USS BERKELEY (DDG-15)

Evidence

18 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-18).

1. [1]research packet hm-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-berkeley-ddg15-pkt-hm-packet-md

2. [2]Naval Vessel Register, SHIPSDETAIL DDG-15 BERKELEY (NAVSEA official inventory record; live page no longer serves the disposed hull - October 2020 Wayback capture) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR ship detail fields (status, milestone dates, custodian, builder, propulsion type)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NVR record for this hull: UIC 04681; class DDG 2 (Charles F. Adams); award 21 Jul 1959; keel 29 Aug 1960; launch 29 Jul 1961; delivery 30 Nov 1962; commission 15 Dec 1962; decommission 1 Oct 1992; stricken 1 Oct 1992; status 'Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Section 516, Southern Region Amendment'; custodian GREECE; builder New York Shipbuilding Corp.; propulsion type 'Steam Turbines'; record last updated 18 Feb 1999.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1959-1992

   Population

   New York Shipbuilding construction trades 1960-62; crew 1962-1992

   Limitations

   Administrative inventory record - documents lifecycle dates, builder, disposition path, and propulsion type, not materials or asbestos content. NVR keel date (29 Aug 1960) conflicts with the DANFS entry's 'laid down on 1 June 1960' - carried in gaps; NVR is carried as the official inventory for milestone dates. Live NVR page serves only a generic frame for this disposed hull; the October 2020 Wayback capture is cited.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-01

3. [3]NHHC DANFS, 'Berkeley' (DDG-15) entry, text by Timothy L. Francis, 9 Feb 2006 (January 2019 Wayback capture - live page 404s) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Berkeley' entry, specification block and full service narrative

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: namesake Maj. Gen. Randolph C. Berkeley, USMC, Medal of Honor for Veracruz 1914; specification block - 4,500 tons full load, 437 ft, beam 47 ft 1 in, draft 25 ft 6 in, 35 kt, complement 368, two 5-inch guns, one Tartar launcher, one ASROC launcher, six 12.75-inch ASW torpedo tubes, class Charles F. Adams; laid down 1 June 1960 at Camden, N.J., by New York Shipbuilding Corp.; launched 29 July 1961; sponsored by Mrs. James B. Berkeley (namesake's daughter-in-law); commissioned at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 15 December 1962, Cmdr. Wyatt E. Harper. Service narrative 1963-1992: homeport Long Beach; Tartar demonstration to President Kennedy May 1963; San Francisco Naval Shipyard availability June-Sept 1963; first WestPac deployment 1964 including Tonkin Gulf screening operations August 1964; northern SAR station Gulf of Tonkin 1965-66; Hon Me Island gunnery duel 14 Mar 1966; Standard missile system installed at Long Beach Naval Shipyard 1966; Sea Dragon patrols 1967-68; Long Beach overhaul 1969 ('general rehabilitation of all internal spaces'); 1972 deployment on 72 hours' notice incl. Operation Pocket Money mining of Haiphong approaches 9 May 1972 and 57 days on the gunline; Puget Sound overhaul Jan-Nov 1973 (tactical data system, sonar, communications/EW, two new 5-inch mounts); homeport San Diego Jan 1974; Puget Sound overhaul Jun 1977-May 1978 (turbo-generators, SATCOM, tactical data system); Iran-crisis Arabian Sea service Dec 1979-Jan 1980; Long Beach availability mid-1980 incl. new boiler tubes; Long Beach Naval Shipyard overhaul from 29 Mar 1982 (engineering controls, Harpoon weapons system, new air conditioning); CentCom Arabian Sea 1984; Continental Marine Shipyard phased maintenance Apr-Jul 1989; Coast Guard law-enforcement operations 1990-91; selected for deactivation under the Navy's 1990 retirement decision; inactivated San Diego 1 May 1992; 11 battle stars for Vietnam service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1960-1992

   Population

   New York Shipbuilding trades 1960-62; crew 1962-1992 (design complement 368); repair-yard workforces at availabilities and overhauls

