Evidence
18 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-18).
-
[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS Dixie' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'USS Dixie' returned 16 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-dixie-ad14-cl-name-opinion
-
[2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS Dixie' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'USS Dixie' returned 426 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-dixie-ad14-cl-name-docket
-
[3]CourtListener opinion search: 'AD-14' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'AD-14' returned 799604 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-dixie-ad14-cl-hull-opinion
-
[4]CourtListener docket search: 'AD-14' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'AD-14' returned 1037055 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-dixie-ad14-cl-hull-docket
-
[5]DANFS, Dixie II (AD-14) - build, specifications block, and service narrative (verbatim transcription mirror; live NHHC page 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + full service narrative (hazegray mirror of public-domain DANFS text)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents the second Dixie (AD-14): launched 27 May 1939 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J., sponsored by Mrs. A. C. Pickens, commissioned 25 April 1940 (Lt. Cmdr. G. H. Bahm). Specs: 9,450 tons displacement, 73'3" beam, 18 kts, complement 1,262, armament 4 x 5". Service: Pearl Harbor Battle Force duty from June 1940; San Diego October 1940; in overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard on 7 December 1941 and immediately readying ships for war service; Pearl Harbor March-November 1942; Noumea/Espiritu Santo November 1942-March 1944; Hathorn Sound; Ulithi September 1944-February 1945; San Pedro Bay, Leyte to war's end; occupation duty Okinawa and Shanghai; Operation Crossroads Bikini 1946; Tsingtao-based Far East cruises 1947 and 1949 including Hong Kong consular-headquarters duty during the China evacuation; alternating CruDesPac flagship duty at San Diego with Sasebo/Subic Bay tours; five Korean War battle stars; 7th Fleet tender facilities 1959 and 1960.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1938-1960
- Population
- Ship's company ~1,262; tended destroyer crews alongside (WWII-Korea)
- Limitations
- Identity and service history only - the DANFS entry contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement and supports no asbestos claim. Entry predates disposal (no post-1960 coverage, no decommissioning date). Spec-block length figure (630'6") conflicts with MARAD 530.50 ft and NavSource 530'6" - apparent typo; length not asserted. Live NHHC page returned HTTP 404 on 2026-09-19 (standing NHHC link rot first documented batch-01); verbatim transcription mirror cited.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-01
-
[6]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - DIXIE (AD-14), Ship History Detail 1272 (milestone table + digitized status card 1272_2322AF) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1272 - milestone table, vessel data block, status card scan
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory record for DIXIE (AD-14): year built 1940; New York Shipbuilding Corporation; Naval Auxiliary / AD Destroyer Tender; length 530.50 ft, beam 73.33 ft, summer displacement 18,000 tons; fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Milestones: MARAD custody entry and acquisition 10/14/1982 (National Defense Reserve Fleet); disposition and withdrawal 3/29/1983 ('CUST 1982 NDRF 1982'). Includes construction-period Navy photos at New York Shipbuilding and Philadelphia Navy Yard (May 1940) and a digitized status card.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1940-1983
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody milestones and dimensions; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information - supports no asbestos claim. Scrapping contract identities/dates (MA-11223/11224, Kurz Marine, C.W. Enterprises) and the Kaohsiung break site come from secondary compilations (NavSource; Wikipedia), not this record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-02
-
[7]NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Dixie (AD-14) page - specification sheet, awards list, campaign dates, decommission/stricken date, and disposal detail (secondary compilation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AD-14 page - specifications block, awards list, Korean War campaign table, disposal entries
