Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (NHHC updated online edition, published 2023-03-08), 'Cacapon (AO-52) 1943-1973' - live page 404 on 2026-09-24; text read via Wayback capture 2025-12-13 and HyperWar transcription of the 1963 DANFS text [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20251213010651/https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/cacapon.html ; older-text mirror https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/AO/ao52.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC DANFS entry (updated online edition, published 2023-03-08): Cacapon (AO-52), a river in West Virginia; displacement 7,470, length 553', beam 75', draft 32'4", speed 18 knots, complement 302, armament 1 5-inch/4 3-inch/8 40mm, class Cimarron, type T3-S2-A1. Launched 1943-06-12 by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc., Sparrows Point, Md., under Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull No. 718); sponsored by Mrs. A. V. Doherty; acquired and commissioned 1943-09-21, Lt. Cmdr. G. Eyth in command. WWII service: Aruba fuel loadout, Pearl Harbor arrival 1943-11-12; Gilbert Islands operation; Marshalls/TF 50; station tanker Efate, Espiritu Santo, Port Purvis, Manus; Ulithi/TF 38 Luzon-Formosa strikes 1945-01; Iwo Jima 1945-02; Okinawa 1945-03 to 06; 3d Fleet home-island strikes; Tokyo Bay 1945-09-20; occupation shuttle Yokohama/Shanghai/Tsingtao. Grounded on Shah Allum Shoal, Persian Gulf, 1946-04-24 en route Kwajalein with oil for Operation Crossroads - engine and fire rooms flooded, all power lost; aided by SS Fort Erie, SS Fort Stanwick, and sister Chikaskia (AO-54); permanent repairs at San Pedro. Operation Highjump (Antarctic) 1946-12-02 to 1947-04-08. Four Korean War tours; Navy Unit Commendation on first tour incl. Inchon landing support 1950-09-15. 1955 tour: Tachen Islands evacuation Feb 6-14 and Vietnam 'Passage to Freedom' Mar 6-15. Operation Hardtack at Bikini Feb-Aug 1958. Awards: four battle stars WWII; Navy Unit Commendation and nine battle stars Korea.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1943-1973
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity, construction milestones, and service narrative. Internal chronology defect: the Marshalls/TF 50 passage is printed '3 February 1945' in both the updated entry and the 1963 transcription, while the operation described ran early 1944 - apparent uncorrected DANFS typo, flagged not silently fixed. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-01
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[2]Naval Historical Center / NHHC, Online Library of Selected Images, 'USS Cacapon (AO-52), 1943-1973' (read via HyperWar transcription of the NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Online Library ship page; photos NH 85783, NH 97541, USN 1117156, K-92247, NH 97542
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC Online Library of Selected Images page 'USS Cacapon (AO-52), 1943-1973': a 7,470-ton Cimarron-class oiler built under Maritime Commission contract at Sparrows Point; 'combat operations during the Vietnam War from 1965 into the early 1970s'; 'After almost thirty years' in commission, USS Cacapon was decommissioned in August 1973. She was simultaneously stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and transferred to the Maritime Administration to be sold for scrapping.' Official Navy photos document the ship transferring fuel alongside USS Sacramento (AOE-1) off South Vietnam 1966-08-01 (USN 1117156 / NARA 428-N-117156) and underway 1972-01-12 (K-92247).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1943-1973
- Limitations
- NHHC-curated photographic-history page; establishes August 1973 decommission/stricken and Vietnam-era operations but no exact day (secondary sources give 1973-08-14 - see gaps). No asbestos, materials, or condition content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-02
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[3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - CACAPON (AO-52), Detail 5495, incl. digitized Vessel Status Card (cards/ZD_01.png) and Record of Ship Sales (cards/5495_AF.jpg) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 5495; status card ZD_01.png; sales record 5495_AF.jpg
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory record and digitized status documents: Vessel Status Card (Form MA-199) - CACAPON, AO-52, vessel no. 3000086, tanker, design T3-S2-A1, Bethlehem Shyd. Inc. Sparrows Pt. Md., date built 9/21/43, MA hull MC-718, builder's hull no. 4398, 11,316 gross tons / 18,310 DWT, delivered from shipyard to U.S. Navy; operating history shows U.S. Navy -> Maritime Administration 'Permanent Transfer' 12/4/73 and Maritime Administration -> Zidell Explorations, Inc. 'Nontransportation Use' with 'Physically Delivered 10:00Am PDT 1/7/74'. Record of Ship Sales (Form MA-20) - sale PD-X-967: awarded to Zidell Explorations, Inc. 12-10-73, purchase price 'Lump Sum for 2 - $586,889.99', contract MA-7176, light ship weight 7,400 tons, location of vessel Vallejo, California; remarks: 'Advertised under PD-X-967 dated 10-30-73 opened 12-4-73 under two condition: (1) NTU (2) SCRAP HULL-US. Award under Condition (1) NTU.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Limitations