   Limitations

   DANFS documents service history, specifications, builder, and yard periods - not materials or asbestos content. Two internal defects documented rather than repeated: (1) laid-down date '1 June 1960' conflicts with the NVR keel date 29 Aug 1960 (NVR carried); (2) the closing sentence reads decommissioned 'at San Francisco on 30 September 1991' and stricken '1 October 1991' - contradicting NVR (both 1 Oct 1992) and the contemporaneous ceremony brochure (San Diego, 30 Sep 1992); see ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-05. Wayback capture cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-02

4. [4]SECNAV Meritorious Unit Commendation citation text for USS Berkeley (22 Apr - 28 Oct 1972), signed E. R. Zumwalt Jr., Admiral, USN, CNO - mirrored on NavSource DDG-15 photo index; NavSource building/disposition data block [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource DDG-15 photo index: SECNAV citation block; 'Operational and Building Data' block; class characteristics block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Primary award text for this hull: Secretary of the Navy citation commending USS BERKELEY 'for meritorious service in combat operations in Southeast Asia from 22 April to 28 October 1972' - deployed on three days' notice, three months ahead of schedule; 57 days on the gunline, 122 missions, over 7,000 rounds fired; strikes with TG 77.1 against North Vietnamese supply routes, 'often conducted under intense hostile fire'; combat teams destroyed thirty waterborne logistics craft in one fourteen-day period. NavSource compiled data agree with NVR on building dates (laid down 29 Aug 1960; launched 29 Jul 1961; commissioned 15 Dec 1962; decommissioned 30 Sep 1992; stricken 1 Oct 1992; to Greece 1 Oct 1992 as Themistokles; decommissioned from Greek service 18 Feb 2002; sold for scrap 19 Feb 2004) and record class characteristics: 4,526 tons full, 437 ft x 47 ft x 15 ft, Tartar SAM Mk 13 single-arm launcher, ASROC, six Mk 32 ASW torpedo tubes, 'Machinery, 70,000 SHP; Geared Turbines, 2 screws', 33 kt, crew 333-350.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1972 (citation period); 1960-2004 (compiled data)

   Population

   Ship's crew 1972 (gunline operations); crew 1962-1992

   Limitations

   The SECNAV citation is a primary document hosted on NavSource; the NavSource compiled block is volunteer-compiled secondary data used here only where it agrees with or supplements NVR/DANFS (it agrees with NVR on the 29 Aug 1960 keel date). Its 'crew 333-350' and machinery detail are secondary - DANFS's 368 complement is carried; machinery detail is attributed in propulsion_summary as compiled data. Documents service and combat record - not materials or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-03

5. [5]USS Berkeley Association, 'Decommissioning Week' - excerpts from the 30 Sep 1992 decommissioning, transfer, and commissioning ceremony brochure [other_primary]

   Locator

   ussberkeley.com 'Decommissioning Week' page, ceremony-brochure excerpt images

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Ship association page hosting excerpts of the contemporaneous ceremony brochure for this hull: 'DECOMMISSIONING AND TRANSFER TO THE HELLENIC NAVY OF GREECE SEPTEMBER 30, 1992' - the combined decommissioning (U.S.), transfer, and commissioning (Hellenic Navy, as Themistoklis) ceremony, documented in the event program with day-of photographs and participant lists.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1992-09-30

   Population

   U.S. crew at decommissioning; Hellenic Navy crew at transfer

   Limitations

   Contemporaneous event program hosted by the veterans' ship association - a primary event artifact documenting the 30 Sep 1992 ceremony at San Diego. It does not state the stricken date (NVR gives 1 Oct 1992) and says nothing about materials or asbestos.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-04

6. [6]NVR DDG-15 milestone dates (decommission/stricken 1 Oct 1992) + ussberkeley.com ceremony brochure (San Diego, 30 Sep 1992) vs. DANFS closing sentence ('decommissioned at San Francisco on 30 September 1991... struck from the Navy list on 1 October 1991') [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS entry final paragraph; NVR milestone block; ussberkeley.com 'Decommissioning Week' brochure excerpts

