Evidence
14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).
-
[1]research packet crew-cu-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Cree | Hull: AT-84, later ATF-84 (15 May 1944)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-cree-at84-pkt-crew-cu-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), Cree (AT-84), Naval History and Heritage Command (live page, verified 2026-10-06) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Cree entry, spec line and full text (entry content ends with the 1960-61 Far Eastern tour; post-1961 service not covered)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry for Cree (AT-84): launched 17 August 1942 by United Engineering Co., San Francisco; sponsored by Mrs. T. Colburn; commissioned 28 March 1943, Lieutenant P. Bond in command. April-May 1943 towing target sleds and drydock sections between San Francisco and San Diego; cleared 11 May for Seattle and Dutch Harbor; operated out of Adak 26 July 1943 to 15 August 1944, screening transports to Kiska and performing towing and salvage duties, including aid to the distressed Soviet ship Valery Chkalov 15-23 December 1943; reclassified ATF-84 15 May 1944. October 1944 retriever tug on convoy to Eniwetok; towing duty at Guam and Ulithi; screen of 5th Fleet replenishment group at Ulithi 8 February 1945; Iwo Jima invasion salvage standby; salvage operations off Okinawa 16 March-1 July 1945; overhaul at San Pedro Bay, Leyte. Pearl Harbor-based Pacific towing and salvage until the Korean War: Yokosuka 6 July 1950; beaching control off Kyuryuhon 16-17 August; salvage equipment transfer to the Korean navy; buoying swept channels; salvage and towing support to the Inchon landings 15 September-15 October 1950. Returned to Long Beach 16 June for overhaul; alternated Pearl Harbor, Pacific islands, and west coast; Sasebo-based duty 4 August-19 December 1959; 1960-61 Far Eastern tour. Received two battle stars for World War II service; DANFS text states three for Korean war service (see correction row - NavSource lists four Korea campaigns).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1942-1961 (coverage window)
- Limitations
- Authoritative Navy historical text establishing identity, construction, and WWII/Korean War service. The published entry ends at the 1960-61 Far Eastern tour - Vietnam-era and 1970s service are not covered by this source. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or industrial-hygiene information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-01
-
[3]NavSource Naval History, USS Cree (ATF-84) ex-USS Cree (AT-84) page 09/39/39084 (live navsource.net, verified 2026-10-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Page header timeline, campaign tables, specifications block, commanding-officers table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online service-ship archive page for USS Cree (AT-84/ATF-84): laid down 31 March 1942 at United Engineering Co., San Francisco; launched 17 August 1942; commissioned 28 March 1943, Lt. Percy Bond in command; redesignated fleet ocean tug ATF-84 15 May 1944; WWII Asiatic-Pacific campaigns listed as Iwo Jima operation (assault and occupation, February 1945) and Okinawa Gunto operation (17 March 1945); Korean War campaigns listed as North Korean Aggression (17 July-2 September and 16 September-26 October 1950), Inchon landing (14-15 September 1950), Communist China Aggression (8 November 1950-14 January 1951), and First UN Counter Offensive (20 March-4 April 1951); Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Vietnam) in the ribbon bar; decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register 21 April 1978; final disposition sunk as a target 27 August 1978. Spec block: displacement 1,235 t light/1,675 t full, length 205 ft, beam 38 ft 6 in, draft 15 ft 4 in, 16.5 kt trial, complement 5 officers + 80 enlisted, armament one 3-inch/50 dual-purpose mount + two 40mm + two 20mm, propulsion four GM 12-278 diesel-electric main engines with single Fairbanks Morse reduction gears, three GM 3-268A auxiliary engines, single propeller 3,000 shp. Commanding-officer roster ends with LT Ross Edward Irlam, 13 March-21 April 1978.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1942-1978
- Limitations
- Volunteer-maintained naval-history archive reproducing official specifications and campaign lists; the Korea campaign table lists four campaigns while DANFS text says three Korean battle stars - discrepancy carried in correction row and gaps. Sinking location not given. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-02
-
