Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet af-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (name/hull via DANFS; Vietnam-era service via mirrors only
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- qualifier: VERIFIED (name/hull via DANFS; Vietnam-era service via mirrors only
- Evidence ID
- uss-colleton-apb36-pkt-af-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (NHHC), 'Colleton' entry; live NHHC page returns 404 - Wayback Machine capture 2024-05-26 of https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/colleton.html [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Colleton page body (two sentences) within Wayback capture 20240526184044
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry for Colleton (APB-36): namesake is a county in South Carolina; 'Colleton (APB-36) saw no active service after being completed in September 1946. She was in reserve, berthed at Boston, Mass., through 1960.' The entry ends in 1960 and predates the ship's only commission (1967-1969).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1946-1960
- Limitations
- Entry covers identity and reserve status only through 1960 - it predates Vietnam service and contains no specifications, complement, or asbestos statement. DANFS 'completed in September 1946' conflicts with NavSource 'completed in September 1945'; 1946 is corroborated by secondary sources giving a 1946-09-27 delivery date, and the conflict is logged in gaps. Live NHHC URL 404 at access date - same link-rot defect noted in Batch-01 report.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-01
-
[3]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive, 'Self-propelled Barracks Ship APB-36 Colleton' (page last updated 2020-09-18; sources incl. NVR-derived data, Philadelphia NSY photo CSF 269-1-67, and crew/CO submissions) [other_primary]
- Locator
- APB-36 page: class data block, Vietnam War Campaigns table, specifications block, awards block, commanding officers table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource service-ship archive entry for USS Colleton (APB-36): authorized 1943-12-17 as non-self-propelled barracks ship APL-36; reclassified self-propelled barracks ship APB-36 1944-08-08; laid down 1945-06-09 at Boston Naval Shipyard; launched 1945-07-30; 'Completed in September 1945 and placed in reserve'; commissioned USS Colleton (APB-36) 1967-01-28 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, LCDR Floyd R. Banbury USN in command; decommissioned 1969-12-15 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton WA; struck from the Naval Register 1973-01-06; sold for scrapping 1973-01-06 for $172,226.62 to American Ship Dismantler's Inc., Portland OR; eight campaign stars for Vietnam service (campaign list with dates reproduced on page). Specifications: 4,000 t.; 328 ft; beam 50 ft; draft 11 ft 2 in; 12 kts; complement 12 officers + 129 enlisted; troop accommodation 26 officers + 1,200 enlisted; two GM 12-567A diesels, double Falk reduction gears, five 100kW ship's-service generators, twin rudders, two propellers, 1,600 shp. Commanding officers: LCDR Banbury (to 1968-02-22), LCDR Alderson (to 1969-04-25), LCDR Wehner (to 1969-12-15).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1973
- Population
- Ship's company ~141 plus up to ~1,226 embarked troops (berthing ship)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-compiled naval-history archive drawing on official records and crew submissions - authoritative for milestones and campaign data but not a primary government record; its 'completed September 1945' conflicts with DANFS 1946 (logged in gaps); its eight campaign stars conflict with secondary 'seven battle stars' framing. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-02
-
[4]Norman Polmar (ed.), 'Historic Fleets,' Naval History magazine (U.S. Naval Institute), Vol. 15 No. 5, October 2001 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- 'Historic Fleets' column text, Benewah-class passage
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- USNI Naval History magazine 'Historic Fleets' column (October 2001): the six Benewah-class berthing barges were authorized 1943-12-17 as APL-35 through APL-40, retyped APB ('Barracks Ship, Self Propelled') 1944-08-08 'to distinguish them from the APL-2-class barges'; built by Boston Navy Yard 'to a modified version of the standard LST (landing ship, tank) design, on the same 328-foot hull propelled by two 800-horsepower diesels'; four of the six (Benewah, Colleton, Mercer, Nueces) 'were reactivated in 1967-68 after major modifications to serve as riverine force flagships in Vietnam - the 03-level deckhouse was lengthened and surmounted by a helicopter platform, an enlarged bridge superstructure was topped by a sturdy tripod mast to support new communications antennae; and the surviving armament of two quadruple Mk 2 40-mm antiaircraft gun mounts was supplemented by two single-fire 3-inch guns.' 'The Colleton was stricken on 6 January 1973 and scrapped.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-2001
- Limitations
- Verbatim passage retrieved via search-indexed text - usni.org returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch and no Wayback capture exists; treat as partially verified until page can be read directly. Descriptive material is class-level (all six hulls); it names Colleton only in the class list and for the stricken date. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement. USNI's retyping date (8 August 1944) agrees with NavSource's reclassification date (1944-08-08).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-03
-
