Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
-
[1]research packet 514-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-comstock-lsd19-pkt-514-packet-md
-
[2]U.S. GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct. 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page, Highlights; full report linked there
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed asbestos use in Navy ships and reported that the Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace damaged asbestos insulation or insulation that had to be removed for necessary repairs; the 1979 policy added selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. This is Navy-wide policy context only; it does not establish asbestos presence aboard Comstock.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1975-1979 policies; report published 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; Navy ships
- Limitations
- Program-level evidence only. GAO's review focused on Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards and does not identify Comstock, her materials, an individual exposure, quantity, remaining material, or legal eligibility. The ship-specific status remains unknown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-comstock-lsd19-01
-
[3]National Archives, Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Sections 'Cartographic Branch (Includes Blueprints & Engineering Drawings)' and 'Other Records and their usefulness'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's research guide identifies hull-series ship engineering drawings and insulation-and-lagging drawing code S39 as a research avenue for vessel-specific asbestos inquiry; it also states that Navy deck logs do not provide direct evidence of asbestos presence. This is a research lead and method statement, not a finding that asbestos was present aboard Comstock.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- Guide reviewed 2022-03-02
- Population
- Researchers examining Navy vessels commissioned through 1961
- Limitations
- NARA's guide is general and does not report the results of a search of Comstock's drawings or records. The relevant drawings were not retrieved or examined.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-comstock-lsd19-02
-
[4]National Archives, Ship Plan Index, COMSTOCK, LSD-19: Hull series of Ship Engineering Drawings, NAID 153715289; Microfilm, NAID 175668741 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship Plan Index rows: COMSTOCK | LSD-19 | Hull series of Ship Engineering Drawings | NAID 153715289; COMSTOCK | LSD-19 | Microfilm | NAID 175668741
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's Ship Plan Index lists COMSTOCK (LSD-19) in both the Hull series of Ship Engineering Drawings (NAID 153715289) and the Microfilm series (NAID 175668741). These ship-specific holdings provide retrieval leads for further hull-level research; the index does not establish that any asbestos-specific drawing is present or that asbestos was aboard.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- Collection dates not established by the retrieved index rows
- Population
- USS Comstock (LSD-19); engineering drawings
- Limitations
- The index entry was located in the live NARA index, but the full page exceeded the browser retrieval limit and the drawing items themselves were not retrieved. No asbestos content can be inferred from the existence of general ship drawings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-comstock-lsd19-03
-
[5]National Archives, Brown Water Vessels to be Scanned as Part of the Vietnam War Deck Log Digitization Pilot Project [other_primary]
- Locator
- River Patrol Support Ships, 1966 list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's Vietnam War deck-log digitization pilot page indexes Comstock (LSD-19) in a list headed 'River Patrol Support Ships, 1966.' NARA states that the list primarily derives from the Mobile Riverine Force Association and gives no specific deployment dates; this is a retrieval lead, not independently verified service evidence.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1966 list; page last reviewed 2016-08-15
- Population
- USS Comstock (LSD-19)
- Limitations
- NARA attributes the list primarily to the Mobile Riverine Force Association and gives no deployment dates. The entry is used only as a lead to possible deck-log records; the listing does not establish asbestos presence, individual exposure, or materials aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-comstock-lsd19-04
-
[6]Research log for this pass: NARA asbestos-research guide, NARA ship-plan index, NARA deck-log pilot page, GAO HRD-80-2; live NHHC DANFS access failed. [other_primary]
- Locator
- Search ledger entries sl-uss-comstock-lsd19-01 through -08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos survey, abatement contract, material inventory, or hazmat disclosure identifying asbestos aboard USS Comstock (LSD-19) was located in this limited research pass. This is a result of the sources reviewed, not proof that no such record exists.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30 research pass
- Limitations
- The search was incomplete: Firecrawl was quota-blocked, the live NHHC DANFS URL returned 404, Comstock drawings were not retrieved, and CourtListener searches were incomplete. Do not treat this as a comprehensive negative or proof that asbestos was absent aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-comstock-lsd19-05
-
[7]John D. McCauley v. Denis McDonough, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, No. 23-1692 (filed May 20, 2024), CourtListener API v4 exact-name opinion search result [court_record]
- Locator
- Authenticated API v4 search, type=o, exact query='USS Comstock'; result cluster 9505818, docket 23-1692
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The authenticated CourtListener API v4 exact-name opinion search for 'USS Comstock' returned one result: a veterans-benefits appeal, John D. McCauley v. Denis McDonough, No. 23-1692 (CAVC). It is not an asbestos opinion and no hull-specific relationship was established from the returned search metadata; it is classified as an apparent name collision, not qualifying asbestos litigation.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2024 opinion; searched 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Only the API search result metadata and snippet were reviewed. The opinion text was not retrieved, so it is not established that the ship is mentioned at all. The exact-name docket search and both hull-number searches were blocked by the shared pacing limiter; this result does not resolve those searches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-comstock-lsd19-06