Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]DANFS, Brewton (FF-1086) entry, Naval Historical Center, dated 7 December 2005 (verbatim Wayback capture; live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 2010-12-07, history.navy.mil/danfs/b9/brewton-i.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull (FF-1086, cl. Knox; dp. 4,184; l. 438'; b. 47'; dr. 26'; cpl. 283): 'The Brewton was launched 24 July 1970 [sic - the keel was not laid until 2 October 1970; all other sources give 24 July 1971] and commissioned on 8 July 1972. She was decommissioned on 2 July 1992 and sold to Taiwan on 29 September 1999 under the Security Assistance Program.' The entry is a stub - 'Update for 1970 to 1992 pending' was never completed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1970-1999
- Population
- Crew of record 1972-1992 (DANFS complement figure 283)
- Limitations
- DANFS stub contains a typographical error (launch year 1970 for a ship whose keel was laid October 1970); launch carried as 24 July 1971 per NavSource, the decommissioning program, and secondary sources. The DANFS entry covers dates only - no materials or asbestos information. Live NHHC page returns 404; Wayback capture of history.navy.mil/danfs/b9/brewton-i.htm (2010-12-07) is the citation of record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-01
-
[2]USS Brewton (FF-1086) Decommissioning Ceremony program, U.S. Naval Station Pearl Harbor, 2 July 1992 (official Navy ceremony book, reproduced at ussbrewton.com) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Decommissioning ceremony program, Ship's Characteristics page and ship history section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official decommissioning program: keel laid 2 October 1970 at Avondale Shipyards Inc., Avondale, LA; christened 23 June 1971; commissioned 8 July 1972; joint ceremony with USS Harold E. Holt (FF-1074) under Commander, Destroyer Squadron 25. Ship's characteristics: 438 ft, beam 46'9", draft 24'9", 4,020 tons, 27 knots; two boilers supplying superheated 1,200 psi steam to a single 35,000 shp steam turbine driving one 5-bladed screw; complement 18 officers and 260 enlisted; 35th ship of the Knox class. Career summary: nine Western Pacific, one Southwest Pacific, and one Southeast Pacific deployments, ~30 foreign countries; hosted Today show broadcasts 1974; transported the remains of the Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam Era from Hawaii to NAS Alameda in 1984; participated in the naval blockade of Iraq August-November 1991 in support of Operation Desert Shield; ten commanding officers listed (CDR J.W. Kinnier through CDR C.A. Jones, Jr.).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1970-1992
- Population
- Crew at decommissioning (18 officers, 260 enlisted per program); embarked Marine detachment; construction trades at Avondale 1970-72
- Limitations
- Primary Navy document for dates, characteristics, complement, and career highlights; contains no asbestos or hazardous-material information. Christening date it states (23 June 1971) conflicts with NavSource (launched and christened 24 July 1971) - documented in gaps rather than reconciled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-02
-
[3]USS Brewton (DE-1086) Commissioning Book, 8 July 1972 (official Navy commissioning program, reproduced at ussbrewton.com; Secretary of the Navy John W. Warner letter addressed to the prospective commanding officer at Long Beach Naval Shipyard) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Commissioning book pp. 3-7 (sponsor photograph; John C. Brewton biography; SecNav Warner letter)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official commissioning program: the ship is named for LT John Cooke Brewton, USN (b. 5 Sep 1943, Mobile, AL; twin; University of Alabama class of 1966; commissioned Ensign April 1967; SEAL Team Two platoon officer). Wounded in action 24 November 1969 in South Vietnam leading his platoon against a numerically superior force; died of his wounds and infection at a Saigon field hospital 11 January 1970; posthumously promoted to Lieutenant and awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with gold star and Combat 'V', Purple Heart with gold star, and RVN Cross of Gallantry. Ship sponsored by Mrs. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. (wife of the CNO, who had twice visited LT Brewton in the Saigon hospital); Avondale president Henry Zac Carter present at the christening. The SecNav letter places precommissioning activity at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Long Beach, CA.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1943-1970 (namesake); 1972 (commissioning)
- Population
- Namesake; commissioning crew
- Limitations
- Documents namesake, sponsorship, and commissioning circumstances - no asbestos or materials content. Confirms the hull was at Long Beach Naval Shipyard for pre-commissioning work in mid-1972 after Avondale delivery.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-03
