Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet lf-packet.md (10 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-pkt-lf-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Damon M. Cummings (DE-643) - verbatim NHHC transcription via HyperWar/ibiblio (live NHHC page history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/damon-m-cummings.html returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, namesake paragraph + specification block + service narrative + bracketed disposal note
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: namesake Lt. Cmdr. Damon M. Cummings, USN - born 30 January 1910, Belvidere, Ill.; Naval Academy 4 June 1931; served in Northampton (CA-26) and Monaghan (DD-354); staff duty Submarine Base New London and Destroyer Squadron 3; killed in action aboard San Francisco (CA-38) night of 12-13 November 1942, Naval Battle of Guadalcanal; posthumous Navy Cross. Specification block: 1,400 t; 306 ft; 37 ft beam; dr. 9'5"; 24 kt; complement 186; 3x3", 3x21" tt., 8 dcp., hedgehog, 2 dct.; class Buckley. Launched 18 April 1944 by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Francisco, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. D. M. Cummings; commissioned 29 June 1944, Lt. Cmdr. C. R. Millett, USNR, in command. Service: cleared San Francisco 8 September 1944, convoy to Eniwetok, Port Purvis (Florida Island) arriving 16 October; Solomons until 6 November; Funafuti from 19 November patrolling shipping lanes until 2 January 1945; Port Purvis 18 January; Solomons escort/patrol until 9 March; sound-gear repairs at Manus; Leyte 19 March; screened an LST group to the Okinawa invasion 1 April; patrol off Okinawa until 1 May; convoy escort Ulithi/Saipan/San Pedro Bay (Leyte) to Okinawa through war's end; air-sea rescue stations in the Marianas; Tokyo 3-12 October; cleared Saipan 1 November for overhaul at Bremerton, Wash.; fleet services at Tsingtao and Shanghai, China, and off Haiphong and Saigon, Indo China, 16 February-16 September 1946; out of commission in reserve at Long Beach 3 February 1947; one battle star. Bracketed note: struck from the Navy list 1 March 1972, sold 18 May 1973.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1973
- Population
- Bethlehem Steel San Francisco construction trades 1943-44; wartime crew (DANFS complement 186); reserve-fleet caretakers 1947-72
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. It gives no laid-down date (NavSource supplies 17 October 1943). Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page returns 404 and no Wayback capture of the NHHC URL exists.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-01
-
[3]"History of the U.S.S. DAMON M. CUMMINGS (DE-643)" - the ship's own war-history submission, cover letter DE643/A12 Serial 279, 28 October 1945, CO W. C. French Jr. to SecNav (ref. Alpac 202-45), scanned image hosted by NavSource (06643wh.jpg); corroborated by NARA catalog naId 77639494 (RG 38, Roll A2047, Micro Serial 156748 - the serial stamped on the scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DE-643 page, 'View the official War History' scan (06643wh.jpg), cover letter + enclosure panels; NARA catalog https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77639494
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship-authored war history for this hull (primary document scan, read visually): commissioned 29 June 1944 at the Bethlehem Steel Company, San Francisco, first CO Lt. Cmdr. C. R. Millett, USNR; after shakedown departed the United States 8 September 1944 for Purvis Bay via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok; served under Commandant, South Solomons, 15 October 1944 to 1 March 1945; assigned Fifth Fleet for amphibious staging to Okinawa; departed Leyte 25 March 1945 with a large amphibious convoy for the invasion; in the Okinawa area until the island was secured in late June; 24 May 1945 the ship's anti-aircraft fire downed an enemy aircraft attempting a suicide dive on the ship; detached Third Fleet 24 June, assigned Task Unit 94.7.2 at Saipan; temporary duty at Ulithi under TU 94.6.2 from 9 July (Ulithi defense and Okinawa convoy escort); Millett relieved by Lt. Cmdr. W. C. French Jr., USNR, 26 August 1945; returned to Saipan 26 September; one trip to Japan since (DANFS: Tokyo 3-12 October); still operating in TU 94.7.2 at submission. Since commissioning through September 1945: 5,068 hours underway, 62,156 miles steamed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Wartime crew
- Limitations
- Primary document hosted by a volunteer-run photo archive (NavSource); text read from the image scan - portions are faint and only legible passages are relied on. Contains no materials or asbestos content. The NARA catalog record independently confirms the document (same Micro Serial 156748).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-02
-