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource records: lead ship of the Dixie class, laid down 17 March 1938 at New York Shipbuilding; decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register 15 June 1982; transferred to MARAD for NDRF Suisun Bay layup 14 October 1982; sold for scrapping to Kurz Marine Inc. under Ship Exchange Contract MA-11223 dated 17 February 1983, resold to C.W. Enterprises & Investment Inc. under MA-11224, withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet 29 March 1983. Machinery specs: four Babcock & Wilcox 'A' three-drum boilers (403 psi, 720 deg F), two New York Shipbuilding Parsons-design steam turbines, double De Laval main reduction gear, four 750 kW turbo-drive ship's service generators, two propellers, 11,000 shp, 19.6 kts trial; complement 56 officers + 1,206 enlisted. Awards include five Korean War battle stars (1951-53 campaigns itemized), two Vietnam-era Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal (Typhoon Pamela), Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (1 Dec 1979-1 May 1980); Operation Crossroads assignment to JTF-1/TG-8 (flagship)/TU 1.8.1 Service Group.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1938-1983
- Limitations
- Secondary volunteer-compiled archive - not an official record; consistent with DANFS and MARAD where overlapping (build, Korea battle stars, NDRF transfer, withdrawal). The 15 June 1982 decommission/stricken date and scrapping-contract detail are not independently confirmed against an official register - the Naval Vessel Register excludes pre-1987 disposals. No asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-03
-
[8]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 0308060, Docket No. 00-14 794 (decided April 29, 2003; on appeal from VA RO Waco, TX) - service connection for COPD granted as incurred in service from asbestos exposure [court_record]
- Locator
- Decision text - Factual Background section (buddy statement) and Conclusion of Law
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Adjudicated administrative decision granting service connection for COPD 'as a result of asbestos exposure' in service (benefit-of-doubt standard). The veteran served 1955-1974 as a Chief Machinist's Mate in main engine rooms and auxiliary machinery rooms aboard six named ships including USS Dixie. Hull-specific content: a recited buddy statement (J.S.) reports that aboard USS Dixie in 1962-1963 they 'handled asbestos material almost daily' in the fire room and engine room; frequently used asbestos cloth to cover asbestos-based insulation on various piping; and received bags of asbestos fiber which they mixed with water in containers to make moldable insulation for pipes, pumps, and compressors.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1962-1963 (exposure); 2003 (decision)
- Population
- Machinist's Mate / fire room and engine room personnel aboard USS Dixie, 1962-1963
- Limitations
- Administrative adjudication, not a court finding; the grant is service-wide across six hulls and is not apportioned to Dixie. The Dixie-specific content is a lay buddy statement recited in the decision - the Board did not independently adjudicate per-hull exposure. Establishes that a government adjudicator credited asbestos exposure in this veteran's service and that a shipmate described daily asbestos work aboard this hull in 1962-63; does not establish quantity, product brands, remaining material, or any other individual's exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-04
-
[9]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 9902769, Docket No. 95-05 782A (decided January 29, 1999; on appeal from VA RO San Diego, CA) - REMANDED [court_record]
- Locator
- Decision text - Introduction, medical-history recitals (1988-1992 surveillance readings), and Remand directives
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Remanded claim for service connection for asbestosis. The veteran's DD-214 confirms service aboard USS Dixie (AD-14) during active duty July 1948-July 1953, discharged as Machinist's Mate 3rd class. He reported asbestos exposure on a regular basis during service 1949-1953, involvement in removal of asbestos insulation during service, and participation in a ship overhaul of USS Dixie January-April 1950 and January-March 1952. San Diego Naval Hospital records show enrollment in the Navy asbestosis medical surveillance program, with X-ray readings 1984-1992 documenting bilateral pleural thickening and diaphragmatic plaques read as consistent with asbestos exposure.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1948-1953 (service/exposure reports); 1999 (decision)
- Population
- Machinist's Mate aboard USS Dixie 1948-1953; reported overhaul participation Jan-Apr 1950 and Jan-Mar 1952
- Limitations
- REMAND disposition - no merits determination was reached; the Board found it unclear whether any pulmonary abnormality resulted from in-service asbestos exposure. Hull-specific exposure content is the veteran's reported history; DD-214 confirms the assignment. Does not establish the ship's material condition, quantity, or any adjudicated asbestos finding; surveillance-program participation documents screening, not a confirmed disease finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-05
-
[10]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 1516899, Docket No. 06-13 582 (decided April 20, 2015; on appeal from VA RO Denver, CO) - service connection denied for gluteal sarcoma and pulmonary cancer [court_record]
- Locator
- Decision text - Findings of Fact 4 and Enlistment Performance Record recital
