USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

Evidence

16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).

1. [1]U.S. Navy, Naval Vessel Register - hull record for USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19), shipId 2383 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR getHull display for shipId 2383 - characteristics/status/milestone blocks

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Naval Vessel Register (NVR) official hull record: 'USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19)', ex-AGC 19; type 'Command ship'; status 'Active, in commission'; fleet assignment 'U.S. Pacific Fleet'; homeport 'Yokosuka, Japan'; builder 'Naval Shipyard Philadelphia'; contract award 1964-12-31; keel laid 1967-02-27; launched 1969-01-04; commissioned 1970-11-14; delivered 1971-02-11; status date 1970-11-14; record last updated 2026-02-04. NVR suppresses physical characteristics for this hull under current public-information policy.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1964-2026

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked Seventh Fleet / amphibious-force staffs (1970-present)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, milestones, and current status - controlling source for build/commission/delivery dates and the ex-AGC-19 redesignation. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, survey, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-01

2. [2]U.S. Navy Fact File, 'Amphibious Command Ships - LCC' (navy.mil, last updated 2018-11-27) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Fact File 'Description'/'Background'/'General Characteristics, Blue Ridge Class' sections

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official U.S. Navy Fact File 'Amphibious Command Ships - LCC' (updated 2018-11-27): the two Blue Ridge-class LCCs are 'the only ships designed from the keel up for an amphibious/command ship role'; Blue Ridge 'became the Seventh Fleet flagship in 1979 and is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan'; 'service lives were extended in 2011 by the chief of Naval Operations to 2039' under an Extended Service Life Program executed jointly by NAVSEA and MSC, covering repair and overhaul of systems/equipment, electrical generation and distribution, HVAC upgrades, operational-space optimization, habitability and safety modifications, and corrosion control. Class characteristics: builder Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (LCC 19); propulsion one geared turbine, two boilers, one shaft, 22,000 horsepower; length 634 ft; beam 108 ft; full-load displacement 18,874 tons; speed 23 knots; crew 34 officers + 564 enlisted.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1967-present; ESLP 2011-2039

   Population

   Ship's company (~600 per Fact File) and embarked Seventh Fleet staff

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy specifications and program summary - controlling for the ESLP/2039 service-life extension and physical plant data. The ESLP scope list (HVAC upgrades, habitability modifications, corrosion control) describes system overhaul work without identifying insulation or hazardous-material content. Contains no asbestos statement; supports no asbestos claim. Crew figure (34 officers + 564 enlisted) conflicts with NavSource's 52 + 790 - see ev-14.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-02

3. [3]Naval History and Heritage Command, command-operation reports for USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), calendar years 1970 and 1971 (OPNAV Report 5750 series, CO letter to Director of Naval History) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC COR index 'Blue Ridge (LCC-19) III' (live history.navy.mil URL 404s in-session; archive.org capture carries the index) - 1970/1971 PDFs fetched and text-extracted

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC command-operation reports (OPNAV Report 5750 series) for this hull, from the official NHHC archive index 'Blue Ridge (LCC-19) III': 1970 report - placed 'in commission special' on 14 November 1970 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; commissioning sponsored by Mrs. Harry F. Byrd Jr., principal speaker Under Secretary of the Navy John W. Warner; assigned to the Fourth Naval District for completion of construction and fitting out; homeport designated San Diego; mission recital - command ship for amphibious task force and landing force commanders with flag accommodations, supporting-arms and AAW coordination, joint communications center, aircraft control, operational-intelligence facilities including printing/map reproduction/photo laboratory, limited self-defense, helicopter support. 1971 report - departed Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1971-02-11; Norfolk ammunition outfitting 02-15; shakedown to San Diego around South America through the Strait of Magellan (Rio de Janeiro 03-04 to 03-06, Callao/Lima 03-20 to 03-22, Panama Canal Zone 03-27 to 03-28, Acapulco 04-02 to 04-05); arrived San Diego 1971-04-09; Command Post Exercises May and August; flagship for amphibious exercise ROPEVAL WESTCO (3-71) 09-08 to 09-16; post-shakedown availability at Long Beach Naval Shipyard 10-11 to 11-19; class trials 12-06 to 12-10.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1970-1971

   Population

   Ship's company; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard fitting-out workforce (1970-71); Long Beach Naval Shipyard post-shakedown workforce (Oct-Nov 1971)

