USS BENJAMIN STODDERT (DDG-22)

Evidence

14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).

1. [1]research packet hn-packet.md (7 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERDICT: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Benjamin Stoddert | Hull: DDG-22 | Designation: guided-missile destroyer (DDG)

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-pkt-hn-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22)' (NHHC ship-history entry, published 2016-02-24, entry dated 29 April 2005; live NHHC page 404s, Wayback capture 2019-01-29 read verbatim) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22)' entry, specification block + full service narrative

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: displacement 4,500 tons; length 431'6"; beam 47'; draft 21'; speed 35 knots; complement 354; armament 2x 5-inch, Tartar, ASROC, 6x 12.75-inch ASW torpedo tubes; class Charles F. Adams. Laid down 11 June 1962; launched 8 January 1963; sponsored by Mrs. Nancee Ravenel, great-great-great-granddaughter of Benjamin Stoddert; commissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 12 September 1964, Cmdr. John R. Kint in command. Pearl Harbor homeport throughout; joined Pacific Fleet August 1965, DesDiv 12. Vietnam combat deployments (Yankee Station, Sea Dragon, gunline) 1965-1972 including shore-battery hit 23 April 1972 and fatal 5-inch misfire 26 June 1972; PARPRO picket during 1969 EC-121 crisis; assisted USS Enterprise during 14 January 1969 fire; sonar-control fire at Pearl Harbor 29 October 1971. Shipyard availabilities at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard: 1965 maintenance; 1968 overhaul (Mar-Aug); 1971 overhaul (May-Sep); 1975-76 regular overhaul (Oct-Aug, 10 months); 1980 major overhaul (Jan 3-Nov 30, five months in drydock); 1984-85 overhaul (Feb 28 1984-Jul 9 1985, 15 months - NTDS, IADTS, Harpoon, 'modernized steam engineering plant'); phased maintenance 1987-88 and 1989-90. Nine battle stars for Vietnam service; Meritorious Unit Commendation for 1967 combat operations; Humanitarian Service Medal for 30 September 1983 rescue of 39 Vietnamese refugees. Decommissioned Pearl Harbor 20 December 1991; stricken 20 November 1992; transferred to MARAD 7 September 1995 and 'berthed with its National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, Calif., to await disposal'; sank under tow to Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping 3 February 2001.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1960-2001

   Population

   Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging construction workforce 1962-64; PSNS commissioning/fitting-out workforce; crew ~354; Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard overhaul workforces 1965-1990

   Limitations

   DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Two internal discrepancies flagged: (1) DANFS states she was 'laid down ... at Bremerton, Wash., by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard' - contradicted by NVR (builder 'PUGET SOUND B & D'), the ship's own 1963 Booklet of General Plans (Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company, Seattle, yard no. 110), NavSource, and all secondary sources; DANFS appears to conflate the builder with the commissioning/fitting-out yard (ev-08). (2) DANFS/NVR claim Suisun Bay NDRF berthing, while the Fifth Circuit record establishes the disposal tow departed Pearl Harbor (ev-03) - carried in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-01

3. [3]Naval Vessel Register, BENJAMIN STODDERT (DDG 22) detail page (NAVSEA NVR; Wayback captures 2000-01-15 and 2004-10-18) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR ship detail page DDG22 (status block, building data block, berth field)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NVR record for this hull: Class DDG 2; UIC 04688; builder 'PUGET SOUND B & D'; award 03/25/1960; keel 06/11/1962; launch 01/08/1963; delivery 08/28/1964; commission 09/12/1964; decommission 12/20/1991; stricken 11/20/1992; overall length 440 ft; light displacement 3,595 tons; steel hull, aluminum superstructure; 2 propellers. January 15, 2000 capture: status 'Stricken, to be disposed of by scrapping' (status changed 11/20/1992), berth 'Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Benecia, CA', planned disposition 'TO BE SCRAPPED', fleet Pacific, maintenance category X. October 18, 2004 capture: status 'Disposed of by abandoning, burning, scuttling, or sinking' with date status changed 02/03/2001; custodian 'US NAVY'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1960-2004

   Population

   n/a (registry record)