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Adjudicated decision denying service connection for gluteal sarcoma and pulmonary cancer for lack of medical nexus - while conceding the exposure: finding of fact 4 states the veteran's 'reports of asbestos exposure while performing tasks as a shipfitter in service are competent and credible.' His Enlistment Performance Record documents assignments USS Mahan to July 1975, USS Dixie July 1975-January 1978, and USS Jason from January 1978 (active duty June 1974-June 1978).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1974-1978 (service); 2015 (decision)
- Population
- Shipfitter aboard USS Dixie July 1975-January 1978
- Limitations
- The conceded asbestos exposure is service-wide across three hulls and is not apportioned to Dixie - no finding that exposure occurred aboard this hull specifically. The denial is a merits-level negative for this claimant's cancer claims, not affirmative exposure evidence; the credible-exposure concession is the record's only asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-06
-
[11]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 22068075, Docket No. 18-00 243A (decided December 10, 2022) - service connection denied for kidney disease, hypertension, gout, IBS, and cardiovascular disability; psychiatric claim remanded [court_record]
- Locator
- Decision text - Order, Finding of Fact 2, and service-history recital
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The veteran served aboard USS Dixie (AD-14) for the majority of his active duty July 1961-March 1964. He averred exposure to various chemical agents aboard the ship including asbestos, and alleged herbicide exposure via destroyers returning from Vietnam inland waterways nested alongside. Service connection was denied for five claimed disabilities - none of them asbestos diseases - on nexus grounds ('no medical nexus between the current disabilities and active service, including as due to herbicide, asbestos, or other chemical exposure').
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1961-1964 (service); 2022 (decision)
- Population
- Crew member aboard USS Dixie 1961-1964
- Limitations
- Allegation-stage content: the asbestos claim aboard this hull was recited, not adjudicated - the denied disabilities are not asbestos-related diseases, and no finding addresses whether asbestos was aboard or encountered. Documents a ship-specific allegation and corroborates the destroyer-tender service pattern (destroyers alongside at Subic), nothing more.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-07
-
[12]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. A24062598, Docket No. 240920-475258 (ORDER, decided October 2, 2024) - service connection for coronary artery disease granted on herbicide presumption [court_record]
- Locator
- Order text - rating-decision concession recital and Subic Bay stationing note
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The order recites the appealed July 25, 2024 rating decision's concessions: the veteran (active duty October 1968-October 1972) participated in a toxic exposure risk activity and was exposed to asbestos, 'conceded by virtue of his military occupational specialty of fireman.' The Board noted 'no dispute that the Veteran may have been stationed aboard the USS Dixie while she was docked at Subic Bay, Philippines,' and recited his statements that he directly handled cargo from destroyers operating in Vietnam blue water (USS Bausell, USS Richard B. Anderson, USS Taylor, USS Mullany, USS Taussig). The grant was herbicide-presumption-based.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1968-1972 (service); 2024 (order)
- Population
- Fireman (MOS) aboard USS Dixie at Subic Bay, 1968-1972
- Limitations
- The asbestos concession is a rating-decision-level concession (fireman MOS) recited by the Board, service-wide and not apportioned to this hull; 'may have been stationed aboard' is itself hedged. The decided claim was herbicide/CAD - no asbestos finding was made or needed. Included as context for the hull's documented Subic Bay tender role, not as exposure evidence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-08
-
[13]Hirschberg v. Alfa Laval, Inc., et al., No. 002591 (Phila. County Court of Common Pleas, consolidated with Mattison No. 003607 and Sorey No. 004509; verdicts April 8 and 17, 2009) - independently reported by Law360, 'Shipyard Workers Awarded $14M In Asbestos Suits' (Apr. 22, 2009); vessel attribution per plaintiff firm's published case description (waterskraus.com, lead only) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Law360 article 98128 (paywalled - headline, dek, and metadata tags verified); case detail per waterskraus.com case page (lead, not evidence)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- A Philadelphia jury in a consolidated reverse-bifurcated trial found the three plaintiffs' malignant pleural mesotheliomas were caused by asbestos exposure (Phase I, April 8, 2009); the consolidated verdict totaled $14M including $6.0M to the Hirschberg estate (Phase II April 17, 2009). Per the plaintiff firm's published case description, decedent Robert G. Hirschberg - a Navy fireman/boiler tender 1961-1964 - testified by video deposition to daily maintenance around asbestos-insulated pipes, valves, lagging, gaskets, pumps, oil purifiers, and boilers in the forward engine rooms of USS Bigelow and USS Dixie, including breathing heavy dust while cutting and removing insulation.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1961-1964 (alleged exposure); 2009 (verdict)