- Authoritative for custody and disposal milestones. The card's 'physically delivered 1/7/74' conflicts with NHHC's 'delivered to the purchaser on 7 December 1973' - flagged, not reconciled. Sale was under non-transportation-use (NTU) condition; scrapping is the understood outcome for a Zidell purchase but the cards do not themselves say 'scrapped.' Lump sum covered two vessels; companion hull not identified in the card. No asbestos, materials, or condition-survey content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-03
-
[4]Solatorio v. Crane Company, No. 1:21-cv-00067-JAO-KJM (D. Haw.) - complaint (Dkt. 1-2, Exhibit 1 to Notice of Removal) and docket (RECAP) [court_record]
- Locator
- D. Haw. docket 59027056; complaint PDF recap/gov.uscourts.hid.152974.1.2.pdf; docket entries 1-36 (terminating entry 36 'Stipulation for Dismissal and Order' 2022-05-10)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Docketed asbestos action naming the hull: Solatorio v. Crane Company, D. Haw. No. 1:21-cv-00067 (In re: Hawai'i State Asbestos Cases, Haw. 1st Cir. 1CCV-20-0001644, complaint filed 2020-12-10; removed to federal court 2021-01-28 under 28 U.S.C. 1442). The complaint alleges plaintiff Philip T. Solatorio 'tended and worked on boilers and other equipment while in the U.S. Navy from approximately 1956 to 1962... worked in and on ships, including USS Kawishiwi (AO-146) and USS Cacapon (AO-52), where the said asbestos products were being used,' inhaled asbestos dust and fibers, and developed lung cancer (discovered ~May 2019). It alleges Crane Co. and predecessors Cochrane (deaerating tanks) and Chapman (valves) manufactured/sold steam valves and equipment containing asbestos insulation, gaskets, and packing to the U.S. Navy and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Docket shows consolidated mediation ordered 2021-04-15 and termination on a Stipulation for Dismissal and Order filed 2022-05-10.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- ~1956-1962 (alleged exposure); 2020-12-10 to 2022-05-10 (litigation)
- Population
- Navy sailor alleging boiler/equipment work aboard AO-52 and AO-146, ~1956-1962
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation, classified at the less-final stage per batch discipline: the complaint's vessel list is an allegation, not a finding. The case ended by stipulated dismissal (2022-05-10) - the exposure claim was never adjudicated, no evidence was tested, and no product was ever proved to have been aboard this hull. The complaint's product list is generic Crane/Cochrane/Chapman equipment, not hull-specific product identification. Does not establish asbestos presence aboard, individual exposure, quantity, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-04
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[5]United States v. Venerable, 19 C.M.A. 174 (1970), CourtListener opinion 8574729; United States v. LeBrun, 306 F.3d 545 (8th Cir. 2002), CourtListener opinion 779390; United States v. LeBrun, 363 F.3d 715 (8th Cir. 2004) (en banc), CourtListener opinion 785697; LeBrun v. United States, 543 U.S. 1145 (Feb. 22, 2005) (cert. denied), CourtListener opinion 142186 [court_record]
- Locator
- Venerable opinion text (specifications quoting 'USS CACAPON (AO-52), then located at Subic Bay'); LeBrun 306 F.3d at 546-547 and 363 F.3d at 717-718 (ship and January 1968 Subic Bay mooring); duplicate CourtListener clusters 3029930 and 3034416 carry the same two LeBrun opinions
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Non-asbestos court records naming the hull (classified 'other litigation' in batch screening): (a) United States v. Venerable, 19 C.M.A. 174, 41 C.M.R. 174 (C.M.A. 1970) - Court of Military Appeals opinion; the guilty-plea specifications identify the accused's unit as 'the USS CACAPON (AO-52), then located at Subic Bay, Philippines,' with unauthorized absences bracketing ship departures December 5-7 and December 21-22, 1968. (b) United States v. LeBrun, 306 F.3d 545 (8th Cir. 2002) and 363 F.3d 715 (8th Cir. 2004) (en banc), cert. denied, 543 U.S. 1145 (2005) - cold-case murder prosecution; the opinions record that in January 1968 LeBrun and Ensign Andrew Muns were shipmates aboard 'the U.S.S. Cacapon, a Navy fueling vessel,' that Muns was killed aboard the ship while it was moored at Subic Bay, and the procedural history of the confession-suppression issue.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1968-2005
- Limitations
- Criminal and military-justice litigation - NOT asbestos, exposure, or product litigation, and no product identification. Included because the opinions authoritatively confirm the hull's identity and station (Subic Bay, Jan 1968 and Dec 1968); they support no asbestos claim. The LeBrun appellate chain is documented through cert. denial (543 U.S. 1145, Feb. 22, 2005); any post-trial merits appeal was not separately confirmed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-05
-
[6]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and emergency shipbuilding program under which this 1943 Maritime Commission-contract fleet oiler was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-06
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[7]Oregon DEQ, 'Zidell Waterfront Property Cleanup' community advisory document (oregon.gov/deq ph-ZidellCAG.pdf); U.S. Coast Guard final rule, Regulated Navigation Area, Zidell Waterfront Property, 77 Fed. Reg. 19544 (Apr. 2, 2012), Docket USCG-2011-0254 [other_primary]
- Locator
- OR DEQ site history bullets ('336 ships dismantled', asbestos listed among contaminants, abatement project); 77 FR 19544-19546 background section