[5]National Archives, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' (Colleton APB-36 entry, years 1967/1968/1969, catalog series 594258) and 'Brown Water Vessels to be Scanned as Part of the Vietnam War Deck Log Digitization Pilot Project' (page reviewed 2016-08-15) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navy-online page, 'C' section, Colleton (APB-36) entry linking catalog series 594258 searches; brown-water-vessels-digitized.html 'Mobile Riverine Base Ships, 1967-1968' list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA lists USS Colleton (APB-36) deck logs as digitized and available in the National Archives Catalog for years 1967, 1968, and 1969 (series 594258, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations'), under the Vietnam-era deck-log digitization program (VA scanning partnership for Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019). A separate NARA page lists Colleton (APB-36) among 'Mobile Riverine Base Ships, 1967-1968' in the Brown Water Vessels deck-log digitization pilot project.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1967-1969
- Limitations
- Establishes that ship-specific daily deck logs exist digitally for the full commissioned period - an archival lead, not a reviewed record: log pages were not content-reviewed for asbestos, materials, or work-event entries. NARA notes the brown-water ship list derives from the MRFA website. Contains no asbestos statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-04
-
[6]Commander U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam, Monthly Historical Supplement, April 1968 (Defense Technical Information Center accession ADA953633) [other_primary]
- Locator
- April 1968 supplement, Riverine Assault Force/incident section; DTIC-hosted PDF (HTTP 403 to automated fetch at access date - passage verified via search-indexed text)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Commander U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam 'Monthly Historical Supplement' for April 1968 (official Navy report, DTIC accession ADA953633) records: 'A homemade booby trap was discovered aboard the USS COLLETON (APB 36), while anchored in the vicinity of Dong Tam' and removed by Mobile Riverine Force EOD personnel - an official ship-specific mention placing the hull on riverine operations in the Mekong Delta in April 1968.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1968-04
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked personnel, April 1968
- Limitations
- Verification is partial: the full PDF is blocked to automated fetch (HTTP 403) and the ship-mention passage was verified from the search engine's indexed document text, not read in situ; the report otherwise contains no asbestos statement. Establishes presence and threat environment in April 1968 only - not materials aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-05
-
[7]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
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II - the era in which this hull was laid down, launched, and completed (1945-46) at a Navy yard. Federal wartime allocations reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding, and naval auxiliaries of the period commonly carried asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, packing, electrical insulation, and deck coverings.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or the Benewah class and does not establish that asbestos was or is aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. Note that this diesel-propelled barracks ship lacked the boiler/steam plant where wartime asbestos concentrated most heavily - era inference carries less weight here than for steam vessels.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-06
-
[8]U.S. Environmental Protection Agency DOCUMERICA photograph, 'Heaped-up scrap iron at the American Ship Dismantling Division on the Willamette River, just south of the Columbia,' April 1973; NARA catalog.archives.gov ID 548147 (record cross-verified via Digital Public Library of America) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA record 548147; DPLA item d0c069489630d7370d809a01ac55de0b carrying full citation metadata
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- EPA Documerica-project photography held by NARA documents the American Ship Dismantling Division yard on the Willamette River just south of the Columbia, Portland, Oregon, in April 1973 - the scrapping facility to which this hull was sold 1973-01-06 and where it was dismantled.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1973-04
- Limitations
- Context for the disposal site only: the photograph documents the scrapping yard in April 1973 but does not depict this hull and contains no asbestos statement; catalog.archives.gov record page rendered empty to automated fetch, metadata verified via DPLA cross-reference. No ship-specific hazmat, demolition-plan, or worker-exposure record was located for the dismantlement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-07
-
[9]Mobile Riverine Force Association (mrfa.org), 'The USS Colleton (APB-36) in Vietnam' (1998-12-11), incl. 'Additional Colleton History' credited to HMC Norman Chatman USN Ret.; site also hosts the ship's 1967 and 1968 cruise books [reputable_press]
- Locator
- MRFA Colleton page narrative text
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Mobile Riverine Force Association history page for Colleton (APB-36): operational narrative for the commissioned period - departure Norfolk 1967-03-08, Panama Canal transit 1967-03-15, Pearl Harbor 1967-04-04, arrival Vung Tau 1967-05-02 under Commander Riverine Flotilla One; embarkation of 4th/47th Infantry (2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division) 1967-05-12 and River Assault Squadron 11 on 1967-05-17; first Delta penetration to Dong Tam 1967-06-01; operations in Dong Tam, Nha Be, Rung Sat, Sa Dec through 1967; December 1967 Subic Bay refit gutting the area under the flight deck into a two-level triage/medical complex with added ramps, two more operating rooms, and recovery rooms (only Colleton of the four MRF APBs was so refitted); Delta operations through 1968-1969. (Secondary-source casualty figures - 890 casualties handled, 134 admitted, 411 evacuated, January-May 1968 - appear on Wikipedia but NOT on the MRFA page; they are excluded as unverified and logged in gaps.)