-
[4]NavSource Online, Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Brewton (DE-1086) page - building and operational data, awards, CO list, DVID official-photo captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DE-1086 page, 'Building and Operational Data' block; DVID captions DA-SC-85-01324, DF-ST-85-01531, DA-SC-85-00351
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Chronology: building contract awarded to Avondale Shipyards, Inc. 25 August 1966; keel laid 2 October 1970, Westwego, LA; launched and christened 24 July 1971, sponsor Mrs. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.; commissioned 8 July 1972 at Naval Station Long Beach, CDR John W. Kinnier in command, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 33, Pearl Harbor; reclassified frigate (FF-1086) 30 June 1975; decommissioned 2 July 1992 at Naval Station Pearl Harbor; leased to Taiwan 23 July 1992 and renamed ROCS Fong Yang (FF-933); stricken from the NVR 11 January 1995; sold to Taiwan 29 September 1999. Awards documented by ribbon rack and DVID photo captions: Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Unit Commendation, Battle 'E', National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal (1 star), Humanitarian Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait). Official U.S. Navy/DVID photos document the 17 May 1984 Designation and Departure Ceremony at Pearl Harbor, with Brewton carrying the Vietnam Era Unknown Serviceman to NAS Alameda (arrived 24 May 1984).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1966-1999
- Population
- Crew 1972-1992
- Limitations
- Secondary archival compilation consistent with the DANFS stub and the ship's official ceremony books; contains no asbestos information. 'Launched and christened 24 July 1971' conflicts with the decommissioning program's christening date of 23 June 1971 - flagged, not reconciled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-04
-
[5]NHHC FOIA release, USS Fox (CG-33) 1982 Command History (redacted PDF), operational narrative [other_primary]
- Locator
- USS Fox 1982 CHR, narrative sequence 'FOX is in Tactical Control of USS BREWTON (FF-1086) ... FOX transfers aboard 81 refugees from USS BREWTON'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporaneous Navy command history names this hull: during the 1982 Western Pacific/Indian Ocean deployment (Subic Bay upkeep; South China Sea), USS Fox was in tactical control of USS Brewton (FF-1086) and USS Rathburne (FF-1057), and Fox embarked 81 South Vietnamese refugees transferred from Brewton (Fox's total then 134); the group then operated via Singapore and the Strait of Malacca toward Diego Garcia.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1982
- Population
- Brewton crew and embarked refugees, 1982
- Limitations
- Documents the hull's 1982 operations and Vietnamese boat-people rescue role - an operational record only; no asbestos or materials content. The redacted FOIA release does not cover the ship's construction or maintenance.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-05
-
[6]Naval Engineers Journal (ASNE), author biography of LCdr James E. Baskerville, USN - 'Ship Design - Performance Through Innovation' [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Author biography paragraph (PHNSY duty 1977-1980)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A published professional biography documents that the ship underwent a fiscal-year-1978 overhaul at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard: while on duty at PHNSY from 1977 to 1980, LCdr James E. Baskerville, USN (Engineering Duty Officer), 'completed assignments as Ship Superintendent for the FY78 overhaul of the USS Brewton (FF-1086) and as Type Desk Officer for the FY79 overhaul of the USS Reeves (CG-24).'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1977-1979
- Population
- PHNSY shipyard workforce and ship's force, FY1978 overhaul
- Limitations
- Documents the FY78 PHNSY overhaul event only. Whether the overhaul included asbestos insulation removal or replacement is not stated - any asbestos scope for this availability is inference from era practice (see GAO HRD-80-2 and NAVSEA DNS-686 rows), not a ship-specific finding. The citation is the author's official-service biography in a peer-reviewed professional journal.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-06
-