   Limitations

   Primary command-authored annual reports - authoritative for commissioning, mission, fitting-out, shakedown itinerary, and the first post-shakedown yard period (Long Beach NSY Oct-Nov 1971). Construction-era documents contain no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; the 1971 Long Beach availability scope is not itemized (material content undocumented). Live NHHC index URL returned 404 - archived copy cited.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-03

4. [4]Naval History and Heritage Command, command-operation report for USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), calendar year 1972 (OPNAV Report 5750 series) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC COR index 'Blue Ridge (LCC-19) III' - 1972 PDF fetched and text-extracted (summary of operations, CINCPACFLT commendatory message quoted in-text)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC command-operation report, calendar year 1972: maiden WESTPAC deployment - departed San Diego 1972-01-07 via Pearl Harbor and Guam to Subic Bay (arrived 01-29), where RADM W. D. Gaddis, Commander Amphibious Force Seventh Fleet, embarked and Blue Ridge relieved USS Eldorado (LCC-11) of flagship duties. After the 1972-04-05 departure from White Beach for the Gulf of Tonkin she served as flagship for CTF 76 and CTG 79.1, operating with Amphibious Squadrons Five and Seven as command-and-control center for the Song Thanh and Lam Son series operations supporting RVN Marine Corps recapture operations in Quang Tri Province, and conducted special operations as CTU 76.0.1 (Operation Venture Road). On 1972-06-27, during Operation Song Thanh 8-72, shore batteries on Tiger Island off the DMZ opened fire on Blue Ridge; she returned 77 rounds from 13,000 yards and was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon on 07-18. RVN President Nguyen Van Thieu conferred aboard by helicopter 06-28. CTF 76/CTG 79.1 staffs moved to USS Paul Revere (LPA-248) 08-02; departed for home 08-03; arrived San Diego 08-18. Awarded the Battle 'E'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1972

   Population

   Ship's company plus embarked COMPHIBFOR 7th Fleet (CTF 76) and landing-force (CTG 79.1) staffs, 1972 WESTPAC

   Limitations

   Primary command-authored annual report - authoritative for the 1972 combat deployment (Gulf of Tonkin 'on the line' periods at MODLOC 17-00N/107-45E and 19-00N/107-30E through 07-18). Corroborates the Vietnam service underlying both the VA ship-list entry (ev-11) and the BVA claimants' shipboard-service records (ev-06/07/08). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-04

5. [5]Naval History and Heritage Command, command-operation reports for USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), calendar years 1975, 1976, 1979 (OPNAV Report 5750 series) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC COR index 'Blue Ridge (LCC-19) III' - 1975, 1976, and 1979 PDFs fetched and text-extracted

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC command-operation reports, calendar years 1975-1976 and 1979: (a) Blue Ridge arrived Long Beach Naval Shipyard 1975-10-31 and on 11-01 'commenced a scheduled eight-month overhaul' - her first regular overhaul; in dry dock for 'modernization and upkeep' until 1976-03-19, then Pier Six through April; sea trials 05-24 and 06-08 to 06-10, 06-15 to 06-17; departed LBNSY 06-30, arrived San Diego 07-02. On 1976-07-18 a fire was reported in Vehicle Stowage, classified 'Out of Control' at 2046, fought with assistance from other ships and the Naval Station fire department. (b) 1979 - Planned Restricted Availability at Naval Station San Diego 01-08 to 03-31, extended when propeller damage was found; moved to the Naval Station dry dock 03-26 to 03-30 for the propeller change. After nine years homeported at San Diego she departed 07-02 for Yokosuka, Japan as 'Flagship of Commander Seventh Fleet,' arriving Yokosuka Naval Base 07-17, greeted by VADM S. R. Foley, Commander Seventh Fleet.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1975-1979

   Population

   Ship's company (1975-1979); Long Beach Naval Shipyard overhaul workforce (Nov 1975-Jun 1976); San Diego SIMA/contractor PRAV workforce (Jan-Mar 1979)

   Limitations

   Primary command-authored annual reports - authoritative for the eight-month Long Beach Naval Shipyard regular overhaul (dry-dock + pier-side 'modernization and upkeep,' Nov 1975-Jun 1976), the 1979 San Diego PRAV, and the 1979-07-17 Yokosuka homeport shift as Seventh Fleet flagship. The reports do not itemize overhaul work packages or material content - no asbestos, insulation, or hazmat statement; the documented machinery/outfit disturbance (dry-dock modernization) is consistent with insulation work but proves nothing about materials. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-05

