USS Charles R. Greer (DE-23)

Evidence

8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).

1. [1]DANFS, Charles R. Greer (DE-23) (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division; verbatim hazegray transcription dated 14 Feb 1999 - live NHHC page returns 404; identical text confirmed on the HyperWar/ibiblio mirror) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry 'Charles R. Greer' - namesake biography, spec block, service narrative, disposition

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: intended for Britain under lend-lease as BDE-23; retained for American use and reclassified DE-23; launched 18 January 1943 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. E. Greer; commissioned 25 June 1943, Lieutenant N. C. Sutton, USNR, in command. Spec block: Evarts class, dp. 1,140; l. 289'5"; b. 35'1" (hazegray; ibiblio mirror reads 36'1"); dr. 8'3"; s. 21 k.; cpl. 156; a. 3 x 3", 3 x 21" tt., 8 dcp., 1 dcp. (h.h.), 2 dct. Service: cleared San Francisco 5 September 1943 for Pearl Harbor (base until October 1944); escort to west coast ports, Funafuti (Ellice Islands), Gilberts and Marshalls; screened garrison-force transports to Abemama (early December 1943) and Majuro (January 1944); October 1944-February 1945 convoy escort Ulithi-Eniwetok-Guam-Pearl Harbor; drove off a lone Japanese aircraft off Ulithi 20 November 1944; returned to Pearl Harbor from a west coast overhaul April 1945; Marshall Islands antisubmarine patrol and convoy escort from late June 1945; departed Eniwetok 31 August for Wake Island - took part in the 4 September 1945 surrender ceremonies; sailed on to Pearl Harbor, decommissioned 2 November 1945; sold 1 February 1947; two battle stars. Namesake per DANFS: Charles Rogers Greer, born Turtle Creek, Pa., 10 July 1920, enlisted USMC 1938; private first class on duty in the Philippines at the opening of WWII; awarded the Silver Star for heroism in the defense of Corregidor; killed in action 14 April 1942.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1942-1947

   Population

   Mare Island Navy Yard construction trades 1942-43; USN crew 1943-45 (design complement 156-198)

   Limitations

   DANFS documents construction, specifications, and service history - not materials or asbestos content. Decommissioning location reads Pearl Harbor in the narrative while NavSource operational data reads San Pedro, Cal. (conflict carried in gaps). Spec-block transcriptions differ between mirrors (beam 35'1" hazegray vs 36'1" ibiblio). Namesake middle name ('Rogers') conflicts with the USMC casualty list and award citation ('Raymond'); KIA date 14 April conflicts with 15 April in award/casualty sources - all carried in gaps. Live NHHC page returns 404; verbatim mirror transcription cited.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-01

2. [2]NavSource Online Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Charles R. Greer (DE-23) page (volunteer archive; lead-level): building/operational data block, commanding-officer roster, captioned U.S. Navy photographs, awards ribbons [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource DE-23 page, 'Building and Operational Data' block, commanding-officers table, photo captions 0602301-0602309 incl. NH 81341

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Photo-archive detail corroborating and extending DANFS: keel laid 7 September 1942 at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo; launched and christened 18 January 1943 (sponsor captioned 'Mrs. Steven M. Greer'; Rear Adm. W. L. Friedell, yard commandant, and the namesake's sister Mrs. Margaret Hinkle in attendance); commissioned 25 June 1943; 'Decommissioned at San Pedro, Cal. after 2 years and 4 2/3 months of service'; struck from the NVR 16 November 1945; sold 1 February 1947, scrapped. Spec block adds propulsion detail: GMT type - 4 GM Model 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp, 2 screws; 19 kt; 4,150 nm at 12 kt; complement 15/183; armament 3 x 3"/50 Mk22, 1 x quad 1.1"/75 Mk2 AA, 9 x 20mm Mk4, Hedgehog Mk10, 8 Mk6 dcp, 2 Mk9 dct (no torpedo tubes listed - DANFS spec block reads '3 x 21" tt.'). Command roster: Lt. Nathan Clayton Sutton, USNR (commissioning CO) 25 Jun-31 Jul 1943; Lt. John Paul Sparrow, USNR, 7-31 Aug 1943; Lcdr. William Thomas Denton, USNR, 31 Aug 1943-25 Jul 1944; Lcdr. Alexander Jackson Jr., USNR, 25 Jul-4 Oct 1944; Lt./Lcdr. Adolphus Gerhard Raht, USNR (decommissioning CO), 4 Oct 1944-2 Nov 1945. Awards ribbons: Combat Action (retroactive), American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific w/ 2 stars, WWII Victory. Captioned USN photos include NH 81341 (Bremerton, Wash., 5 April 1945, off Puget Sound Navy Yard) - lead locating the 'west coast overhaul' DANFS records for early 1945 - and launch series DE-23-576-43 et seq. credited to the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1942-1947