[7]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (18 October 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- HRD-80-2, summary and digest sections (1975/1979 policy; OPNAVINST 6260.1; $2B estimate)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- GAO review of Navy asbestos efforts (fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards): 'although all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables, most ships delivered in the last several years or now under construction have little or no asbestos as thermal insulation.' The Navy's October 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs; a January 1979 modification added selective replacement of asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas ahead of expected repairs. The Navy declined a one-time removal program (estimated $2 billion). OPNAVINST 6260.1 (April 1974, revised August 1978) established the asbestos control program.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1974-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (Long Beach and Norfolk fieldwork)
- Limitations
- Program-level document; does not name this hull or the Knox class. This hull was acquired June 1972 - on the boundary of the construction-period transition GAO describes, so its thermal-insulation asbestos content cannot be resolved from this source either way. gao.gov serves HTTP 403 to automated fetch; the product-page abstract and quoted text were used. GAO fieldwork at Long Beach NSY (this hull's commissioning/fitting yard) was 1978-79, after commissioning.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-07
-
[8]NAVSEA Manufacturing Technology Project DNS-686, 'Removal of Pre-Formed Asbestos Insulation' (final report, Southwest Research Institute, October 1982; DTIC AD-A122 347) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DNS-686 executive summary and sections I/IV-D (PHNSY initiation; YR-85/YR-35 field tests; $280,000/ship estimate)
- Finding type
- abatement_record
- Finding
- Navy technical report: 'Removal of asbestos thermal insulation from Naval vessels has become one of the most critical elements in the ship repair process.' The impregnation/entrapment removal program was initiated by Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard - this hull's homeport and FY78 overhaul yard - under Navy contract N00604-80-C-A265; shipboard field tests were conducted on barges YR-85 and YR-35 at Long Beach, and the prototype was shipped to PHNSY for production testing. The report computes a nominal $280,000 per ship for insulation removal using Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard historic data.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1978-1982
- Population
- Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard trades (insulators, shipfitters), late 1970s-early 1980s
- Limitations
- Documents that shipboard asbestos thermal-insulation removal was routine shipyard work at PHNSY in 1978-1982, during this hull's homeport tenure - but the test vessels were yard barges, not this hull, and the report names no combatant ship. Does not establish that Brewton's insulation was or was not removed in her FY78 overhaul.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-08
-
[9]Cortez v. Lamorak Ins. Co., No. 2:20-cv-02389 (E.D. La.), Order and Reasons, Doc. 1069 (filed 8 July 2022, Judge Sarah S. Vance) [court_record]
- Locator
- Order and Reasons, Doc. 1069, Background section and Part II.B (asbestos gaskets), pp. 2-4, 8-24
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published federal order in the Avondale asbestos docket documents conditions at the yard that built this hull: decedent Callen Cortez worked at Avondale's Westwego Yard from March 1969 through May 1974 (encompassing Brewton's October 1970-June 1972 construction there) as welder/tacker helper and pipefitter; his brother Daniel worked as an insulator at Avondale from August 1967 insulating vessels - including vessels equipped with Westinghouse turbines - with asbestos cloth; a second brother similarly insulated ships with Westinghouse turbines. The order grants partial summary judgment to Westinghouse on insulation-related product claims and denies it as to asbestos gaskets supplied or specified by Westinghouse.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1967-1974 (exposure); 2022 (order)
- Population
- Avondale Westwego yard trades (insulators, welders, pipefitters), 1967-1974
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation, not hull-level: the order names no vessel, including this one. Establishes that asbestos insulation and gasket work on Westinghouse-turbine ships was performed at the Westwego yard during this hull's construction window - overlapping place, period, and equipment type - but does not establish exposure aboard Brewton itself. Partial summary-judgment posture (insulation claims dismissed; gasket claims survived).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-09
-
[10]Danos v. Avondale Industries, Inc., 989 So. 2d 160 (La. App. 4th Cir. 2008) - on rehearing, summary judgment for Foster Wheeler vacated and remanded [court_record]
- Locator