   Limitations

   Official Navy inventory - documents dates, builder, status transitions, and administrative berth assignment; not an asbestos or materials record. The 2000 'Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet' berth conflicts with the court-documented Pearl Harbor tow origin (ev-03); the NVR berth field tracks the MARAD administrative assignment, and whether the hull physically moved is unresolved (see gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-02

4. [4]International Shipbreaking Limited LLC v. L C Smith; Tug ELSBETH II, in rem; and Smith Maritime, No. 01-41245 (5th Cir. June 11, 2002) (unpublished per curiam), appeal from S.D. Tex. No. B-01-CV-48 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion pp. 1-3 (facts: Navy contract, tandem tow, flooding, ordered sinking), pp. 4-9 (SJ analysis, 'lost or not lost' holding)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Fifth Circuit opinion naming this hull in admiralty disposal litigation: the Navy contracted with International Shipbreaking Limited for dismantling 'two of its decommissioned destroyers, the USS COCHRANE and the USS STODDERT,' with ISL responsible for 'dismantling the ships, disposing of hazardous waste, and selling scrap materials' and for towing both ships from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to Brownsville, Texas. ISL subcontracted towage to Smith Maritime; tug Elsbeth II towed the two destroyers in tandem from Pearl Harbor. Approximately two weeks into the tow the USS Stoddert took on water (starboard list, main deck aft awash); the tow wire was cut; after consultation with the Coast Guard, Navy, and ISL, 'Smith directed the tug's captain to order all hatches opened to allow the USS STODDERT to sink.' ISL sued for negligence and breach of warranty of workmanlike service, its complaint alleging the ship 'was lost and/or was intentionally scuttled'; Smith counterclaimed for its unpaid final installment and alleged unseaworthiness of the tow. S.D. Tex. granted partial summary judgment to Smith; the Fifth Circuit AFFIRMED (tow contract put tow-loss risk on the hirer, 'Tug and/or Tow lost or not lost'; sinking did not relieve the final payment obligation).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   2000-2002 (litigation); January-February 2001 (events)

   Population

   Smith Maritime tug crew; salvage party that boarded the flooding hull (January-February 2001); ISL scrapping workforce (Brownsville; hull never arrived)

   Limitations

   Unpublished, non-precedential per curiam opinion (5th Cir. R. 47.5). Admiralty contract litigation about the sinking - NOT asbestos litigation. It establishes: the tow departed Pearl Harbor (contradicting Suisun Bay berthing claims), the ship was deliberately sunk by opened hatches after flooding, the scrapping contract carried a hazardous-waste disposal obligation (unitemized - asbestos not named), and the hull was never remediated because it sank before delivery. No asbestos content, exposure, or causation is adjudicated or recited. Secondary sources (Maritime Reporter, July 2000; NavSource) date the Navy-ISL sale 14 November 2000 and describe ISL as one of the Navy's September 1999 Ship Disposal Project pilot contractors - secondary detail, not carried as findings.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-03

5. [5]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 0947510, Docket No. 04-06 178 (decided December 16, 2009; appeal from VA RO St. Petersburg, FL) [other_primary]

   Locator

   BVA Citation 0947510, 'Residuals of Asbestos Exposure' section of the REMAND

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Federal administrative adjudication naming this hull on asbestos: the Board recites that 'the Veteran was exposed to asbestos while he worked in the engine rooms aboard the U.S.S. Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22) from April 1964 to December 1967, and aboard the U.S.S. Schofield (DEG-3) from December 1967 to December 1969.' September 1981 service treatment records reflected the veteran 'was at high risk for asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma'; post-service records show a 2001 moderate obstructive defect and 2003 possible interstitial infiltrates. The claim for service connection for residuals of asbestos exposure was REMANDED to the RO/AMC because 'comprehensive testing, with a complete review of the claims folder, has not been accomplished.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1964-1969 (exposure window recited); 2002-2009 (claim pendency)

   Population

   One veteran (engine-room crew, USS Benjamin Stoddert April 1964-December 1967; USS Schofield December 1967-December 1969)