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The DANFS entry's closing sentence contains two errors for this hull: it reads decommissioned 'at San Francisco on 30 September 1991' and struck '1 October 1991.' NVR records decommission and stricken dates as 1 October 1992, and the contemporaneous ceremony brochure documents the event at San Diego on 30 September 1992. The DANFS sentence is also internally inconsistent - the same paragraph records inactivation at San Diego on 1 May 1992 and 'the summer' spent preparing for transfer. Correct disposition per NVR + ceremony record: decommissioned San Diego 30 Sep 1992 (ceremony; NVR official date 1 Oct 1992), stricken 1 Oct 1992, transferred to Greece the same day.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1992

   Limitations

   Correction scoped to the disposal sentence only; the remainder of the DANFS narrative is consistent with other sources. Whether the NVR 'decommission date' 10/01 vs the ceremony date 9/30 reflects administrative vs ceremonial dating is unresolved and immaterial - both are carried.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-05

7. [7]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (Comptroller General, 18 Oct 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO HRD-80-2 summary/findings text (insulation specification change, installation through May 1978, removal policy, 30-50% residual figure, OPNAVINST 6260.1)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO program review of Navy asbestos control: asbestos thermal insulation 'was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships'; the Navy changed its thermal-insulation specification to asbestos-free in 1973, but previously purchased asbestos stock was still being installed, and 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978'; 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables'; Navy policy since 1975 removed/replaced asbestos only if damaged or required for repairs, modified in 1979 to selectively replace insulation in high-maintenance areas - the Navy estimated implementation would remove all shipboard thermal asbestos insulation within five years 'except the 30 to 50 percent which normally remains untouched, except for minor maintenance, during the life of a ship'; OPNAVINST 6260.1 (Apr 1974, rev. Aug 1978) established the fleet asbestos-control program. A destroyer built 1960-62 predates the transition - era-standard asbestos thermal insulation is the consistent inference for this hull's build period, though this is not a ship-specific finding.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1979 (report); policy period 1973-1984; build-era context 1960-62

   Population

   Navy-wide shipboard workforce; shipyard insulation workers (Long Beach, Norfolk fieldwork)

   Limitations

   Program-level review fieldworked at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - it does not name this hull, does not establish materials aboard DDG-15, and does not resolve whether insulation was removed from this hull during her 1973, 1977-78, or 1982-83 overhauls. gao.gov blocks automated fetches (403); content verified via indexed text of the report and the product page; the standing fetch-block is noted.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-06

8. [8]DANFS yard-period narrative for this hull + Atlas shipyard dataset records 'new-york-shipbuilding', 'long-beach-naval-shipyard', 'puget-sound-naval-shipyard', 'hunters-point-naval-shipyard', 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard'; GAO HRD-80-2 (fieldwork yard: Long Beach) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS service narrative yard-period entries; shipyards.json records for the five yards; GAO HRD-80-2 summary text

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/yard inference: a Charles F. Adams-class destroyer built 1960-62 at New York Shipbuilding, Camden, with a 1,275-psi steam plant (NVR 'Steam Turbines') would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation - boiler and turbine insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, fireproofing, deck coverings. Builder yard is documented at yard level (Atlas tier 1): named asbestos products in ship construction including magnesia/Caltemp block, Transite panels, gaskets, packing, wire insulation, ebonized asbestos lumber; a 16-fold mesothelioma SMR for yard electricians. This hull's documented repair yards are likewise documented at yard level: Long Beach Naval Shipyard (six+ availabilities/overhauls 1964-1985; GAO HRD-80-2 fieldwork site; 1979 workforce survey reporting radiographic abnormalities in 16.0% of those examined); Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (1973 and 1977-78 overhauls; documented insulator fiber exposures and pulmonary findings); Hunter's Point (1963 availability; Superfund-listed); Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (fit-out/commissioning; documented asbestos product use). Yard documentation plus the GAO-documented fleet policy (asbestos replaced only when damaged or repair-required, 30-50% expected to remain untouched over a ship's life) frame the plausible exposure window for this hull's construction and repair workforce - without establishing any material aboard DDG-15.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1960-1992