6. [6]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 23042878, Decision Date 2023-08-04, Docket No. 14-32 064 [court_record]

   Locator

   BVA decision text - ORDER item 9; 'Reasons and Bases' recital ('asbestos exposure while stationed aboard the USS Blue Ridge'); engine-room-mechanic duty recital

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   VA Board of Veterans' Appeals merits decision naming this hull expressly in an asbestos claim: Citation Nr. 23042878 (decided 2023-08-04, Docket No. 14-32 064). The veteran served on active duty October 1972 - September 1975; his DD 214 reflected duty 'as a mechanic in an engine room during service.' He contended 'the respiratory disorder is the result of asbestos exposure while stationed aboard the USS Blue Ridge.' The Board DENIED the respiratory-disorder claim (item 9 of the order): 'even assuming the claimed exposure did occur, no evidence has been submitted to support a relationship between the current disability and such exposure'; service treatment records were silent and no probative nexus evidence existed. The Board made no finding that asbestos was aboard the hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1972-1975 (alleged exposure); ~2014-2023 (claim adjudication)

   Population

   Veteran claimant; ship's company engine-room ratings (1972-1975)

   Limitations

   Administrative benefits adjudication, not tort litigation - non-precedential, binding only on the instant claim (38 C.F.R. 20.1303). Classified at the least-final stage (pleading-allegation equivalent): the asbestos statement is the claimant's own contention, recited by the Board; the claim was DENIED on the current-disability/nexus elements, and the Board expressly assumed exposure arguendo without finding it. Establishes that a docketed claims record attributes asbestos exposure to service aboard this hull (engine-room mechanic duty, 1972-75); does not establish that asbestos was aboard, nor quantity, condition, causation, or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-06

7. [7]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. A25080758, Decision Date 2025-09-23, Docket No. 240214-418598 [court_record]

   Locator

   BVA decision text - Findings paras 41, 51-57 (shipboard service dates; November 2023 RO favorable findings); 'Exposure to Asbestos' section paras 61-65; remand directive para 87

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decision naming this hull with a CONCEDED asbestos-exposure finding: Citation Nr. A25080758 (decided 2025-09-23, Docket No. 240214-418598). Personnel records show the veteran served aboard USS Blue Ridge from 1972-08-20 to 1973-08-17. 'The November 2023 rating decision made favorable findings that the Veteran has a diagnosis of COPD and was exposed to asbestos' - a binding favorable finding on appeal (38 C.F.R. 20.801(a)). On the merits the Board found COPD less likely than not caused by the conceded/probable asbestos exposure (November 2023 VA examination citing a 54-year smoking history), and remanded the prostate-cancer claim for an adequate opinion covering 'the total potential exposure through all applicable deployments... to include exposure to asbestos.' The decision's primary theory was herbicide-agent exposure in Vietnamese territorial waters - rejected on deck-log research showing Blue Ridge was not in South Vietnam's territorial sea during his assignment.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   1972-1973 (shipboard service); 2022-2025 (claim adjudication)

   Population

   Veteran claimant; ship's company (1972-1973 deployment cycle incl. Gulf of Tonkin operations)

   Limitations

   Administrative benefits adjudication - non-precedential (38 C.F.R. 20.1303). The RO's favorable finding that the veteran 'was exposed to asbestos' is service-level and exposure-stage: it concedes probable in-service exposure for a sailor whose named shipboard service was this hull (1972-73), but the Board made no finding that asbestos MATERIAL was aboard the hull - TERA-style exposure concessions turn on duty and era, not hull materials surveys. COPD denied on nexus (smoking history); prostate cancer remanded (inadequate opinion - a procedural disposition, not a merits finding). Establishes a conceded-exposure claims record for service aboard this hull; does not establish materials presence, quantity, condition, or eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-07

8. [8]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. A25034538, Decision Date 2025-04-15, Docket No. 240321-426590 [court_record]

   Locator

   BVA decision text - service-dates recital (para at FINDINGS); remand directives paras 185-189 ('conceded exposure to asbestos' / 'conceded asbestos exposure'); psychiatric-grant analysis paras 85-93