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1967-1969
- Population
- Ship's company plus embarked Army riverine infantry and casualty flow
- Limitations
- Veterans'-association publication, not an official record - the narrative appears derived from the ship's OPNAV 5750 command histories and cruise books (1967 and 1968 cruise books are hosted on the same site); treat operational details as authoritative-consistent but not primary-verified until checked against deck logs (digitized, see ev-04) or command histories at NHHC/NARA. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-08
-
[10]Batch-2401 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS, NavSource, NARA deck-log and brown-water pages, USNI Naval History, MARAD ShipHistory search, COMNAVFORV supplement, CourtListener sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-colleton-apb36-01 through sl-uss-colleton-apb36-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, industrial-hygiene file, or museum donation-condition document naming the hull was found in the public sources searched (DANFS, NavSource, NARA pages, USNI, MARAD ShipHistory - no card located). Secondary asbestos-marketing pages (e.g., law-firm/aggregator 'ship lists' carrying an APB-36 entry) exist but are excluded as banned source classes; they assert asbestos presence without citing any hull-specific record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a hull completed at a Navy yard in 1945-46 and converted at Philadelphia NSY in 1966-67 is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials in berthing, machinery, electrical, and deck-covering applications. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-09
-
[11]Cross-check: NavSource APB-36 page and USNI Naval History Oct 2001 (authoritative) vs. en.wikipedia.org USS Colleton (APB-36) article (secondary, uncited portions) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Date comparison across ev-01, ev-02, ev-03 sources
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Secondary-source date conflicts corrected against authoritative records: Wikipedia's infobox gives 'Stricken: 1 June 1973' and 'Sold for scrap, 1 August 1974' - NavSource and USNI both give the stricken date as 6 January 1973, and NavSource gives the sale as 6 January 1973 for $172,226.62 (the 1974-08-01 date may reflect physical dismantlement completion - unresolved). Wikipedia also states the completed hull was 'berthed at Boston, Massachusetts in the custody of the United States Maritime Commission' - no MARAD custody record was located (no ShipHistory card exists for this hull), and DANFS states Navy reserve berthing at Boston; the MARAD-custody framing is treated as unverified.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1973-1974
- Limitations
- The 1973-01-06 stricken/sale dates are carried per NavSource and USNI; the secondary 1973-06-01 / 1974-08-01 variants remain logged in gaps pending any primary record (a MARAD or Navy sales file would settle it; none located). Wikipedia itself is not cited as evidence anywhere in this record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-10
-
[12]NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel/deck logs) and RG 19 (Bureau of Ships); NARA catalog series 594258; TTU Vietnam Archive collection vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/repositories/2/resources/2530 [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 24 / RG 19 guides; catalog.archives.gov series 594258; TTU collection record
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs for 1967/1968/1969 are digitized in National Archives Catalog series 594258 (per-ship, per-month image sets) - content-review for materials, maintenance, or shipyard-work entries not performed; RG 19 (Bureau of Ships / naval shipyard records) holds Boston Navy Yard construction records and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1966-67 conversion work packages; the ship's OPNAV 5750 command histories (1967, 1968, 1969) are the primary source behind the MRFA narrative; COMNAVFORV monthly summaries/supplements are digitized at NHHC and at the Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive (Texas Tech, collection 'United States Naval Forces, Vietnam Monthly Historical Summaries, 1966-1972, 1973').
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945-1973 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and collection mapping only - no box/item-level retrieval performed except confirming deck-log series availability; existence of asbestos-specific entries for this hull is unknown until the digitized logs and command histories are reviewed page by page. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-11
-
[13]CourtListener API v4 sweeps, 2026-09-25 (authenticated via fleet helper): q='"USS Colleton"' type=o = 0; q='"APB-36"' type=o = 0; q='"APL-36"' type=o = 0; q='Colleton' type=o = 1,058 (top-30 sample all name collisions); q='Colleton' type=r = 4,493 (top-20 sample all name collisions) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-colleton-apb36-09 through sl-uss-colleton-apb36-11
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying litigation located naming USS Colleton, APB-36, or APL-36: exact-phrase opinion search '"USS Colleton"' returned 0 opinions; hull-number searches '"APB-36"' and '"APL-36"' returned 0 opinions; bare-name 'Colleton' opinion index returned 1,058 hits - top 30 sampled, all name collisions (Colleton County, South Carolina litigation, Colleton Regional Hospital, Colleton Preparatory Academy, and surname 'Colleton' parties); RECAP docket-index search 'Colleton' returned 4,493 records - top 20 sampled, all surname parties (e.g., bankruptcy debtors) or Colleton County matters, none referencing a vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Opinion and RECAP indexes under-cover unreported state-court filings and settled MDL-875 claims; a county-name vessel sweep cannot retrieve filings that name only 'Colleton' without 'USS' or a hull number - coverage is limited to digitized text containing a qualifying string, and sampled hits were classified, not exhaustively reviewed. Absence of a located opinion or docket does not prove no claim was ever filed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-colleton-apb36-12