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The buyer of record for ex-Cacapon was Zidell Explorations, Inc. (MARAD sale PD-X-967, NTU condition). The Zidell waterfront property on the Willamette River, Portland, OR is a documented contaminated shipbreaking site: Oregon DEQ records that Zidell purchased the former shipyard in 1946 and dismantled approximately 336 ships over ~30 years, with site contaminants including asbestos (plus metals, petroleum hydrocarbons/PAHs, PCBs, and tributyltin), a 2005 ROD remedy, and an asbestos abatement project with certified workers and bulk ACM disposal. The U.S. Coast Guard established a Regulated Navigation Area over the capped sediments (77 Fed. Reg. 19544, Apr. 2, 2012), describing prior industrial uses including 'shipbuilding and dismantling' and contaminated soils/sediments.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1946-2012 site history; vessel delivered 1973-1974
- Population
- Zidell shipbreaking workforce (context only)
- Limitations
- Yard-level environmental documentation of the disposal chain only - these records do not attribute asbestos or any contaminant to this specific hull, do not state where on the site or how this hull was broken, and do not establish exposure, quantity, or causation. The physical delivery point on the MARAD card is Vallejo, CA; tow to Portland is inferred from the buyer's identity, not documented in the cited records.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-07
-
[8]Batch-1899 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (Wayback + HyperWar transcription), NHHC Online Library, MARAD ShipHistory 5495 + cards, CourtListener opinion/docket screening, OR DEQ/EPA/Federal Register disposal-chain check [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-cacapon-ao52-01 through sl-uss-cacapon-ao52-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No adjudicated ship-specific asbestos record located: aside from the unadjudicated Solatorio pleading (ev-04), no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, condition report, or adjudicated finding naming USS Cacapon (AO-52) was found in the public sources searched - the NHHC DANFS entry, NHHC Online Library page, and MARAD record/cards contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement; CourtListener name and hull-number screening produced no other qualifying asbestos case (all remaining hits were West Virginia place-name collisions or non-asbestos ship-naming opinions; see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 steam-plant fleet oiler is era-consistent with asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and packing, and the unadjudicated Solatorio allegation is consistent with that inference but proves nothing. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-08
-
[9]NARA, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' and digitized-logs guidance (archives.gov/research/military/logbooks); NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 178; NHHC photo catalog numbers per NHHC Online Library transcription [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/ ; archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 Navy deck logs cover commissioned vessels 1941-forward (Cacapon 1943-1973; NARA's digitized-deck-logs project posts completed ships in the National Archives Catalog - Cacapon not confirmed digitized at check time); RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division files may hold the MC hull 718 contract and outfitting specifications for Bethlehem-Sparrows Point builder's hull 4398; NHHC photographic archives hold cataloged images NH 85783, NH 97541-97542, K-92247, USN 1117156, NH 89314.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1942-1973 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and catalog-level mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 718/AO-52 is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-09
-
[10]NHHC DANFS (updated entry) vs. MARAD status card/sales record vs. NavSource-class secondary compilations [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS chronology paragraph (Marshalls passage); MARAD card ZD_01.png right column; NavSource AO-52 page (secondary lead check only, not cited as evidence)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged: (a) design type - NHHC DANFS (updated) and both MARAD cards give T3-S2-A1; NavSource and derivative compilations give T3-S2-A3 - official sources carried, secondary variant noted. (b) DANFS internal chronology - '3 February 1945... TF 50... Marshall Islands operation' is printed in both the 1963 text and the updated entry, but the Marshalls operation and TF 50 designation belong to early 1944 - apparent uncorrected source typo, flagged not silently repaired. (c) Delivery to purchaser - NHHC renders 'delivered to the purchaser on 7 December 1973'; the MARAD status card reads physically delivered 1/7/74 10:00 AM PDT - card is the transactional primary record. (d) Decommission/strike day - official sources give August 1973; the exact day 1973-08-14 appears only in secondary compilations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1943-1974
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies between official and secondary sources; does not materially affect identity or the disposal chain. None of the underlying sources contains asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cacapon-ao52-10