   Population

   Mare Island commissioning party 1943; USN crew 1943-45

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained photo archive - lead-level documentation, not an official record; dates, roster, and photo captions are unverified against the underlying USN/NHHC/NARA originals. 'Decommissioned at San Pedro' conflicts with the DANFS narrative's Pearl Harbor (carried in gaps). The NH 81341 Puget Sound caption implies - but does not prove - that the documented west coast overhaul was performed at Puget Sound Navy Yard. Nothing on materials aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-02

3. [3]Destroyer History Foundation, 'Evarts-class destroyer escorts in World War II' (GMT type design history and data; sources Bauer & Roberts, Friedman, Whitley, DESA) + DANFS spec block + NavSource spec block + Atlas shipyards.json record 'mare-island-naval-shipyard' [other_primary]

   Locator

   destroyerhistory.org/de/evartsclass (design section, builders block); shipyards.json 'mare-island-naval-shipyard' evidence rows ev-mare-island-01/-02

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for a diesel-electric escort built at Mare Island Navy Yard in 1942-43: the GMT machinery plant - four General Motors 16-278A diesels driving generators, tandem electric motor drive, 2 shafts, 6,000 shp, ~19-21 kt - has NO propulsion boilers and no steam system (the hull was designed for a steam-turbine plant; four 1,500-hp diesels were substituted because reduction gears and then diesel engines were in wartime short supply), so the heavy steam-ship asbestos categories (boiler lagging, steam-line insulation) do not apply. Plausible period applications concentrate in diesel exhaust/muffler insulation, gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, deck coverings, accommodation insulation, and friction linings on deck machinery. Builder context: Mare Island Naval Shipyard is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset - asbestos-containing materials recorded in shipyard buildings in the 1998 disposal/reuse Final EIS/EIR, and a mesothelioma litigation verdict (Collins v. Plant Insulation Co., 185 Cal. App. 4th 260, 2010) covering welding work at Mare Island 1976-1994 - site documentation, not hull documentation.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1942-47 (construction/service); 1998/2010 (yard-level documentation)

   Population

   Mare Island Navy Yard construction trades 1942-43; USN crew 1943-45

   Limitations

   Class/era and builder-yard inference only - not a ship-specific finding. No Evarts-class material survey, BuShips spec extract, or bill of materials was located for this hull; whether the documented Mare Island yard materials were installed in this hull is unverified. Does not establish asbestos presence, quantity, or location aboard this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-03

4. [4]Atlas shipyard dataset (shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json): 'mare-island-naval-shipyard' record - Dept. of the Navy/City of Vallejo Final EIS/EIR for disposal and reuse (April 1998, DTIC ADA344388) documenting ACM in shipyard buildings, and Collins v. Plant Insulation Co., 185 Cal. App. 4th 260 (2010) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipyards.json 'mare-island-naval-shipyard' (yard_id; evidence ev-mare-island-01, ev-mare-island-02)

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   The yard that built this hull is a documented asbestos environment: the Navy/City of Vallejo Final EIS/EIR for disposal and reuse of Mare Island Naval Shipyard (April 1998) documents asbestos-containing material in shipyard buildings and lists asbestos among industrial wastes; and Collins v. Plant Insulation Co. (Cal. App. 2010) records a jury finding of negligence and strict liability against Plant Insulation Co. in the mesothelioma death of welder Ulysses Collins, who worked at Hunters Point 1960-1973 and Mare Island 1976-1994.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1960-1998

   Population

   Mare Island NSY facility workforce (documentation periods 1998 survey; 1960-94 litigation)

   Limitations

   Yard-level documentation - establishes that the builder yard contained ACM (1998 survey period) and that asbestos litigation involving Mare Island exposure exists; it does NOT establish that asbestos was installed in this specific hull, does not identify products aboard DE-23, and the Collins exposure window (1960-94) postdates this hull's build by decades. Context for the construction environment only.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-04

5. [5]CourtListener API v4 sweep (opinion index type=o and RECAP docket index type=r) for exact name and hull number via cl-auth-search.py (authenticated, fleet-paced) - per search_ledger [court_record]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-05 through sl-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-08

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener sweep (partial at drafting): exact-name opinion query '"Charles R. Greer"' (type=o) returned 0 results - no opinion naming the vessel by its full name located. Hull-number opinion query '"DE-23"' (type=o) returned 2,119 hits, all string collisions on review of the top-ranked results - predominantly Puerto Rican Spanish-language case text ('de 23' date/quantity fragments) and unrelated docket/numeral strings; none references a vessel, naval service, or asbestos. RECAP-docket query '"USS Greer"' (type=r) returned 0 results - no docket names any USS Greer (covers both DD-145 and DE-23). No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull located in the completed queries.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   2026-09-28