   Population

   New York Shipbuilding construction trades 1960-62; repair-yard workforces at Philadelphia NSY (1962-63), Hunter's Point (1963), Long Beach NSY (1964-1985 periods), Puget Sound NSY (1973, 1977-78), Continental Marine (1989); crew 1962-1992

   Limitations

   Class/era and builder/repair-yard inference only - no ship-specific finding. Yard records document conditions at the yards, not aboard this hull; no DDG-15 work package, materials schedule, or insulation-removal record was located. NARA RG19-era ship-specification files are the open lead for hull-level confirmation (ev-11).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-07

9. [9]NARA research guide 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - RG 19 Bureau of Ships correspondence, ship general information books, specifications, engineering drawings [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA asbestos research guide, record-series listing

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA's official research path for hull-level asbestos documentation: Bureau of Ships (RG 19) correspondence, ship general information books, and ship specifications are identified as the record series bearing on asbestos in naval vessels. The guide's core coverage (through 1961) includes this hull's laying period (June-August 1960) and New York Shipbuilding construction (1960-62); a DDG-15 specification or general-information file would be the primary-source route to a hull-level materials finding. No DDG-15 file was examined in this batch.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1960-1962 (records); guide current

   Population

   Research pathway for construction-era materials on this hull

   Limitations

   Archival lead only - the existence of a retrievable DDG-15 specifications file is not established, and the guide's 1961 boundary may exclude late-construction documentation (1962 completion). No retrieval performed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-08

10. [10]USS Berkeley (DDG-15) 1971 WestPac cruise book (Navy-produced crew publication, mirrored at navysite.de); NHHC archives/deck-log holdings check; USS Berkeley Association newsletter command-history excerpts [other_primary]

    Locator

    navysite.de cruise-book index for DDG-15 1971 (Engineering Department section); ussberkeley.com newsletters; NHHC archive checks (no digitized file)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Ship-produced documentation of this hull's complement organization exists: the 1971 WestPac cruise book (ship-published yearbook) includes an Engineering Department section - the division housing the boilermen and machinist's mates who worked the steam plant spaces that are the asbestos-relevant compartments. NHHC digitized command-operation-report and deck-log holdings for DDG-15 were not located (URL patterns and archive indexes checked); NARA holds deck logs for the period. The USS Berkeley Association newsletter series reprints command-history excerpts year by year - a holding path for the underlying command histories (association files; e.g., the 1965 report is noted 'missing from the file').

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    1971 (cruise book); 1962-1992 (deck logs/command histories)

    Population

    Engineering Department crew 1971 (boiler/engine-room ratings); crew generally

    Limitations

    Cruise books document personnel and departmental structure, not materials; the Engineering Department roster establishes only that engineering ratings served aboard - not exposure. Digitized NHHC COR/deck-log files for this hull were not found; the association's command-history excerpts are partial (some years missing).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-09

11. [11]VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decision index (index.va.gov/search/va/bva.html) - veteran asbestos-claim decisions naming ships [other_primary]

    Locator

    index.va.gov BVA search (maintenance page returned); indexed vetapp files searched by name

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No published BVA decision naming USS Berkeley (DDG-15) was located: the official BVA decision search index was under scheduled maintenance at query time and could not be run; web-indexed BVA decisions were searched ('USS Berkeley', 'Berkeley' + asbestos/Navy/destroyer variants) and returned no decision naming this hull. BVA asbestos decisions do exist for other hulls (e.g., USS Fred T. Berry DD-858, USS Sacramento AOE-1, USS Bowen DE-1079) - the channel is live but returned no Berkeley record.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    through 2026-09-28

    Limitations

    Partial negative only - the index-level search could not be executed (maintenance page); Google-indexed decision text is an incomplete proxy for the full BVA archive. A decision naming the hull may exist unindexed.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-10

12. [12]Stevens v. CBS Corporation, No. 3:11-cv-06073-RBL (W.D. Wash.) - Order on Plaintiffs' Motions to Compel Discovery, Dkt. 92 (Leighton, J., Aug. 29, 2012) at 3-4 & n.2; companion Order denying defendants' summary-judgment motions, Dkt. 179 [court_record]