[4]NARA naId 78629618, "DAMON M CUMMINGS - War Diary, 8/1-31/44" (RG 38, WWII War Diaries series naId 4697018; Roll A1140; Micro Serial 86212; Serial 137; File A9; dated 10 August 1944) - digitized microfilm images read at catalog.archives.gov [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog naId 78629618; Roll A1140 images 0877-0878 (catalog.archives.gov digitized microfilm)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship-authored war diary for August 1944, read from NARA digitized microfilm (cover letter DE643/A9 Serial 137, 10 August 1944, C. R. Millett signature, reference CominCh serial 7152 of 29 October 1943): 1 August - operating with USS Bright (DE-747) pursuant to CTG 14.1 Operation Order 12-44, moored San Diego; 2-6 August - shakedown exercises off San Diego with USS Attu (CVE-102, OTC) and USS Boggs (towing vessel), OTC ComCortDiv 53 in Bright; moored Naval Repair Base San Diego Pier #1 4-6 August. Documents the hull's shakedown division (CortDiv 53) and named operating companions.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-08
- Population
- Wartime crew; shakedown-period operating companions
- Limitations
- Read cover letter and first diary page (images 0877-0878 of Roll A1140); remaining pages and months unexamined. War diaries record operations, not materials - no asbestos content expected. The CortDiv 53 association is a shakedown-period assignment; later division assignments are not established by this document.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-03
-
[5]NARA catalog holdings for this hull (RG 38 WWII War Diaries + deck-log series): naId 77639494 war history (Roll A2047); 17 monthly war-diary file units June 1944-November 1945 (Rolls A1113, A1140, A1175, A1224, A1293, A1330, A1444, A1575, A1647, A1701, A1777, A1856, A1884, A1899, A1952, A1979, A1997); naId 140036251 "Form rep of AA act off Okinawa Jima" (Roll A1642); naId 125665902 deck logs "Damon M. Cummings (DE-643), 6/29/44-2/3/47" (Roll 1287, 373 digitized images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog search "Damon M. Cummings" (catalog.archives.gov/proxy/records/search), hits naId 77639494, 125665902, 140036251, 78629618 et al.
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Extensive digitized NARA holdings exist for this hull: the ship-submitted war history (Roll A2047, serial 156748 - the document scanned at NavSource); 17 monthly war-diary file units spanning 29 June 1944 through 30 November 1945 (including the formal report of the AA action off Okinawa, naId 140036251 - corresponding to the 24 May 1945 suicide-plane shootdown described in the ship's history); and a complete deck-log run, naId 125665902, "Damon M. Cummings (DE-643), 6/29/44-2/3/47," Roll 1287, 373 digitized images covering the entire commissioned period. COMCORTDIV 73 war diaries also surface in the same catalog query but division assignment beyond the documented shakedown-period CortDiv 53 is unverified for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Wartime and postwar crew 1944-1947
- Limitations
- Archival leads: holdings verified in the NARA catalog with digitized microfilm images; contents unexamined except the August 1944 diary opening pages (ev-03). Operational records - deck logs and war diaries record movements and events, not materials specifications; asbestos content is not expected in them. NARA RG 19 General Information Books (per-vessel material specifications) not located in the catalog for this hull. January and March 1945 war diaries did not surface in the top-50 query results.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-04
-
[6]NavSource Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Damon M. Cummings (DE-643) - building/operational data, specification block, CO roster, photo captions (Wayback capture 2024-12-04; live navsource.org/.net blocks automated fetch) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 06/643 page: specifications block, building/operational data block, CO roster, photo captions (0664301, 0664302)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Volunteer-compiled record for this hull: keel laid 17 October 1943 at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard Corp., San Francisco; launched/christened 18 April 1944 sponsored by Mrs. D. M. Cummings; commissioned 29 June 1944 Lcdr. C. R. Millett USNR; decommissioned at Long Beach 3 February 1947 after 2 years 7 months; struck from the NVR 1 March 1972; sold for scrapping 18 May 1973. Spec block: 1,400 t light/1,740 t full; 306 ft oa; beam 36'9"; draft limit 10'6"; 2 'D' Express boilers, G.E. turbines with electric drive, 12,000 shp, 2 screws; 24 kt; range 6,000 nm at 12 kt; complement 15/198; call sign NTKV; awards incl. Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 star. CO roster: Millett to 26 August 1945; Lcdr. W. C. French Jr. to December 1945; Lt. Norman C. Smith, USN, to March 1946; Lcdr. Emory P. Boynton, USNR, to 3 February 1947. Namesake caption (Lucky Bag, USNA class of 1931) adds Purple Heart to the posthumous awards.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1973
- Population
- Construction trades 1943-44; crew 1944-47; reserve caretakers 1947-72; scrappers 1973
