Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]research packet hf-packet.md (4 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Blandy
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-blandy-dd943-pkt-hf-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Blandy (DD-943), Vol. I, pp. 130-31 (verbatim transcription - live NHHC page returns 404; hazegray transcription via Wayback capture 2024-12-11) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Vol. I, pp. 130-31, 'Blandy' entry (namesake biography + specification block + launch/commissioning paragraph)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: named for Admiral William H. P. Blandy (born New York City 28 June 1890; USNA 1913; Veracruz occupation 1914; British Grand Fleet service WWI; Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Commander, Group 1, Amphibious Force, and Commander, Cruisers and Destroyers, Pacific Fleet in WWII; commanded JTF 1 at the Bikini atomic tests, then 2nd Task Fleet and Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet; died 12 January 1954). Specifications: dp. 2810; l. 418'; b. 45'; dr. 20'; cl. Forrest Sherman. Launched 19 December 1956 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass.; sponsored by Mrs. John M. Lee, daughter of Admiral Blandy; commissioned 26 November 1957, Commander W. F. Cafferata in command.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1890-1957
- Population
- Bethlehem Steel Fore River construction trades 1955-57; commissioning crew
- Limitations
- DANFS documents namesake, specifications, launch, and commissioning only - the entry ends at commissioning (typical for then-active ships) and does not cover keel-laying, decommissionings, striking, disposal, or materials/asbestos content. Live NHHC DANFS page returns 404; verbatim transcription mirror cited.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-01
-
[3]Arlington National Cemetery (official site), 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' - World War II and Korean War Unknowns selection narrative [other_primary]
- Locator
- arlingtoncemetery.mil Tomb of the Unknown Soldier page, 'World War II and Korean War Unknowns' section
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official U.S. Army cemetery record naming this hull: after Major General Edward J. O'Neill selected the World War II Trans-Atlantic Unknown at Epinal American Cemetery on 12 May 1958, 'the selected casket was then taken aboard USS Blandy for its journey to the United States.' USS Blandy and USS Boston met USS Canberra off the coast of Virginia; on 26 May 1958 Hospital Corpsman 1st Class William R. Charette made the final World War II selection aboard Canberra, and Blandy then carried the World War II and Korean War Unknowns onward (association record adds: highline transfer to Blandy's O-1 level, Potomac transit, arrival at the Naval Gun Factory 28 May 1958).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1958-05
- Population
- Ship's crew, May 1958
- Limitations
- Ceremonial transport service documented by an official federal source; establishes presence/timeline of the ship, not materials or asbestos content. The Potomac transit and 28 May Naval Gun Factory arrival details come from the association history, not the ANC page itself.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-02
-
[4]USS Blandy Association compiled ship history (historian William McLean, LTJG 1957-60), ussblandy.org/history.html (live site unresponsive to fetch; Wayback capture 2025-02-20 cited) [museum_official]
- Locator
- ussblandy.org history page, chronological sections 1955-1982
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Association-compiled service history for this hull: keel laid 29 December 1955 at Bethlehem Steel, Quincy; commissioned at Boston Naval Shipyard 26 November 1957 (XO LCDR Julien J. LeBourgeois); complement 240 men and 13 officers; four Foster Wheeler boilers and two ~35,000-shp turbines (1,200-psi steam plant, >33 kt); aluminum superstructure. Guantanamo shakedown Jan-Feb 1958; Unknown Soldier transport May 1958; post-shakedown availability Boston Naval Shipyard June 1958; DesRon 24 flagship, Newport; Boston yard overhaul 1960 and 6-week Norfolk Naval Shipyard engineering-plant renewal 1960; Cuban Quarantine October 1962; USS Thresher wreckage investigation April 1963; reassigned DesRon 2, Norfolk, June 1964; four-month Boston overhaul from July 1964; Norfolk Naval Shipyard availability March 1966 for 'extensive modifications and repairs to her boilers' (two boiler technicians killed, believed a boiler fire); WESTPAC Vietnam deployments March-November 1968 (60 of 82 days on the gunline; 27,428 rounds; Meritorious Unit Commendation) and October 1972-April 1973 (Combat Action Ribbon; Cap Lai counter-battery 1 January 1973); decommissioned 15 January 1969 for ASW modernization (hull-mounted SQS-23 sonar + ASROC), recommissioned and deployed to Guantanamo refresher training 17 September 1970; major overhaul at Bethlehem Steel's East Boston yard from 15 October 1975 (fire of 25 April 1976, >$500,000 damage between Electrician Shop and Repair Locker 3; new Mounts 51 and 52, rebuilt Mk 47 Mod 4 GFCS, AN/SQS-35 IVDS sonar, new screws); yearlong Norfolk Naval Shipyard overhaul January 1980-31 March 1981 plus August 1981 sonar-dome drydock; Persian Gulf 1979; Indian Ocean 1981-82.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1955-1982