    Locator

    Dkt. 92 Order at 3-4 & n.2 (eleven-vessel list, citing Knudson Decl., Ex. 1, Dkt. #67 at 13); Dkt. 179 SJ-denial order (names no vessel); docket metadata (filed 30 Dec 2011; terminated 23 Apr 2013)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Asbestos products-liability action naming this hull in the plaintiff's claimed-exposure vessel list. Roland L. Stevens served as a U.S. Navy boilermaker 1954-1974 - inspecting, maintaining, repairing, and overhauling boilers, pumps, valves, forced draft blowers, and related equipment 'on dozens of Navy vessels' - then performed similar work at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard until 1988; he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2011. Plaintiffs' discovery requests sought documents on the defendants' equipment (Carrier refrigeration/forced-draft blowers, DeLaval/IMO pumps and steam turbines, Warren pumps and steam turbines) aboard eleven U.S. Navy vessels; the court's order quotes the list - USS Eugene A. Greene, USS Yellowstone, USS Annapolis, USS Wright, USS Beatty, USS Kitty Hawk, USS Coral Sea, USS Belleau Wood, USS Sacramento, USS Camden, 'and the USS Berkeley' - citing the plaintiffs' declaration exhibit. The court granted the motions to compel in part, scoped to asbestos components supplied to the vessels Stevens worked on 1954-1984; defendants' later summary-judgment motions were denied (Dkt. 179); the case terminated 23 Apr 2013 without an adjudicated finding on the Berkeley allegation.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    claimed service/exposure 1954-1984; litigation 2011-2013

    Population

    Roland L. Stevens (Navy boilermaker 1954-1974; PSNS to 1988) and Shirley J. Stevens

    Limitations

    Discovery-stage allegation only: 'USS Berkeley' appears in the plaintiffs' claimed-exposure vessel list, quoted in a discovery order - the hull is a worksite in the exposure theory, not a place where exposure was adjudicated. The summary-judgment order does not name the ship, and the docket terminated without a merits finding naming this hull (disposition consistent with settlement). Hull attribution is strong - DDG-15 is the only commissioned USS Berkeley, active throughout Stevens's 1954-1974 Navy service and overhauled at PSNS in 1973 and 1977-78 during his PSNS employment. RECAP coverage is partial (entries 92 and 179 of ~179 available).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-11

13. [13]Southwest Marine, Inc. v. United States, 4 Cl. Ct. 275 (Ct. Cl. 1984), No. 738-83C (White, Senior J., Jan. 16, 1984) [court_record]

    Locator

    Opinion text, vessel list and scheduled-overhaul passages (CourtListener cluster 6928596, opinion 6824960)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Non-asbestos litigation naming this hull: a Court of Claims bid protest over a Navy destroyer-repair RFP covering 'the USS LYNDE MCCORMICK (DDG-8), the USS BERKELEY (DDG-15), the USS HENRY B. WILSON (DDG-7), and the USS ROBISON (DDG-12).' The opinion's overhaul schedule records 'USS BERKELEY, December 3, 1984 - January 25, 1985' for a selected restricted availability - a ship-specific repair-window datum absent from the DANFS yard list (DANFS next records a Long Beach Naval Shipyard sonar-dome repair beginning 3 May 1985).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    RFP/protest 1983; SRA window Dec 1984-Jan 1985; opinion 1984

    Population

    Private repair-yard workforce at the SRA contractor's yard

    Limitations

    Classified 'other litigation' - a procurement dispute over SRA award terms, not asbestos or exposure litigation. The opinion documents a scheduled (not necessarily performed) availability window; the performing yard is not stated in the opinion text reviewed - no dataset yard is assigned for this period.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-12

14. [14]Tysver et al. v. Foster Wheeler Corporation et al., No. 4:11-cv-02954-LB (N.D. Cal.) - Complaint for Wrongful Death and Survival (Asbestos), filed as attachment to MDL No. 875 Notice of Potential Tag-Along, Dkt. 7397-3 (June 21, 2011), at 13-14 para. 9 [court_record]

    Locator

    MDL No. 875 Dkt. 7397-3 at 13-14 para. 9 (ship list inside the exposure paragraph); tag-along notice filed 21 Jun 2011