[4]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), Enterprise VIII (CVAN-65), History 1976-1980, Naval History and Heritage Command (live page, verified 2026-10-06) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Enterprise VIII 1976-1980 entry, paragraph beginning 'On the morning of 18 January 1978, tug Cree (ATF-84)...'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC DANFS entry for Enterprise (CVAN-65), History 1976-1980, documents the 18 January 1978 accidental bombing of Cree: while steaming off the southern California coast after releasing ex-YO-129 as a bombing-practice target, a Navy jet made an attack run on Cree at 1206 and dropped three 500 lb bombs - one detonated near the mast, one exploded underwater off the starboard side, and one penetrated seven forward bulkheads without detonating. Damage included a holed mast, destroyed life rafts, severed emergency power cable, destroyed gyro, damaged diving locker, and hull damage with flooding over 2,000 gallons per minute. An EOD team from Enterprise defused the lodged bomb; Long Beach (CGN-9), John Paul Jones (DDG-32), and Moctobi (ATF-105) rendered assistance; John Paul Jones towed Cree, then transferred the tow to Moctobi; Cree returned to San Diego 19 January after the crew fought flooding for 27 hours.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1978-01-18 to 1978-01-19
- Population
- Cree crew aboard 18 January 1978; assisting ships' EOD/repair parties
- Limitations
- Official Navy historical account of the casualty that ended Cree's service life (she was stricken three months later and sunk as a target in August 1978). The bombing damaged machinery spaces - an event consistent with disturbance of installed insulation - but the source says nothing about asbestos or any material composition; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-03
-
[5]Defense Nuclear Agency, 'Operation WIGWAM,' DNA-6000F (Weary, 1981), DoD Nuclear Test Personnel Review; GPO govinfo record GOVPUB-D15-PURL-gpo222707 (SuDoc D 15.10:6000 F) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DNA-6000F task-organization chart (target response, TG 7.3), Appendix B ship list ('USS CREE (ATF-84) Fleet Ocean Tug / YFNB-29, SQUAW 29, Unmanned'), and Table J-6C (zero-dose units); PDF https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-D15-PURL-gpo222707/pdf/GOVPUB-D15-PURL-gpo222707.pdf
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- DoD Nuclear Test Personnel Review report DNA-6000F, 'Operation WIGWAM' (1981), documents USS Cree (ATF-84) as a WIGWAM participant: Cree appears in the Joint Task Group 7 target-response element alongside Moctobi (ATF-105), Hitchiti (ATF-103), Tawasa (ATF-92), Reclaimer (ARS-42), Bolster (ARS-38), Chanticleer (ASR-7), and Butternut (AN-9); the Appendix B ship list records USS CREE (ATF-84), fleet ocean tug, associated with unmanned target barge YFNB-29 (Squaw-29); and Table J-6C lists USS CREE (ATF-84) among 'Units/Organizations Whose Personnel Received Zero Dose' with 68 military personnel and 0 without dose records. WIGWAM was a single deep underwater nuclear detonation (May 1955) approximately 500 miles southwest of San Diego, California (govinfo abstract).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- May 1955 (test); report 1981
- Population
- 68 military personnel badged aboard Cree during WIGWAM (May 1955)
- Limitations
- Official DoD personnel-review documentation that Cree participated in the WIGWAM test and that her personnel are tabulated in the zero-dose unit list - a radiation-exposure administrative record, not an industrial-hygiene or asbestos record. The report contains no asbestos, insulation, or construction-material information; supports no asbestos claim. OCR of the scanned PDF is imperfect (e.g., 'ATFS4' for ATF-84 in the org chart).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-04
-
[6]Defense Nuclear Agency, 'Operation HARDTACK I 1958,' DNA-6038F, DoD Nuclear Test Personnel Review report (DTRA NTPR document collection) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DNA-6038F ship section 'USS Cree (ATF-84)' (Ref. C.3.4.15 USS Cree deck log), Table 5 (TG 7.3 component functions), Table 14 (ships noting fallout 14 May 1958: Cree 0717, 0.032 R/hr maximum before washdown)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- DoD Nuclear Test Personnel Review report DNA-6038F, 'Operation HARDTACK I 1958,' contains a dedicated 'USS Cree (ATF-84)' section: Cree was in the Eniwetok Proving Ground for 31 of the 35 HARDTACK shots (April-August 1958), responsible for positioning and salvaging target ships, assisted in laying deep-sea moors for the WAHOO target array and shallower moors for UMBRELLA, performed post-UMBRELLA salvage to prevent sinking of target-array units, and served as an SAR ship on later tests. On 14 May 1958 Cree recorded fallout of 0.032 R/hr intensity and activated her washdown system 0717-0725 and 0747-0808; her crew was badged. On 17 May she towed the target ship Moran from the target array after WAHOO and subsequently towed YFNB-20 to San Diego. Her deck log (report Reference C.3.4.15) recorded: arrived Pearl Harbor 31 March; departed 9 April with Squaw-29 and YFNB-12 in tow; arrived Enewetak 23 April; departed 30 July with YFNB-20 in tow; arrived Pearl Harbor 11 August. She was out of the test operating area for shots TEAK, QUINCE, ORANGE, and FIG. Table 5 lists Cree's TG 7.3 component complement as 62 men ('Moored, salvaged target arrays').