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decision naming this hull with conceded asbestos exposure in a recent-service veteran: Citation Nr. A25034538 (decided 2025-04-15, Docket No. 240321-426590). The veteran served on active duty April 2020 - April 2023 and served aboard USS Blue Ridge (lay statements and CAPRI records corroborate service aboard). The Board remanded the upper-respiratory claim for a clarification opinion and directed the examiner, if a current disability is diagnosed, to 'consider the Veteran's conceded exposure to asbestos' under 38 U.S.C. 1168 'and the total potential exposure through all applicable military deployments.' Service connection for a psychiatric disorder was granted (lay statements of isolation aboard USS Blue Ridge weighed in favor); tinnitus granted on presumptive grounds.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   2020-2023 (shipboard service); 2023-2025 (claim adjudication)

   Population

   Veteran claimant; ship's company (2020-2023 forward-deployed era)

   Limitations

   Administrative benefits adjudication - non-precedential, and REMANDED for development (least-final posture): the upper-respiratory/asbestos theory was not adjudicated to conclusion - remand instructs the examiner to weigh 'conceded asbestos exposure' if a current disability is confirmed. The concession is a VA TERA-type exposure concession attached to service that included this hull (2020-2023 - the most recent shipboard-service window in the claims record); it is an exposure concession, not a materials finding that asbestos remains aboard. Notable because it extends the hull's claims-record surface into the 2020s service era; establishes no materials fact, quantity, condition, causation, or eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-08

9. [9]U.S. Navy, DVIDS - image series VIRIN 151027-N-PQ607-063 (2015), VIRIN 220419-N-SF508-0008 'Blue Ridge Lagging Team help preserve the Ship' (2022), and news release 188843 'Blue Ridge wraps up SRA, completes light off' (2016) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DVIDS image 7169458 and companions 7169457/7169459/7169460/7169461/7169476; image 2252676 (and 2252677); news 188843 printable version

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   Official U.S. Navy imagery and news document crew insulation (lagging) maintenance aboard this hull across two maintenance periods: (a) VIRIN 151027-N-PQ607-063 (2015-10-27, Yokosuka) - LS3 Anhtu Pham 'removes damaged lagging in preparation to replace it' aboard Blue Ridge during a Selected Restricted Availability; companion image 2252677 shows a sailor using a razor blade to remove excess lagging. (b) DVIDS news 188843 (2016-02-04 SRA wrap-up, posted 02-14): CO CAPT Kyle P. Higgins lit off the 1 Alpha boiler closing a six-month SRA; dedicated 'tiger teams' - 'such as lagging, deck and bulkhead preservation and door maintenance' - performed preservation work, including 23 corrosion-control jobs over 7,600 sq ft and stateroom rip-outs/re-piping; Blue Ridge described as 'the oldest steam ship in the Navy.' (c) VIRIN 220419-N-SF508-0008 and companion frames (2022-04-19, Yokosuka) - the 'Blue Ridge Lagging Team' photo series: YN3 Jaylen Yarbrough 'tears pieces of deteriorated lagging foam from a pipe'; official caption states 'Lagging is used as thermal insulation for pipes and bulkheads inside the ship.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-29

   Study period

   2015-2022 (documented work); hull insulation system 1970-present

   Population

   Ship's company maintenance teams / 'tiger teams' and lagging team (2015-2016 SRA; 2022)

   Limitations

   Official Navy public-affairs records establish that crew members physically remove and replace thermal insulation (lagging) on pipes and bulkheads aboard this hull - an exposure-relevant activity documented ship-specifically in 2015 and 2022. The captions DO NOT identify material composition: 'lagging foam' in 2022 is almost certainly modern non-asbestos insulation, and no asbestos characterization, survey, or abatement language appears anywhere in these records. They document insulation-system maintenance aboard an active steam ship - they do not establish asbestos presence, exposure, quantity, or condition.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-09

10. [10]Consolidated era inference - NVR/Navy Fact File/NavSource-documented steam plant and Philadelphia NSY build period for this hull + NHHC COR-documented yard/availability timeline + Fleischer 1946 Navy pipe-covering survey + Corn & Starr 1987 era scholarship + Navy Medicine AMSP program documentation (see ev-01 through ev-05, ev-09, ev-12, ev-13 rows) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Type technical data (NVR, Fact File, NavSource); NHHC COR yard periods for this hull; program-level asbestos documentation rows