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Wrongful-death asbestos complaint naming this hull by hull number in the decedent's claimed work-vessel list. The complaint alleges the decedent was exposed to asbestos-containing products as a metalsmith/pipefitter, including 1975-1992 employment as a pipefitter at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton: 'Decedent worked on the USS Enterprise CVAN-65, USS Constellation CVA 64, USS Kitty Hawk CV 63, USS Ranger CV 61, USS Berkeley DDG 15, USS Long Beach CGN 9, USS Truxton CGN 35, USS Sandlance SSN 660, USS Decatur DDG 31, USS Bainbridge, USS Holland, USS Sacramento, USS Hawkbill, USS Camden, USS Drum, USS Coral Sea, USS Plunger, USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Abraham Lincoln.' This hull's 1977-1978 Puget Sound overhaul falls inside the decedent's claimed PSNS employment window.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    claimed exposure 1966-1992 (PSNS 1975-1992); complaint filed 2011

    Population

    Tysver decedent (per complaint: PSNS pipefitter 1975-1992; Boeing mechanic 1966-1969; Lockheed metalsmith/pipefitter 1969-1975)

    Limitations

    Pleading allegation only - a complaint ship list, not a finding: the document is an MDL tag-along attachment carrying the underlying district-court complaint, and no discovery record, trial finding, or judgment adjudicates exposure aboard this hull. The same paragraph disclaims that exposure to the defendants' government-specification products caused the mesothelioma (a Boyle government-contractor-defense carve-out). Hull attribution is explicit by hull number and temporally coherent (1977-78 PSNS overhaul inside the 1975-1992 claimed PSNS employment window); the 19-vessel boilerplate breadth of the list limits the weight any single entry carries.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-13

15. [15]Gotautis et al. v. Todd Shipyards Corporation et al., No. 3:11-cv-03404-RS (N.D. Cal.) - Complaint for Asbestos Personal Injury/Products Liability/Loss of Consortium (Brayton Purcell LLP), filed 12 Jul 2011; carried in MDL No. 875 as tag-along attachments Dkt. 7601-2 (29 Jul 2011) and Dkt. 7785-3 (31 Aug 2011) [court_record]

    Locator

    MDL No. 875 Dkt. 7601-2 exposure table (p.6 and final page) and Dkt. 7785-3 same; underlying case caption and docket sheet inside the attachments

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Asbestos personal-injury complaint naming this hull in the plaintiff's claimed service-aboard list. Stephen Gotautis alleges service as a U.S. Navy boilermaker/boiler tender 1959-1974 across a vessel-by-vessel exposure table: Halsey Powell (DD-686) at Long Beach Naval Shipyard 2/1959-12/1960; Uhlmann (DD-687) Pacific cruise 12/1960-5/1961; Buchanan (DDG-14) 2/1962-5/1962; Edson (DD-946) incl. Treasure Island and WestPac/Vietnam 6/1962-9/1966; 'BERKELEY (DDG-15), Vietnam' as Boiler Tender 10/1966-1967; Downes (DE-1070) incl. Todd Pacific Shipyards and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 2/1968-6/1971; Parsons (DDG-33) Vietnam 1971; Harold E. Holt (DE-1074) at Todd Shipyard San Pedro; and a Missouri State University power plant 2/1980-2/1985. The same complaint text appears twice in the MDL docket under different tag-along notices (firm file marker '12503' identical).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    claimed service/exposure 1959-1985 (Berkeley entry 10/1966-1967); complaint filed 2011

    Population

    Stephen Gotautis (per complaint: Navy boilermaker/boiler tender 1959-1974) and Sharon Gotautis

    Limitations

    Pleading allegation only - a complaint exposure table, not a finding: no discovery record, trial finding, or judgment adjudicates exposure aboard this hull. A boiler tender is the engineering rating consistent with a boiler/machinery-space exposure theory, and the claimed 10/1966-1967 window coincides with the ship's post-Standard-installation WestPac/Vietnam operations - but shipboard assignment itself is unverified (muster rolls at NARA not checked).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-14