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- April-August 1958 (test series); report c. 1983
- Population
- Cree crew (62 men per Table 5; 64 badged per the report's badging roster)
- Limitations
- Official DoD personnel-review documentation of Cree's HARDTACK role, positions relative to surface zero, fallout measurement, and washdown activation - a radiation-exposure administrative record, not an industrial-hygiene or asbestos record. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim. The dtra.mil URL returns HTTP 403 to direct scripted fetches (curl) but the full text was retrieved via Firecrawl on 2026-10-06 - an access-path limitation, not an absence of source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-05
-
[7]Naval History and Heritage Command, 'Mud, Muscle, and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States Navy' (NHHC publication PDF, live history.navy.mil, verified 2026-10-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- pp. 160 (Aleutian salvage, Chkalov), 188 (Franklin response), and appendix fleet-tug disposition table (p. 543, 'SINKEX in 1978'); index cites Cree at 160 and 188
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC official history 'Mud, Muscle, and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States Navy' documents Cree's salvage work: Cree (ATF-84) joined the Aleutian salvage group and assisted Ute with the salvage of the Soviet merchantman Valery Chkalov, which had broken in half in heavy seas - Cree took the forward half in tow while Ute took the stern; Cree, Ute, Tatnuck, and Oriole continued Aleutian salvage operations and accompanied raids against Paramushir as standby salvage ships until mid-1944. During the Okinawa-period response to the bomb-damaged carrier Franklin (CV-13) southeast of Kyushu, four fleet tugs - Cree, Munsee, Sioux, and Ute - headed toward her (Franklin regained propulsion before the tugs arrived). The book's appendix table of fleet tugs records 'Cree (ATF84) - SINKEX in 1978.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1943-1945, 1978
- Limitations
- Official NHHC salvage history; establishes Cree's Aleutian salvage role, the Valery Chkalov tow detail, the Franklin standby response, and the SINKEX disposal category. The appendix does not give the SINKEX date or location. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-06
-
[8]USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717) Command Operations Report, calendar year 1967 (NHHC Archives, command operation reports, Vietnam collection) [other_primary]
- Locator
- COR narrative, 17-29 August 1967 passage ('CHANDLER was detached 28 August to relieve USS CREE (ATF-84) of Russian trawler surveillance duties')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The 1967 Command Operations Report of USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717), hosted in the NHHC command-operation-reports Vietnam collection, states that on 28 August 1967 'CHANDLER was detached 28 August to relieve USS CREE (ATF-84) of Russian trawler surveillance duties' in the Tonkin Gulf operating context - documenting Cree's Vietnam-era Soviet-trawler surveillance assignment.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1967-08-28
- Limitations
- Ship-specific mention in another vessel's official command report; documents the surveillance assignment but not its dates aboard Cree or any exposure conditions. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-07
-
[9]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); plant basis: NavSource specification block (diesel-electric propulsion) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373 abstract/article; NavSource spec block (propulsion section)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era inference only: Cree was built in 1942 to a diesel-electric design - four GM 12-278A diesels driving generators, no boilers or steam turbines - so the boiler/turbine-lagging asbestos pathway of steam-driven contemporaries does not apply to this hull. Era-standard asbestos applications for a 1942 Navy auxiliary remained: machinery and exhaust-system thermal insulation, piping gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation, and accommodation/galley-space insulation. Peer-reviewed historical research documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII, the era and program under which this hull was built, with wartime demand driving unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard U.S. hulls.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1942-1978 era documented; article 1987
- Population
- Construction trades (United Engineering Co., San Francisco, 1942-43); engine-room and machinery crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Era/design inference, not a hull record - no source examined names Cree's insulation materials, and the diesel-electric plant removes the steam-boiler pathway specifically associated with the heaviest shipboard asbestos use. Does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, present-day presence, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-08
-
[10]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page for HRD-80-2 (product description; gao.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-10-06 - standing access limitation noted in prior batches)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO report HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (18 October 1979), documents Navy-wide asbestos insulation use through the era covering Cree's construction and service life, including shipyard overhaul-period exposure conditions - program-level context for the service period of a 1942-1978 Navy hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- report 1979; Navy asbestos era through early 1970s
- Population
- Navy and shipyard workers, program-wide (context)
- Limitations