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Era/design inference for this hull's documented configuration: a steam-turbine amphibious command ship built 1967-1971 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard - within the period when U.S. Navy shipbuilding practice still used asbestos-containing thermal insulation on steam plants - with two boilers feeding one geared turbine (22,000 shp) implies boiler and steam-line lagging, turbine and machinery insulation, valve and flange gaskets, packing, and accommodation/flag-space insulation typical of Navy construction practice of the era, products then commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber. The documented yard periods - 1970-71 fitting out at Philadelphia NSY, 1971 Long Beach NSY post-shakedown availability, the 1975-76 eight-month Long Beach regular overhaul with dry-dock 'modernization and upkeep,' the 1979 San Diego PRAV, repeated Yokosuka SRA/ESLP availabilities (documented 2015-2016, 2022) - are machinery- and outfit-disturbance events consistent with insulation work; the material scope of all of them is undocumented. Official Navy records confirm the ship retains her steam plant ('oldest steam ship in the Navy,' DVIDS 2016) and that crews actively handle lagging aboard.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-29

    Study period

    1967-present

    Population

    Philadelphia Naval Shipyard construction/fitting-out workforce (1967-1971); Long Beach Naval Shipyard workforces (1971 PSA; 1975-76 ROH); San Diego SIMA/contractor workforce (1979 PRAV); ship's company and embarked flag staffs (1970-present); Yokosuka availability workforces (1979-present)

    Limitations

    Class/era inference only - no ship-specific material schedule, survey, or abatement record located. A 1967-71 Navy steam-ship build sits near the end of the Navy's documented asbestos-insulation era and the keel-up LCC design post-dates WWII practice; asbestos presence aboard this hull is era-consistent inference corroborated at claims level by the BVA records (ev-06/07/08 - one expressly-named allegation denied on nexus, two VA-conceded exposure findings), NOT ship-proven as a materials finding. Establishes no quantities and no exposure for any individual.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-10

11. [11]VA Agent Orange presumptive-exposure ship list entry for USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) - verbatim transcription in the Illinois Attorney General's 'Benefits for Illinois Veterans' booklet, Appendix E (ship list) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Illinois AG veterans-benefits manual, Appendix E, category V ('Ships operating on Vietnam's close coastal waters...') - USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) entry

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    The hull is on the Department of Veterans Affairs' Agent Orange (herbicide) presumptive-exposure ship list: 'USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) [Amphibious Command Ship] participated in amphibious landings of troops during March 1972' - carried in the VA list category for ships operating on Vietnam's close coastal waters with evidence that smaller craft from the ship regularly delivered supplies or troops ashore.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-29

    Study period

    1972; list entry current

    Population

    Crew and embarked amphibious/landing-force contingents, March 1972

    Limitations

    Herbicide-exposure regulatory record, NOT an asbestos finding - carried to document the hull's federal claims-record surface and to corroborate the March 1972 in-country operations independently attested by the 1972 COR (ev-04) and litigated in ev-07 (where the Board rejected territorial-waters exposure on deck-log research - the list entry reflects the VA's own different category for small-craft/landing operations). Live va.gov list page was not re-located in-session; entry text carried via an official state-government transcription. Establishes no asbestos fact and no eligibility conclusion.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-11

12. [12]Fleischer WE et al., J. Ind. Hyg. Toxicol. 28:9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030; Corn JK & Starr J, AJIM 11(3):359-373 (1987); U.S. Navy Medicine (NMCFHPC/DCPH-P) AMSP 'Process and Protocol' page [other_primary]

    Locator

    PubMed PMID 21016030; AJIM 11(3):359-373 doi:10.1002/ajim.4700110311; med.navy.mil AMSP 'About the Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program' section

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    The U.S. Navy's own industrial-hygiene literature documents the asbestos product environment of its mid-century construction program: Fleischer, Viles, Gade & Drinker, 'A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels' (J. Ind. Hyg. Toxicol. 28:9-16, January 1946) examined pipe coverers at two Government Navy yards and two Navy contract yards, recording amosite asbestos as the important ingredient of pipe covering used on U.S. Navy vessels, with much asbestos cloth and asbestos cement likewise used, and documenting the dust-producing operations (layout and cutting, band-saw cutting, cement mixing, installation). Peer-reviewed historical scholarship (Corn & Starr, AJIM 1987) documents extensive asbestos fireproofing/insulation use in WWII U.S. shipbuilding. Navy Medicine currently operates the Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program - 'the medical component of the Navy Asbestos Program, a comprehensive effort to prevent or minimize exposure to and harm from asbestos' - in which 'all Navy asbestos workers, both Active Duty and civilian, are enrolled... making the AMSP the largest program of its kind in the world,' with enrollment based on industrial-hygiene risk assessments.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-29