   Limitations

   Administrative adjudication at REMAND stage - the Board recites exposure evidence ('the evidence reflects') but made no final merits finding on asbestos residuals; the named exposure is jointly attributed to this hull and USS Schofield (DEG-3), not apportioned. The decision's recital of the veteran's Meritorious Unit Commendation period as 'April 25, 1957, to September 2, 1967' contains an internal typo - 1957 predates the ship's existence; the intended window is 1967 (consistent with DANFS's account of the MUC). A BVA decision is a federal administrative record, not an Article III court proceeding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-04

6. [6]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 1043980, Docket No. 08-30 766 (decided November 22, 2010; appeal from VA RO Wilmington, DE) [other_primary]

   Locator

   BVA Citation 1043980, 'Reasons and Bases' (vessel list, 1983 hazard form, hearing testimony, grant)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Adjudicated grant of service connection for asbestosis naming this hull among the veteran's ships: the veteran served February 1955-February 1985; service records show he 'served aboard numerous vessels at various times between January 1957 and July 1982,' including 'the U.S.S. Benjamin Stoddert' alongside USS Inchon, USS Ernest G. Small, USS Noa, USS Rupertus, USS Waldron, USS Meredith, USS Mount Katmai, and USS Union. A Navy 'Occupational Hazard Exposure' form dated September 1983 'listed asbestos among the list of potential hazards to which the Veteran was exposed during his service.' The Board FOUND 'the evidence shows that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's in service exposure to asbestos caused his currently diagnosed pulmonary disorder, claimed as asbestosis' and GRANTED service connection, resolving reasonable doubt in the veteran's favor.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1955-1985 (service); pre-1974 (claimed direct exposure); 2010 (grant)

   Population

   One veteran (radioman/teletype repair, 30-year Navy career; aboard DDG-22 within 1957-1982 window, exact dates aboard not stated in opinion)

   Limitations

   Final administrative grant - the strongest adjudication stage in this record - but the exposure finding is NOT apportioned to this hull: the veteran's described hands-on lagging/insulation work occurred aboard USS Union (1957), his testimony generalized asbestos exposure across subsequent ships, and he placed all direct exposure before 1974. The decision documents that service aboard DDG-22 was part of a career adjudicated to involve in-service asbestos exposure; it does not establish that any specific exposure occurred aboard this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-05

7. [7]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. A23000696, Docket No. 220921-279383 (decided January 12, 2023) [other_primary]

   Locator

   BVA A23000696, 'Reasons and Bases' (December 2022 statement recital; order and finding of fact)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Federal administrative adjudication naming this hull and reciting a specific shipboard asbestos allegation: service personnel records confirmed the veteran served aboard USS Benjamin Stoddert May 30, 1966-December 26, 1968 as a boatswain's mate. His December 2022 statement reported that 'his bunk was positioned a foot from old pipes lined with asbestos and dust from asbestos would fall on him every time the guns of the destroyer were fired,' alongside paint-thinner, solvent, paint-chip/dust, and industrial-lubricant exposures from deck and rigging maintenance. The Board GRANTED service connection for prostate cancer on the ground that competent medical evidence tied it 'to exposure to hazardous chemicals in the course of his duties on the U.S.S. Benjamin Stoddert' (a December 2022 private opinion cited PCE, TCE, and PCBs).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1966-1968 (service aboard); 2022-2023 (adjudication)

   Population

   One veteran (boatswain's mate, aboard DDG-22 May 1966-December 1968)

   Limitations

   The asbestos allegation is recited lay testimony in an adjudication - it was NOT the basis of the grant (the grant rested on hazardous chemicals, not asbestos), so the asbestos statement stands at allegation stage even though the claim was granted. The decision also documents a fact relevant to hull records: the Blue Water Navy Ship Locator Dashboard, built from this ship's deck logs, found no occasion DDG-22 entered Vietnam's 12-nautical-mile territorial sea May 1966-December 1968.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-06