16. [16]Davis v. General Electric Company et al., No. 3:08-cv-00228-JSW (N.D. Cal.) - Complaint with exposure interrogatory responses, Dkt. 1-3 at 18-19 (filed 14 Jan 2008) [court_record]

    Locator

    Complaint, Dkt. 1-3 at 18-19 (LBNSY Shop 64/56 employment block and vessel list)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Asbestos personal-injury complaint alleging the handling of asbestos material claimed to have come off this hull. The plaintiff alleges employment as an insulator with the U.S. Department of Defense at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Insulation Shop 64 (later Shop 56), 11/8/1976-1/3/1994, fabricating fiberglass replacement pads: 'the Navy was mandated to replace all asbestos insulation pads on ships with fiberglass insulation pads. In order to create these pads, plaintiff used old asbestos insulation pads that came directly off of the ships. Plaintiff opened the insulation pads and removed the asbestos filling with an electric knife.' The pads came 'from all parts of ships, including boilers, pumps, valves, pipes, and furnaces,' off a listed fleet of ~40 vessels including 'BERKELEY (DDG-15).' This hull's documented Long Beach Naval Shipyard periods inside the plaintiff's claimed employment window: restricted availability May-June 1980 (incl. boiler-tube work), regular overhaul from 29 Mar 1982, and sonar-dome repairs from 3 May 1985.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    claimed exposure 1976-1994 (hull's LBNSY periods 1980, 1982-83, 1985); complaint filed 2008

    Population

    Davis plaintiff (per complaint: LBNSY insulator 1976-1994)

    Limitations

    Pleading allegation only - a complaint exposure narrative naming the hull in a ~40-vessel list, not a finding; no adjudication establishes that pads off this ship reached the shop. A second 'Berkeley' token in the same document is a collision - 'pumps manufactured by ALLIS CHALMERS, BUFFALO, and BERKELEY' is Berkeley Pump Co., not the vessel. The asbestos-pad-rip-out description is plaintiff's recollection of shop practice; whether the hull's pads were among those handled is unadjudicated.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-15

17. [17]Redman v. A.W. Chesterton Company et al., No. 3:08-cv-03013-JSW (N.D. Cal.) - Plaintiff's Responses to Defendants' Standard Interrogatories, Set Two (Wrongful Death), at ~pp. 100-101 (Exhibits A-C to Rosenthal Decl., Dkt. 11, filed 3 Jul 2008); case remanded to San Francisco Superior Court 2 Feb 2009 [court_record]

    Locator

    Dkt. 11 exhibits (interrogatory-response pages ~100-101, class-roster block); remand order Dkt. 78 (2 Feb 2009)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Wrongful-death asbestos action in which this hull enters the record inside an incorporated class roster. The plaintiffs' interrogatory responses enumerate shipyards, ships, and vessels as the worksites at or aboard which the decedent's (Ronald Redman's) claimed asbestos-related work occurred; the vessel material reproduces a secondary-source 'Charles F. Adams class destroyer' roster (DDG-2 through DDG-24) that includes 'USS Berkeley (DDG-15)' within a ~100-vessel aggregate spanning carriers, submarines, cruisers, and destroyers. The filing was removed from San Francisco Superior Court on federal-officer grounds and remanded in its entirety 2 Feb 2009.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    claimed exposure per complaint period; federal litigation 2008-2009

    Population

    Ronald Redman, deceased (shipyard/vessel work history per filings); successor plaintiffs

    Limitations

    Discovery-document allegation of the weakest form: the hull reaches the record through an incorporated Wikipedia-sourced class roster inside a ~100-vessel maximalist list - plaintiffs expressly describe the enumeration as a non-exhaustive incorporation of ship histories 'equally available to defendants,' not a ship-specific claim of the decedent's presence aboard. No merits adjudication occurred in federal court (remanded 2 Feb 2009). Carried for completeness because the literal filing text names DDG-15; it should not be weighed as a hull-specific exposure claim.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-16