    Study period

    1944-1946 (survey); 1940s (Corn & Starr); AMSP ongoing

    Population

    Navy-yard and contract-yard pipe coverers (1940s survey); Navy asbestos workers generally (AMSP, current)

    Limitations

    Program-level documentation, not a hull record - the 1946 survey's yards are anonymized ('A','B','C','D') and predate this hull's construction by two decades; Corn & Starr covers WWII-era building; AMSP is a current occupational-medicine program. Together they establish the Navy's documented asbestos-product environment and its continuing acknowledgment of occupational asbestos exposure among its workforce - NOT installation aboard or remaining material on this hull. Establishes no quantity, exposure, or causation for any individual.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-12

13. [13]CourtListener API v4 opinion searches via cl-auth-search.py fleet helper (authenticated, quota-paced): queries '"USS Blue Ridge"', '"Blue Ridge" asbestos ship', '"LCC-19" OR "LCC 19" asbestos', 2026-09-29 [court_record]

    Locator

    CL opinion search result sets; Walker opinion cluster 473685; Wingo/Blue Ridge Talc defendant collisions; Gotha Blue Ridge Parkway collision

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweep (authenticated API via fleet helper, 2026-09-29): (a) exact-name opinion search '"USS Blue Ridge"' returned ONE opinion - United States v. Arthur James Walker, 796 F.2d 43 (4th Cir. 1986), the Walker-family espionage appeal in which USS Blue Ridge appears only as the subject of classified documents Walker passed from his employer VSE Corp.; classified NON-QUALIFYING for asbestos (criminal espionage; ship named as document subject). (b) '"Blue Ridge" asbestos ship' returned 16 hits - all civilian name collisions (Blue Ridge Talc Co., Inc. as an asbestos defendant in Wingo v. Celotex line cases; Blue Ridge Parkway in Gotha v. United States FTCA analysis; unrelated matches), none naming the vessel. (c) '"LCC-19" OR "LCC 19" asbestos' degenerated to a generic asbestos result set (23,688 hits, OR-parsed) with no hull match among returned opinions - no qualifying opinion names the hull number. Net: NO qualifying tort-litigation opinion naming USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) in an asbestos context located on CourtListener. Separate va.gov corpus yields the three ship-naming BVA decisions carried at ev-06/07/08.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-29

    Study period

    2026-09-29 (sweep); indexed opinions through that date

    Limitations

    Sweep completeness caveat: CL indexes published opinions, not complaints or unreported dispositions - absence of a published asbestos opinion naming the hull does not prove no suit or claim has ever named it. The 23,688-result OR-degenerated query was not exhaustively reviewed beyond its top pages; a bounded hull-string search ('LCC-19' alone returns noise on other hulls) found no qualifying hit. RECAP/docket-level coverage of district-court asbestos dockets is inherently partial.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-13

14. [14]Cross-source reconciliation: NVR shipId 2383; Navy Fact File LCC (2018-11-27); NavSource 10/01/0119; NHHC CORs 1970-1979; VA list transcription (Illinois AG Appendix E); uss-blue-ridge-agc2 record (batch-710) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NVR milestone block; Fact File characteristics; NavSource spec block and chronology; COR commissioning paragraph; VA list category V entry

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies and identity fixes resolved: (a) Complement - Navy Fact File '34 officers + 564 enlisted' vs NavSource '52 officers + 790 enlisted' plus 'staff and troop accommodations 250 officers + 2,500 enlisted' - unresolved; the Fact File is the more recent official figure and is adopted for the complement field, all figures carried. (b) Designation - NVR 'ex-AGC 19' confirms authorized-as-AGC-19 construction; the fleet-wide AGC-to-LCC redesignation (effective 1969-01-01, the change that made sister-type AGC-7 into LCC-7 the same day) preceded her 1969-01-04 launch, so she launched and commissioned only under LCC-19. (c) Hull separation - USS Blue Ridge (AGC-2), WWII Appalachian-class, is a different physical vessel (see uss-blue-ridge-agc2 record); NHHC enumerates this hull 'Blue Ridge (LCC-19) III' - third of the name after ID-2432 and AGC-2. (d) The 1970 COR assigns homeport 'San Diego' at commissioning while also placing the ship under the Fourth Naval District for completion of construction at Philadelphia - the fitting-out distinction reconciles the two. (e) NavSource 'currently assigned to Pacific Fleet, COMSEVENFLT flagship' agrees with NVR and Fact File. (f) A VA-ship-list transcription claims March 1972 'amphibious landings of troops' - the 1972 COR documents amphibious-control operations in that window but assigns the landing craft role to the PHIBRON units; the list entry is carried as the VA's regulatory characterization.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-29