8. [8]Newsweek, 'Periscope' column, 'Who sank my battleship,' April 30, 2001 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Newsweek Periscope item, April 30, 2001 (single-column report)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Contemporaneous press account of this hull's loss: 'in mid January a tugboat left Pearl Harbor towing two mothballed Navy ships, the Stoddert and the USS Cochrane'; in 20-foot seas and 40-knot winds the Stoddert began taking on water; two tug crewmen boarded, found themselves knee-deep in water, opened the hatches, and saw the abandoned ship go down 'like the Titanic'; 'the scrap yard has filed suit, accusing the tugboat crew of scuttling the ship' while the tug firm denied the charges; the Navy 'made no announcement of the Stoddert's Feb. 3 demise and declined to discuss details.' The column describes the destroyer as 'the last U.S. warship to leave Vietnam.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   2001

   Population

   Smith Maritime tug crew and boarding party (2001); former crew (quoted veteran Patrick Surrena)

   Limitations

   Press account based on unnamed seaman sources; consistent with the Fifth Circuit record on the material points (tandem tow ex-Pearl Harbor, flooding, opened-hatch sinking, ensuing suit). The 'last U.S. warship to leave Vietnam' characterization is a press flourish not verified against the operational record - other U.S. ships remained through the April 1975 evacuations, and DANFS shows Stoddert covering the Vung Tau evacuations in April-May 1975 but not a terminal departure. Not an asbestos source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-07

9. [9]Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company, Seattle, Washington, 'USS Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22) Booklet of General Plans,' dated December 1, 1963 (yard no. 110; Internet Archive scan, ship-design-drawings collection, uploaded by Foute Man Productions) [other_primary]

   Locator

   archive.org item ddg22bogp1963v2 - item metadata block (builder, yard no., dates) and drawing set

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The ship's own builder-produced Booklet of General Plans (1963) - the booklet every delivered Navy ship carried - identifies the builder as Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company, Seattle, Washington, yard number 110, with laid down June 11 1962, launched January 8 1963, completed September 12 1964. This primary builder document confirms the construction yard, contradicting DANFS's 'laid down ... at Bremerton, Wash., by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard' wording and corroborating the NVR 'PUGET SOUND B & D' builder field (ev-01, ev-02).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1962-1964

   Population

   n/a (design document)

   Limitations

   The scan is a set of general-arrangement drawings (104 MB, essentially no OCR text) hosted by a third-party uploader - it is a copy of an official builder document, not a government-hosted record. It establishes builder and dates; it was not reviewed sheet-by-sheet for insulation schedule content - BOGP general notes sometimes list insulation materials, making this an archival lead for hull-level materials data rather than a resolved source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-08

10. [10]Franke, K., and Paustenbach, D., 'Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: A state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970),' Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20 (2011), PMID 22200078 + Atlas shipyard dataset record 'puget-sound-bridge-dredging' (Lockwood v. AC&S, Inc., 109 Wash. 2d 235, 744 P.2d 605 (1987)) + DANFS specification block (ev-01) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20 (1960s analysis block); shipyards.json record 'puget-sound-bridge-dredging' (ev-puget-bridge-01, Lockwood v. AC&S); DANFS spec block

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Era/yard inference: a steam-plant guided-missile destroyer built 1962-64 (geared turbines, 2 screws, 70,000 shp per NavSource; DANFS lists the class spec block) would have carried period-standard asbestos-containing thermal insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, fireproofing, and deck coverings. Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that the Navy required and used asbestos-containing materials aboard ships throughout this hull's construction and service era (1962-1991), including the 1960s analysis block. The builder's yard is independently documented at yard level: Lockwood v. AC&S (Wash. 1987) places Raymark asbestos products on ship work at Puget Sound Bridge & Dredge (1947-48 liner conversion). Documented PHNSY availabilities on this hull (1965, 1968, 1971, 1975-76, 1980, 1984-85 incl. 'modernized steam engineering plant,' 1987-88, 1989-90) are yard events whose asbestos scope is inference, not record.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    1962-2001

    Population

    PSB&D construction workforce 1962-64; PSNS fitting-out workforce 1964; PHNSY overhaul workforces 1965-1990; crew ~354

    Limitations

    Class/era and builder-yard inference only - NOT a ship-specific finding for this hull. The ship-specific records are ev-04/05/06 (adjudications reciting exposure aboard). No insulation specification, survey, abatement, or removal record for DDG-22 itself was located; the ship's own BOGP (ev-08) is a lead for hull-level material schedules but its drawings were not OCR-reviewed. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation aboard this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-09