- Limitations
- Secondary volunteer compilation - the laid-down date (17 October 1943) and complement figure (213) are not primary-verified; DANFS omits the laid-down date and reads complement 186 (conflict carried in gaps). Contributor-attributed; no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-05
-
[7]Navypedia "TE destroyer escorts (BUCKLEY)" member table (DE-643 row: yard no. 5410, Bethlehem San Francisco, laid down 10/1943, launched 18.4.1944, comm. 6/1944, stricken 3.1972) + machinery-block map (DE-633-644: 2 Combustion Engineering boilers); NavSource/DE-643 specification block (2 'D' Express boilers, G.E. electric drive, 12,000 shp) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia us_de_te page, DE-643 member-table row + machinery block map; NavSource 06/643 specification block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era inference: the Buckley (TE) destroyer escort is one of only two DE designs with a full steam plant - two 'D' express-type boilers feeding GE turbo-electric machinery of 12,000 shp. Navypedia's per-block boiler-manufacturer map attributes DE-633-644 hulls (which includes this hull) to Combustion Engineering boilers; the NavSource specification block for this hull independently reads 2 'D' Express boilers with G.E. turbines/electric drive. A 1943-44 wartime steam ship of this description would have carried era-standard asbestos applications: boiler/fireroom insulation, steam-line lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, fireproofing.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1973
- Population
- Bethlehem San Francisco construction trades 1943-44; crew 1944-47; reserve-fleet caretakers 1947-72
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - NOT a hull-specific finding. The boiler-manufacturer attribution is navypedia-sourced and unverified against contract documents; NavSource prints boiler type, not maker. Establishes no quantities and no individual exposure. The BuShips Ships' Data Vol. 1 (1945) design-group table cited on sibling Buckley records (shipscribe.com SDB1945v1.pdf) returned HTTP 404 on re-check this date - a new link-rot event; the design-group basis is carried via navypedia instead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: a 1975 standing policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or when required for repairs, modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it. Damon M. Cummings spent 1947-1972 in the Pacific Reserve Fleet and was sold for scrapping in 1973, so the program context bears on disposal-era disturbance rather than on any documented condition aboard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not ship-specific; the report's fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk naval shipyards. Full text blocked to automated fetch (HTTP 403); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-07
-
[9]NavalCoverMuseum (navalcovermuseum.org), DAMON M CUMMINGS DE 643 entry - designation history, postmark holdings, award attribution [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavalCoverMuseum ship page, designation-history box + postmark table + 'Other Information'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Collector-museum record corroborating this hull's milestones: commissioned 29 June 1944 - decommissioned 3 February 1947; struck from Naval Register 1 March 1972; sold 18 May 1973 for scrapping. One battle star attributed to the Okinawa operation, April 1945 (DANFS states one battle star without naming the campaign). Locy Type 2z postmark documented in use 21 January 1946 - consistent with the second deployment (Tsingtao/Shanghai/Haiphong/Saigon, February-September 1946).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Crew 1944-47
- Limitations
- Collector-run museum database - a secondary compilation, not a government record; dates concur with DANFS and NavSource. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-08
-
[10]Batch-4436 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS verbatim (HyperWar), ship's war-history scan (NavSource + NARA naId 77639494), NARA catalog holdings (war diaries, AA action report, 373-image deck-log run), NavSource photo archive, NavalCoverMuseum, navypedia TE block map, NVR lookup, CourtListener exact-name and hull-number queries [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-01 through sl-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for DE-643: no hull ACM survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case names the vessel in the sources searched. The hull's well-documented NARA record base (war history, monthly war diaries, AA action report, full deck-log run) is operational, not material, documentation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943-44 steam-plant hull sold for scrapping in 1973 is era-consistent with retained ACM, and disposal-era records (scrapping buyer, disposal survey) are undocumented. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-damon-m-cummings-de643-09