    Study period

    1964-present

    Limitations

    Resolves publication-level discrepancies among official and specialist sources and fixes the AGC-2/LCC-19 hull separation; does not affect identity or service history materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-14

15. [15]Batch-4893 search ledger (this record): NVR shipId 2383; navy.mil Fact File; NHHC COR index + 1970/1971/1972/1975/1976/1979 PDFs; NavSource 10/01/0119; DVIDS 7169458-series + 2252676/2252677 + news 188843; va.gov vetapp23/vetapp25 decisions; VA ship list (IL AG transcription); CourtListener API sweep; med.navy.mil AMSP; GAO site sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-01 through sl-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-17

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No ship-specific asbestos-MATERIALS record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, or hazmat disclosure naming Blue Ridge under LCC-19 or ex-AGC-19 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The NVR record, Navy Fact File, NavSource page, and all fetched NHHC command-operation reports (1970-1979 sample) lack any asbestos or insulation-material statement; the official DVIDS lagging imagery documents insulation work without material identification (ev-09). The ship-specific claims record consists of the three BVA decisions (ev-06/07/08) - one expressly-named allegation denied on nexus, two VA-conceded exposure findings. CourtListener returned no qualifying asbestos opinion naming the hull (ev-13). No GAO report names LCC-19 (GAO 'Blue Ridge' hits are Blue Ridge Energy corporate matters). No DANFS entry exists for the in-commission ship (NHHC covers it via command-operation reports and photography). A midpage.ai-cached CAVC decision referencing 'TAD aboard USS Blue Ridge' could not be retrieved (Vercel checkpoint) - the only CL opinion naming the ship is the Walker espionage case (ev-13), so the cached item is logged as an unverified lead rather than a finding. Law-firm marketing pages listing LCC-19/Blue Ridge class among asbestos ships exist but are excluded as non-authoritative.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-29

    Study period

    2026-09-29

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a hull built 1967-71 within the Navy's documented asbestos-insulation era and maintained under steam-plant availabilities for five decades is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and its in-service yard work packages are not public. The claims record is affirmative-but-administrative (conceded-exposure findings and one expressly-named allegation); neither tier of record is a materials survey. CourtListener coverage is published-opinion only (ev-13). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-15

16. [16]NARA guidance - Navy deck logs RG 24 (archives.gov/research/military/logbooks); RG 181 naval-district/shipyard records; NAVSEA ESLP program; NHHC COR index remaining-year PDFs [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA logbook guidance; RG 181 repository mapping for Philadelphia NSY and Long Beach NSY; NHHC COR index year list (1970-2001 indexed, gap 2002-2003)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for this hull's commissioned service, including the 1972 Gulf of Tonkin line periods and all yard availabilities - the same corpus VA researchers used to defeat the territorial-waters theory in ev-07. (b) Philadelphia Naval Shipyard construction records (NARA RG 181, Philadelphia) - the likeliest repository of hull-specific outfitting/material data for the 1967-71 build; likewise Long Beach Naval Shipyard work packages for the 1975-76 regular overhaul (RG 181, facility records post-closure). (c) NAVSEA/SRF-JRMC Yokosuka availability work packages for SRA/ESLP periods (2011-present) - insulation scope could establish whether asbestos-containing material has been abated aboard. (d) NHHC command-operation reports for years not fetched (1973-74, 1977-78, 1980-2001) may document additional yard periods. (e) The VA TERA memoranda cited in the BVA decisions (Dec 2023 memo in ev-07; Sept 2023 CAPRI-era TERA findings in ev-08) are claims-file documents - FOIA-retrievable originals would state the duty/era basis for each exposure concession.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-29

    Study period

    1967-present records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-blue-ridge-lcc19-16