11. [11]NARA History Hub response (NARA staff) locating DDG-22 records: 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941-1983' in Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (RG 24) covering 1972-September 1975, and 'Personnel Diaries and Muster Rolls, 1/1/1972-1/31/1983' for the same period; NARA College Park RDT2 access [other_primary]

    Locator

    History Hub forum thread 27150, NARA staff reply (RG 24 series locations)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    National Archives staff response confirms hull-specific records exist: deck logs for USS Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22) covering 1972-September 1975 in RG 24 (Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941-1983) at NARA College Park, plus personnel diaries/muster rolls for the same period (SSN-bearing post-1971 records FOIA-restricted). Deck logs and muster rolls are the standard source for crew/roster verification and duty-station evidence in exposure claims.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    1972-1983 (records coverage)

    Population

    n/a (records location)

    Limitations

    Records located, not retrieved - existence confirmed by NARA staff response; contents unreviewed. Deck logs establish positions/operations, not asbestos content; muster rolls establish personnel. No hull asbestos documentation is expected in these records - their value is personnel/service verification.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-10

12. [12]CourtListener API v4 sweep 2026-09-28 (authenticated, fleet-paced): opinion query "Benjamin Stoddert" (8 hits), opinion query "DDG-22" (1 hit), RECAP docket query "Benjamin Stoddert" (16 dockets) [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-05, -13

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Sweep complete. VERIFIED hull-naming asbestos litigation at DISCOVERY stage (not adjudicated): Monlux v. 3M Company, 2:24-cv-00912-LK (W.D. Wash.) - Dkt. 172, Order Requesting Supplemental Briefing (King, J., Oct. 1, 2024; RECAP doc 414209305) recites that plaintiff Elaine Monlux served requests for production on Foster Wheeler Energy Corp. for '[a]ll documents reflecting Defendant's employees, equipment or materials on the PUGET SOUND VESSELS prior to 1963,' defining PUGET SOUND VESSELS to include 'USS Gridley DLG 2, USS Goldsborough DDG 20, USS Cochrane DDG 21, [and] USS Benjamin Stoddert DDG 22'; the order observes the requests 'could be interpreted to suggest that Monlux believes that Foster Wheeler exposed Richard Monlux to asbestos aboard military vessels' and orders supplemental briefing on the government-contractor defense under Ninth Circuit law. DDG-22 is thus expressly named in discovery requests in a live asbestos case - the exposure theory targets the hull's Puget Sound construction-era window (keel June 1962). Classification ceiling: discovery record reciting an allegation - no court has found exposure aboard this hull. OTHER hull-naming opinion: United States v. Hill, 26 M.J. 876 (N-M.C.M.R. 1988), mess cook aboard USS Benjamin Stoddert, restriction-muster court-martial - OTHER LITIGATION (military justice, no asbestos); surfaced on both the name and DDG-22 queries. Additional docket-level phrase matches in asbestos filings (attribution likely ship-list context, document text not individually retrieved): Redman v. A.W. Chesterton Co., 3:08-cv-03013 (N.D. Cal. 2008, asbestos plaintiff firm Paul & Hanley, match inside remand-motion papers); MDL-875 JPML tag-along complaints (Busby v. Huntington Ingalls CAN 3:11-cv-04797; Bond v. Chesterton CAN 3:11-cv-04199). NAME COLLISIONS: 7 opinion hits + 13 dockets concerning Benjamin Stoddert Middle School (Charles County MD school cases incl. In re Thomas J., Vaughns, Bell, Jane Doe 2, Rorie, Lighty), the namesake first Secretary of the Navy's early-DC land litigation (Bank of the U.S. v. Vanness 1837; James Greenleaf's Lessee v. Birth 1832; U.S. v. Burr 1807), and political suits (W.M.M. v. Trump, Blumenthal, Duncan, Miller, Gohmert, Fallbrook, 2524 41st LLC, SFFA v. Naval Academy). NO decided asbestos matter naming this hull exists in the index.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Limitations