- Program-level government documentation of Navy asbestos use and worker-protection effort; does not name Cree or any specific hull and establishes no asbestos condition aboard this ship. Full-text retrieval blocked (gao.gov 403); product-page description used.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-09
-
[11]Batch-2823 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS Cree entry; NavSource 09/39/39084; DANFS Enterprise VIII 1976-1980; DNA-6000F (WIGWAM); DNA-6038F (HARDTACK I); NHHC 'Mud, Muscle, and Miracles'; Chandler 1967 COR; NARA deck-log index; GAO HRD-80-2; CourtListener name opinion search (name docket and hull-number queries blocked by fleet pacing) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-cree-at84-01 through sl-uss-cree-at84-15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, SINKEX environmental review, or docketed case naming Cree was found in the public sources searched - the DANFS entry, NavSource page, NHHC salvage history, NTPR reports, NHHC-hosted command operation report, and NARA deck-log index contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 2026-10-06
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1942-built hull retained WWII-era material through 35 years of service and was sunk as a target in 1978 without any located environmental review. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-10
-
[12]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS Cree entry vs NavSource 09/39/39084 campaign table vs NHHC Navy-MC Awards Manual rev.1953 Korean Service Medal ship list ('Ships C' page); secondary-page conflicts (Wikipedia, VetFriends) not adopted [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS Cree entry last paragraph; NavSource campaign tables; NHHC awards-manual 'Ships C' page, Cree (ATF 84) row (eligibility windows 5 Jul 50-22 Apr 51, 7 Nov 53-16 Mar 54, 28 Apr-17 May 54; engagement credits K1 x2, K2, K3, K4)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved or noted: (a) Korean War battle stars - DANFS text states 'two battle stars for World War II service and three for Korean war service,' while NavSource lists four Korean War campaigns and states four battle stars; the official Navy-Marine Corps Awards Manual (rev. 1953) ship list hosted by NHHC credits Cree (ATF-84) with engagement windows in campaigns K1 (two windows), K2, K3 (Inchon landing 14-15 Sep 50), and K4 - four distinct campaigns, consistent with four stars. The DANFS 'three' is a documented transcription slip; four stars is the resolved figure (see ev-uss-cree-at84-13). (b) Class name - DANFS spec line reads 'cl. Cherokee' while NavSource captions her 'Navajo Class Fleet Tug'; the record carries 'Cherokee (Navajo)' per both conventions. (c) Shaft horsepower - NavSource spec block states 3,000 shp while secondary sources circulate 3,600 shp. (d) Wikipedia/VetFriends secondary pages carry an unsourced claim that Cree participated in Operation Castle (1954) and VetFriends states she was 'sunk during RIMPAC 1988' - both conflict with primary dates and are not adopted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1943-1978
- Limitations
- Resolves the Korea star count against the official awards-manual list (four campaigns = four stars; DANFS 'three' is a transcription slip) and flags the remaining minor conflicts; none of these items bears on asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-11
-
[13]National Archives, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' (archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online), Cree (ATF-84) entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA deck-log index, Cree (ATF-84) section listing years 1951-1970 (search-within collection 594258)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead: NARA's 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' page lists Cree (ATF-84) with digitized log coverage for years 1951-1970 (collection 594258). The 1943-1950 wartime logs and the 1971-1978 logs - which would cover the January 1978 bombing casualty and April-August 1978 disposition - are not in the digitized set; the DNA-6038F report separately cites Cree's 1958 deck log as Reference C.3.4.15. Non-digitized logs are held in RG 24 (NARA).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1951-1970 digitized; 1943-1950 and 1971-1978 coverage open
- Limitations
- Index-level verification only - individual log page contents (including any asbestos-relevant maintenance entries) were not examined. The index shows no digitized coverage for 1943-1950 or 1971-1978; coverage beyond 1970 may exist undigitized at NARA College Park (RG 24). Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-12
-
[14]Naval History and Heritage Command, Navy-Marine Corps Awards Manual rev. 1953, 'Ships and Other Units Eligible for the Korean Service Medal,' Ships C page, Cree (ATF 84) entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC awards-manual Ships C page, Cree (ATF 84) table row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official Navy-Marine Corps Awards Manual (rev. 1953) ship list hosted by NHHC records Cree (ATF-84) as eligible for the Korean Service Medal for presence in the combat zone 5 July 1950-22 April 1951, 7 November 1953-16 March 1954, and 28 April-17 May 1954, with engagement-window credits in campaigns K1 (17 Jul-2 Sep 50 and 16 Sep-26 Oct 50), K2 (8 Nov 50-14 Jan 51), K3 (Inchon landing, 14-15 Sep 50), and K4 (First UN Counter Offensive, 20 Mar-4 Apr 51) - four distinct Korean War campaigns, resolving the star count at four (see correction row ev-uss-cree-at84-11).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-06
- Study period
- 1950-1954 (Korean service)
- Limitations
- Official awards-eligibility listing; establishes campaign participation windows but is silent on the ship's daily operations and contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-cree-at84-13