18. [18]Authenticated CourtListener v4 litigation sweep via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-28: type=o queries "USS Berkeley", "Berkeley DDG-15", "DDG-15", "U.S.S. Berkeley", "Berkeley" DDG-15 asbestos, "USS Berkeley" asbestos; type=r/d queries "USS Berkeley", "Berkeley DDG-15", "DDG-15", "USS Berkeley" asbestos, "DDG-15" asbestos; type=rd document-level searches; docket-entries and recap-documents plain-text pulls for hit classification [court_record]

    Locator

    cl-auth-search.py runs 2026-09-28 (queries and hits as enumerated; per-hit classifications in ev-11 through ev-16 and this row's finding_value)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Complete sweep, every hit classified. OPINION layer: "USS Berkeley" 1 opinion - Southwest Marine, Inc. v. United States, 4 Cl. Ct. 275 (Ct. Cl. 1984): other litigation (Navy repair bid protest) naming the hull and its scheduled Dec 1984-Jan 1985 SRA (ev-12). "Berkeley DDG-15" same single hit. "DDG-15" adds Cincinnati Insurance v. Centech Building Corp. (M.D.N.C. 2003) - name collision ('DDG' = party Dynamic Development Group). "U.S.S. Berkeley" 0; "Berkeley" DDG-15 asbestos 0; "USS Berkeley" asbestos 0 - no asbestos opinion anywhere in the index names this hull. DOCKET layer: "USS Berkeley" 3 dockets - Stevens v. CBS Corp. (W.D. Wash. 3:11-cv-06073, asbestos) = qualifying, discovery-stage ship list naming the hull (ev-11); IN RE Asbestos MDL No. 875 (J.P.M.L.) = container whose matching documents are tag-along complaint attachments - Tysver v. Foster Wheeler (N.D. Cal. 4:11-cv-02954) and Gotautis v. Todd Shipyards (N.D. Cal. 3:11-cv-03404), both qualifying pleading allegations (ev-13, ev-14); Redman v. A.W. Chesterton (N.D. Cal. 3:08-cv-03013, asbestos) = qualifying but weakest-grade naming - hull appears via an incorporated class roster inside ~100-vessel interrogatory responses (ev-16). "Berkeley DDG-15" 2 dockets/4 documents - the same MDL attachments plus Davis v. General Electric (N.D. Cal. 3:08-cv-00228, asbestos) = qualifying pleading allegation that asbestos insulation pads 'came directly off' ships including BERKELEY (DDG-15) at Long Beach Naval Shipyard (ev-15). "DDG-15" 10 dockets/27 documents - adds only non-vessel tokens (US v. Google 'DDG' = DuckDuckGo exhibits; W.R. Grace bankruptcy; tax, pharma, criminal, and bankruptcy dockets carrying 'DDG-15' as document/exhibit code). "DDG-15" asbestos 4 dockets - MDL and Davis plus W.R. Grace bankruptcy and Bouche v. Indevus pharma token noise. NET RESULT: five asbestos actions name the hull - Davis (LBNSY insulator, asbestos pads claimed off this ship), Gotautis (Navy boiler tender claiming service aboard, Vietnam 1966-67), Stevens (boilermaker ship list via discovery), Tysver (PSNS pipefitter ship list), Redman (roster-level naming) - ALL AT PLEADING OR DISCOVERY STAGE. No opinion, trial finding, verdict, or judgment in the index adjudicates asbestos exposure aboard DDG-15.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    through 2026-09-28

    Population

    Five asbestos plaintiffs/decedents naming the hull; one bid-protest litigant

    Limitations

    CourtListener coverage is not the full federal/state docket universe; RECAP document coverage is partial (e.g., only entries 92 and 179 of ~179 Stevens entries carry text; Redman/Davis entry pages beyond the first page set were not all pulled); OCR indexing can miss or garble ship names; state-court filings outside RECAP are unsearched. All qualifying hits are allegations at pleading/discovery stage - the record deliberately reports them at that stage and treats none as an exposure finding. The remaining 'DDG-15' tokens in non-asbestos dockets were classified by docket type and document sampling rather than line-by-line pull (pacing-budget economics); a vessel reference could exist inside an unexamined filing.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-berkeley-ddg15-17