- Population
- Construction trades (Bethlehem Fore River 1955-57); crew 1957-1982 (~253 per association); yard workers at Boston NSY, Norfolk NSY, Bethlehem East Boston, Philadelphia NSY
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation by the crew association - events lack per-item primary citations and some details conflict with other sources (sponsor name Mrs. James M. Lee vs DANFS 'Mrs. John M. Lee'; recommissioning framing vs NavSource's 2 May 1970 date) - conflicts logged in gaps. Yard periods are documented as events only; the source states no materials or asbestos content for any yard period or space.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-03
-
[5]Inactivation and disposal record: ussblandy.org verbatim naval messages (Decommissioning Progress Report 29 Oct 1982; IACTSHIPDET Philadelphia report 10 Nov 1982) + hazegray worldnav decommissioned-ships list + MaritimeQuest/NavSource secondary data [other_primary]
- Locator
- ussblandy.org history page final section (verbatim messages); hazegray.org worldnav decom list line 'DD 943 Blandy 5 Nov 1982 Sold 11 Dec 1992, resold 30 June 1994'; navsource.org/archives/05/943.htm fate line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Final decommissioning and disposal record for this hull: decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in November 1982 (5 November 1982 per the hazegray worldnav list, MaritimeQuest, and navysite.de; NavSource's 'October 30 1982' is an outlier - see gaps). Association reproduces verbatim message traffic: Decommissioning Progress Report of 29 October 1982 - 'ALL DECOMMISSIONING PREPS COMPLETED WITH EXCEPTION OF FINAL TOW INSPECTION BY USS PAPAGO SCHEDULED FOR 2 NOVEMBER 1982. SHIP SATISFACTORY ACCEPTED FOR SAFE STOWAGE BY INACTSHIPFAC PORTSMOUTH VA' - and the IACTSHIPDET Philadelphia report of 10 November 1982 - 'CUSTODY OF EX-BLANDY(DD-943) ACCEPTED BY ORIGINATOR AT 070900Z NOV 82.' Stricken from the Navy List 27 July 1990; sold 11 December 1992; resold 30 June 1994 (hazegray worldnav); dismantled by Wilmington Resources, Wilmington, NC, scrapping completed 1996.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1982-1996
- Population
- Inactivation/layup workers Philadelphia NSY 1982; scrapping workers 1992-96
- Limitations
- Verbatim message excerpts are reproduced by the association but unverified against the message files; disposal buyer-chain details conflict across secondary sources (sold to Fore River Shipyard and Iron Works with 1993-94 bankruptcy resale to N.R. Acquisition, vs NavSource 'Sold to N.R. Acquisition December 11 1992 for $18,057') - logged in gaps. No source located states any asbestos content of the hull at inactivation or scrapping.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-04
-
[6]USS Blandy Association compiled history specifications paragraph (4 Foster Wheeler boilers; two ~35,000-shp turbines; 1,200-psi steam plant; >33 kt) + Atlas shipyard dataset, fore-river-shipyard record (tier 3: Oliver v. General Electric, D. Md. 1:16-cv-01057, pipefitter's/drafting apprentice 1967-70; documented ACM product list) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Association history specifications paragraph; shipyards.json record 'fore-river-shipyard'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/builder inference: a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer built 1955-57 at Bethlehem Steel's Fore River yard (Quincy) with a 1,200-psi, four-boiler steam plant (association: four Foster Wheeler boilers; two ~35,000-shp turbines) would have carried period-standard asbestos-containing boiler and turbine insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, fireproofing, deck coverings, and cable insulation - standard in mid-1950s naval combatant construction. The builder yard is asbestos-documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (Fore River Shipyard, tier 3). Documented yard periods for this hull (Norfolk NSY boiler work 1966 and 1980-81 overhaul; Bethlehem East Boston 1975-76 overhaul; 1969-70 ASW modernization; 1982 Philadelphia inactivation) are events at yards with documented asbestos use - insulation disturbance during such work is inference, not hull documentation.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1955-1982
- Population
- Fore River construction trades 1955-57; crew 1957-82; overhaul yard workers 1960-1981