- 989 So. 2d 160 at *162-163 (employment history; 'destroyer escorts' boiler work)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published Louisiana appellate opinion documents asbestos insulation work on the very vessel type at the yard that built this hull: Golzie Danos worked at Avondale c. 1964-1977 (electrician's helper/electrician/foreman) on new construction and repair of 'destroyer escorts, Coast Guard cutters and high endurance ships, Exxon tankers, LASH vessels, and various cargo vessels'; he worked around boilermen insulating boilers, and 'his work around boilers was limited to the destroyer escorts.' Avondale's destroyer-escort production in that window was the Knox class (DE/FF-1052 series). The court found a genuine issue of fact as to whether the manufacturer's boilers were aboard the destroyer escorts where the decedent worked, vacated summary judgment, and remanded.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1964-1977 (exposure); 2008 (opinion)
- Population
- Avondale construction trades on destroyer escorts, c. 1964-1977
- Limitations
- Yard- and vessel-type-level documentation; does not name Brewton or hull 1086. Demonstrates asbestos-bearing insulating work aboard Avondale-built destroyer escorts in the era, including Brewton's 1970-72 construction window - era/context, not a ship-specific finding. Procedural posture: summary judgment vacated and remanded on rehearing; no merits finding on exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-10
-
[11]Central News Agency (Taiwan), 'Navy Chi Yang-class Lan Yang to be decommissioned mid-January' (2025-01-04); corroborating ROCN records on Fong Yang (FFG-933) service and the Wu San Hua upgrade [reputable_press]
- Locator
- CNA English/Chinese reports 2025-01-04/05; ROCN Chi Yang-class records (Fong Yang entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Post-transfer record for this hull: leased to the Republic of China Navy 23 July 1992 in the first batch of the ROCN's ex-Knox-class acquisitions (ex-USS Robert E. Peary followed on 7 August 1992); commissioned as ROCS Fong Yang (FFG-933) on 6 October 1993; assigned to the ROCN 168th Fleet, homeported at Suao; first Chi Yang-class ship to receive the Wu San Hua (Wu Chin III) upgrade, in dock March-October 31, 2004 (7.5 months, NT$71.27 million), installing the H-930 combat system, DA-08 radar, and SM-1 Standard missile box launchers. CNA reporting (January 2025) confirms five Chi Yang-class ships including Fong Yang remained in ROCN service with no decommissioning announced.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1992-2025
- Population
- ROCN crew and Taiwan shipyard trades (2004 refit)
- Limitations
- Documents continued service and a documented 2004 refit of this hull - the refit's scope is weapons/sensor fit; no asbestos abatement, hazmat, or material characterization is reported for it. Current material condition aboard is undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-11
-
[12]Batch-4019 CourtListener sweep (this record): opinion and docket searches for the vessel name and hull numbers [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-brewton-de1086-03, -04, -05
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweeps returned no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull: "USS Brewton" asbestos (type=o) returned 0 results; "Brewton" "FF-1086" (type=o) returned 0 results. The bare "Brewton" name collides with Brewton, Alabama (an active-litigation town name) and the common surname, so unqualified-name results were treated as collisions unless tied to the vessel. Docket-index (type=r) sweeps were attempted but the fleet-wide request budget was exhausted mid-session - logged as partially completed in the search ledger, not verified-clean.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of indexed hits does not prove absence of litigation - PACER/RECAP coverage of older state-court removals and unindexed dockets is incomplete, and 'Brewton' is a high-collision name. The docket-level sweep is incomplete (pacing limit); treat as an open lead, not a negative finding of record strength.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-12
-
[13]Batch-4019 search ledger (this record): DANFS (live + Wayback), NVR, NavSource, ussbrewton.com official documents, NARA deck logs, VA BVA decisions, Taiwan CNA/MDC reporting [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-brewton-de1086-01 through -09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, Board of Veterans' Appeals decision, or court case naming USS Brewton (DE-1086/FF-1086) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The strongest proximity evidence is yard-level: documented asbestos insulation and gasket work on vessels including destroyer escorts at Avondale's Westwego yard during this hull's 1970-72 construction window (ev-09, ev-10).
- 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 1970-72 1,200 psi steam plant is era-consistent with substantial asbestos insulation, and the hull remains in foreign service so no US disposal/abatement record should be expected. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-brewton-de1086-13