   Limitations

   Opinion index swept for the full name (0 hits) and bare hull number (2,119 collision hits; top-ranked results reviewed - the token is unqualified for text search and not all 2,119 rows were individually inspected); docket index swept for 'USS Greer' (0 hits). Queries '"USS Charles R. Greer"' and '"USS Greer"' (type=o, collision check vs. the better-known USS Greer DD-145) and '"Charles R. Greer"' (type=r) returned the fleet-wide pacing 'momentarily spent' status during drafting - final status in search_ledger. The sweep does not cover state-court records, trust claims, or non-U.S. jurisdictions. 'Greer' is a common surname and there have been three USS Greers (DD-145 and DE-23 among them) - any future hit needs hull-attribution and collision classification rather than automatic assignment.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-05

6. [6]Batch-4149 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS + hazegray/HyperWar mirrors, NVR, NavSource, Destroyer History Foundation, Atlas shipyard dataset, CourtListener API v4, NARA catalog, Tin Can Sailors ship page, Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-01 through sl-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-15

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no ACM survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material-condition report, or litigation naming this hull was found in the public sources searched. No preservation-era documentation can exist - the hull was sold for scrapping 1 February 1947 and was never a museum, memorial, or long-term reserve-fleet asset.

   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 - wartime construction at a documented asbestos-era yard makes era-consistent applications plausible, but installation aboard this hull is unproven. The hull no longer exists, so no present-day survey is possible. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-06

7. [7]NARA RG 19 (BuShips contract specifications / General Information Books) and RG 24 (WWII deck logs) for DE-23; Mare Island Navy Yard construction and 1943 commissioning work records; NHHC photograph NH 81341 (Bremerton, 5 April 1945); Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum launch photo set (USN photos DE-23-576-43 et seq.) - all undigitized or not located online [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA RG 19/RG 24 entry series (undigitized); NHHC photo NH 81341 (NavSource-credited); Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum (credited on NavSource captions; site unreachable at access time)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads for hull-level material documentation not yet retrieved: (1) NARA RG 19 holds BuShips per-vessel specifications and ships-data books covering DE-23's Mare Island construction, and RG 24 deck logs cover the 1943-45 period including the early-1945 west coast overhaul; (2) Mare Island Navy Yard work/shop records may document the build outfit; (3) NHHC photo NH 81341 (Bremerton, 5 April 1945) and the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum launch photographs (USN photo numbers DE-23-576-43, -567-43, -603/604/605-43) are captioned primary images whose original files may carry fitting-out detail; (4) the ship-submitted official war history, if held, is a primary record of equipment and operations.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1942-1945 (records); 2026 (lead status)

   Limitations

   Leads only - none of these holdings were pulled or digitized; contents unknown. They establish nothing about materials aboard. NARA catalog returns a JavaScript-only shell to programmatic fetches (standing access limitation, same as prior batches); the Vallejo museum site failed to respond to fetch.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-07

8. [8]Hall of Valor (Military Times) entry for Charles Raymond Greer, PFC USMC - verbatim transcription of the award document: Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, General Orders No. 21 (7 February 1942), Silver Star (Army Award); USMC History Division 'Who's Who in Marine Corps History' personality-file listing (usmcu.edu) as the official archival lead [other_primary]

   Locator

   valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-23521 (GO No. 21 transcription + editorial note); naval-history.net USMC casualty database, Philippines April 1942 listing; usmcu.edu Who's Who personality-file index

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Namesake award record (context only - concerns the man, not the hull): the Silver Star citation records Private First Class Charles Raymond Greer (MCSN 266422), Company L, 3d Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, for gallantry in the Philippine Islands on 29 December 1941 - he left shelter during an aerial bombardment to help evacuate two wounded men to a hospital and returned to his post. The accompanying note reads that the Silver Stars to Greer and Pvt. Alexander Katchuck, presented by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, were 'the FIRST Army awards to U.S. Marines in World War II'; it gives his death as killed in action 15 April 1942. The official USMC casualty database transcription (naval-history.net) reads 'GREER, Charles Raymond, 266422, CoM, 3rdBn, 4thMar, Philippine Is, died of wounds' - April 1942.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1941-1942 (action and death); 1942-02-07 (award order)

   Population

   Namesake: PFC Charles R. Greer, USMC (Co. L/M, 3d Bn, 4th Marines)

   Limitations

   Context for the namesake only - establishes nothing about the vessel or materials aboard. Source conflicts carried rather than reconciled: 'Charles Raymond' (award citation, casualty list) vs 'Charles Rogers' (DANFS); KIA 15 April vs DANFS 14 April 1942; Company L at the December 1941 action vs Company M in the April 1942 casualty entry. The award text is a verbatim transcription hosted by a private aggregator - the underlying USAFFE GO No. 21 is the official record; the USMC History Division personality file (undigitized) is the archival path.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-charles-r-greer-de23-08