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - never supports 'documented aboard this hull.' No ship-specific asbestos survey, abatement, or materials record was located for DD-943; this row contextualizes why research priority is warranted, nothing more.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-05
-
[7]Batch-3870 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC; official Arlington National Cemetery page; USS Blandy Association history; Naval Vessel Register detail page; NavSource/hazegray/navysite secondary confirmations; CourtListener opinion and docket searches; web sweep for surveys/abatement/official disclosures [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-blandy-dd943-01 through sl-uss-blandy-dd943-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, museum or donation-condition hazmat disclosure, government report, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Blandy (DD-943) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Web results that assert asbestos aboard this hull are law-firm marketing pages (excluded sources) restating the Wikipedia equipment list without primary support.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1950s 1,200-psi steam combatant is era-consistent with extensive ACM use (see ev-05), but that is inference, not hull documentation. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-06
-
[8]Unretrieved primary-source leads: NHHC Operational Archives command histories (association cites 'Command History for 1972' and verbatim 1982 decommissioning message traffic); NARA deck logs; BuShips contract/plans for DD-943; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard inactivation work-package records; DRMS disposal sale records (11 Dec 1992 / resale 30 Jun 1994) [other_primary]
- Locator
- leads derived from ussblandy.org citations and Bethlehem Steel v. U.S. opinion text
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Unretrieved archival leads that could yield ship-specific material data: (1) the ship's command histories at NHHC Operational Archives - the association quotes verbatim decommissioning message traffic and references a 'rather complete' Command History for 1972; (2) NARA deck logs (RG 24) 1957-1982; (3) BuShips contract award and hull plans for DD-943 (contract awarded 23 October 1954 per secondary sources; construction contracts Nobs-3556/Nobs-3648 are named in Bethlehem Steel Corp. v. United States, 423 F.2d 300 (Ct. Cl. 1970)); (4) Philadelphia Naval Shipyard inactivation work-package and safe-stowage records (INACTSHIPDET/IACTSHIPFAC messages, October-November 1982); (5) DRMS/DRMO sale file for the 11 December 1992 disposal sale.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1954-1994
- Limitations
- Leads only - none retrieved this session; existence is inferred from association citations and standard record series, not confirmed. No spend authorized for archival retrieval.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-07
-
[9]CourtListener opinion-index sweep: 'USS Blandy' -> United States v. Koopman, 20 M.J. 106 (C.M.A. 1985), opinion 8665036; 'DD-943' -> Bethlehem Steel Corp. v. United States, 423 F.2d 300 (Ct. Cl. 1970), opinion 289017, and Brenner v. United States (Ct. Cl. 1973), opinion 8615857 [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener API v4 search endpoint results (type=o): opinions 8665036, 289017, 8615857
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweep results, all hits classified. QUALIFYING ASBESTOS LITIGATION: none located. OTHER LITIGATION naming this hull: (1) Bethlehem Steel Corp. v. United States, 423 F.2d 300 (Ct. Cl. 1970) - contract dispute over labor/material escalation clauses in Contracts Nobs-3556 and Nobs-3648 'under which plaintiff built five destroyers for the United States Navy at the shipyard it then owned at Quincy, Massachusetts' - DD-943 appears in the opinion as a hull under those contracts, corroborating builder and contract context; no asbestos or exposure content. (2) United States v. Koopman, 20 M.J. 106 (C.M.A. 1985) - Navy general court-martial for unauthorized absences tried at Norfolk Naval Base July-August 1982 (appellant a Personnelman Seaman Apprentice; the opinion recites 'He was from the USS BLANDY' - the ship was appellant's command) - military justice, no asbestos or exposure content. NAME COLLISION: Brenner v. United States (Ct. Cl. 1973), a military selection-board case - 'DD-943' match is not a vessel reference.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1970-1985 (opinions)
- Population
- Bethlehem Steel Corp. contract claimant; USN Personnelman Seaman Apprentice (court-martial appellant)
- Limitations
- Opinion-index coverage is not all litigation - RECAP docket-text searches for 'USS Blandy' and 'DD-943' were blocked by the fleet pacing budget during this session (HTTP 429 pacing; logged sl-08/sl-09), so unindexed docket references are not fully excluded. Koopman and Bethlehem Steel confirm the hull appears in federal records but establish nothing about exposure or materials aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-blandy-dd943-08