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships associated with service in Vietnam and exposure to herbicide agents' (VA ships list), entry USS Benewah (APB-35) [other_primary]
- Locator
- VA ships list, 'primarily or exclusively on inland waterways' section (entry verified via May 2011 official-list reproduction at bluewaternavy.org/ListRevision5-16.11.pdf and NAUS/DAV reproductions; current VA.gov page links the list)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- The Department of Veterans Affairs ships list for Agent Orange presumptive exposure includes 'USS Benewah (APB-35) [Self-Propelled Barracks Ship]' in the category 'vessels that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways' of Vietnam - official confirmation, from VA adjudication records, that this hull's Vietnam service (1967-04-22 to 1970-11-26, Mekong Delta anchorages) falls inside the inland/brown-water category.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1967-1970 (service period); list current through 2011+
- Population
- Veterans aboard USS Benewah in Vietnam (herbicide-presumption claimants)
- Limitations
- Documents Vietnam inland-waterway service for herbicide-exposure presumption - a DIFFERENT hazard (Agent Orange), not asbestos. Establishes service location/dates only. The live VA list page is JS-rendered; the ship's list entry was verified on reproductions of the official VA list (May 2011 edition and VVA/DAV copies), all naming 'USS Benewah (APB-35)'.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-07
-
[9]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr 0624517, decision of 2006-08-11 (Docket No. 02-04 946) [court_record]
- Locator
- BVA decision 0624517, Reasons and Bases + Order sections
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Board of Veterans' Appeals decision, Citation Nr 0624517 (decided 2006-08-11, docket 02-04 946): a Navy veteran (service 1968-03 to 1969-11, MOS marine mechanic, assigned USS Gurke) alleged temporary detachment to USS Benewah ('U.S.S. Benewha'), 11th Riverine Assault Unit, Flotilla One, Task Force 117, Mekong River Delta / Rach Ba Rai, July-October 1969, and claimed direct contact with Agent Orange aboard Benewah after a defoliation operation plus stressors (bow gunner, evacuation of wounded and dead, mortar/small-arms fire, downed-pilot rescue, ambush). The Board found no corroborating evidence for the claimed stressors; service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and for PTSD was DENIED.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- Alleged exposure July-October 1969; decision 2006-08-11
- Population
- One veteran claimant (Navy, 1968-1969 service)
- Limitations
- Administrative adjudication (BVA), merits-stage denial for this claimant - classified down accordingly. The claim concerned herbicide exposure aboard this hull, NOT asbestos; the denial rests on uncorroborated stressors, and no exposure finding was made either way. Documents that ship-specific exposure claims exist in the VA system; establishes nothing about asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 search (type=o and type=r), queries: Benewah; USS Benewah OR APB-35; Benewah asbestos [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-benewah-apb35-03 through sl-uss-benewah-apb35-06
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweeps (authenticated API v4, 2026-09-25): 'Benewah' returned 218 opinion hits and 123 docket hits - ALL name collisions (Benewah County, Idaho litigation; Benewah Creek companies; Benewah Community Hospital records references). '"USS Benewah" OR "APB-35"' returned 0 opinions. '"Benewah" asbestos' returned 0 opinions. No qualifying asbestos litigation, and no litigation of any kind naming the vessel, was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Negative search result, not a finding about conditions aboard: absence of docketed litigation naming the ship does not establish absence of exposure. Navy-ship asbestos claims also proceed against manufacturers rather than hulls, so hull-name search under-detects; classified as negative_finding within the limits stated.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-09
-
[11]Batch-2400 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS, NARA Catalog, NavSource, MARAD ShipHistory API, VA ships list, BVA decision index, CourtListener, GAO [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-benewah-apb35-01 through sl-uss-benewah-apb35-09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, materials schedule, museum/regulator hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Benewah (APB-35/APL-35/IX-311/RPS Tulungan AH-3) was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger). MARAD ShipHistory holds no record for the hull (searched under both names) - consistent with direct USN-to-Philippines transfer without MARAD custody.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - 1945 naval-yard construction and a 1966-67 major conversion are era-consistent with installed asbestos materials. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not/was or was not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-benewah-apb35-10