    Litigation-stage discipline applied: the Monlux order is a discovery record reciting the plaintiff's requests - it proves the hull is named in asbestos discovery, NOT that any court found exposure aboard it; the underlying claim remains allegation-stage. Redman and the MDL-875 tag-along matches are phrase matches inside indexed filing text not individually retrieved - carried at pleading-allegation ceiling with attribution unverified. BVA administrative adjudications (ev-04..06) are not in CourtListener's corpus. The Fifth Circuit disposal opinion (ev-03) did not surface in the name query - unpublished per curiam opinions are thinly indexed; it is cited directly from ca5.uscourts.gov.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-11

13. [13]Monlux v. 3M Company et al. (incl. Foster Wheeler Energy Corp.), No. 2:24-cv-00912-LK (W.D. Wash.), Dkt. 172, Order Requesting Supplemental Briefing, King, J. (Oct. 1, 2024) - RECAP doc 414209305, full text retrieved via authenticated CourtListener API [court_record]

    Locator

    W.D. Wash. 2:24-cv-00912-LK, Dkt. 172, pp. 1-2 (order text including quoted RFP definition)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    A live asbestos products-liability case names this hull in discovery: the court's order recites that plaintiff Elaine Monlux served requests for production on Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation seeking '[a]ll documents reflecting Defendant's employees, equipment or materials on the PUGET SOUND VESSELS prior to 1963,' with PUGET SOUND VESSELS 'define[d] ... to include USS Gridley DLG 2, USS Goldsborough DDG 20, USS Cochrane DDG 21, [and] USS Benjamin Stoddert DDG 22.' The court observes the requests 'could be interpreted to suggest that Monlux believes that Foster Wheeler exposed Richard Monlux to asbestos aboard military vessels' and orders supplemental briefing on whether Monlux is alleging exposure by Foster Wheeler equipment aboard a military vessel and whether the causal-connection element of the government-contractor defense is met under Ninth Circuit law. The 'prior to 1963' window targets the hull's Puget Sound construction era (keel laid June 11, 1962 at Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock, Seattle).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    2024 (litigation posture); pre-1963 (alleged exposure window)

    Population

    Richard Monlux (decedent; alleged asbestos exposure aboard Puget Sound military vessels incl. this hull, pre-1963); Foster Wheeler employees/equipment aboard during construction era

    Limitations

    Discovery-stage record only. The order recites the plaintiff's discovery requests and expressly hedges the underlying theory ('could be interpreted to suggest'); no court has found that any exposure occurred aboard this hull, and the defendant-equipment theory (Foster Wheeler materials aboard) is unadjudicated allegation. Stage per batch discipline: discovery record reciting a pleading-stage allegation. Motion to remand was pending at the October 2024 order; case disposition not retrieved. 'USS Gridley DLG 2' appears verbatim in the quoted request list (Gridley was DLG-21 - source text preserved as written).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-13

14. [14]Batch-3925 search ledger (this record): aggregate negative finding across NHHC live site, HyperWar/hazegray mirrors, NVR, NARA, BVA/va.gov, federal appellate reporters, and MARAD/trade-press disposal coverage [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger sl-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-01 through -NN

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No hull-specific asbestos materials documentation was located for DDG-22: no ACM survey, abatement contract, insulation specification, donation-condition hazmat disclosure, or demolition record. Ship-specific asbestos evidence is limited to VA administrative adjudications reciting crew exposure allegations (two recitations + one grant not hull-apportioned). No qualifying asbestos civil litigation naming this hull was located in non-CourtListener sources searched; the only civil suit found (ISL v. Smith Maritime) is admiralty disposal litigation in which asbestos is not named. Because the hull sank before scrapping, no shipbreaking-yard intake survey exists and whatever ACM remained aboard is on the seabed.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    2026-09-28 (search)

    Population

    n/a

    Limitations

    Absence of a located record is not proof none exists - NARA RG 19 General Information Books and BuShips contract specifications (archival leads, not retrieved) are the repositories likeliest to hold hull-level material specs. Negative finding is bounded to public digitized sources searched on 2026-09-28.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-benjamin-stoddert-ddg22-12