- Population
- Navy fireman/boiler tender aboard USS Dixie (and USS Bigelow), 1961-1964; malignant pleural mesothelioma
- Limitations
- Trial-verdict-stage causation finding per independent legal-press coverage; attribution of the exposure to this hull rests on the plaintiff firm's published case description (waterskraus.com), which is not an evidence citation - Law360's report does not itemize vessels, the Philadelphia CCP docket is not digitized, and no appellate opinion was located (CourtListener throttled/403 on 2026-09-19). The verdict establishes asbestos-caused disease for this sailor across his service; hull-specific exposure was described in deposition but no per-hull adjudicated finding is documented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-09
-
[14]NavSource AD-14 specification sheet (machinery plant) combined with era documentation - asbestos-application inference for a 1940 steam tender [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec sheet propulsion entries; era insulation practice per ev-uss-dixie-ad14-11
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The documented propulsion and auxiliary plant - four Babcock & Wilcox 'A' three-drum boilers (403 psi, 720 deg F), Parsons-design steam turbines, reduction gears, and turbo-generators - is the kind of steam installation that in 1938-1940 construction was insulated with asbestos-containing lagging, block, and felt products, with asbestos gaskets and packing at flanges and machinery. A destroyer tender additionally carried repair shops and stores supporting that plant and the destroyers she serviced.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1938-1940
- Population
- Construction trades (New York Shipbuilding, Camden, 1938-1940); engineering and repair personnel; tended-ship maintenance crews
- Limitations
- Era/design-level inference from the documented machinery plant - no hull-specific insulation schedule or shipyard specification was located, and nothing in the cited spec sheet says 'asbestos.' Does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, or any individual's exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-10
-
[15]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
- AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract and article
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the program era into which this 1938-1940 hull's construction and wartime service fall - with wartime demand driving unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII-era shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was or remained aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. This hull was built pre-war (1938-40), just before the documented wartime peak - the era inference is strong but stays inference.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-11
-
[16]Batch-443 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription (hazegray); MARAD ShipHistory 1272 + status card; NavSource AD-14; NVR ship detail; VA BVA decisions index; Law360; CourtListener API/web; NARA record groups; NPS [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-dixie-ad14-01 through sl-uss-dixie-ad14-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull-level asbestos survey, abatement contract, specification itemization, museum hazmat disclosure, or disposal-environmental record for USS Dixie (AD-14) was located in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The only ship-specific asbestos records located are the adjudication files described in rows ev-04 through ev-09.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2026-09-19
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1938-40 steam tender serving 42 years through the peak asbestos-insulation era is era-consistent with installed asbestos-containing materials, and the adjudication records above describe asbestos work aboard. The CourtListener sweep is incomplete (throttled); qualifying court records may exist undiscovered. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-12
-
[17]Source-discrepancy resolutions: MARAD ShipHistory 1272 vs. hazegray DANFS spec block vs. NavSource spec sheet vs. Wikipedia infobox (disposal-date framing) [other_primary]
- Locator
- MARAD milestone table; NavSource disposal entries; DANFS spec block via hazegray mirror
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Two source discrepancies resolved: (a) Length - the hazegray DANFS transcription's spec block prints 630'6", while MARAD (530.50 ft), NavSource (530'6"), and Wikipedia (530'6") agree; the DANFS figure is treated as an apparent typo and no length is asserted. (b) Disposal date - Wikipedia's 'sold for scrap, 17 February 1983' is the contract date of ship-exchange contracts MA-11223/11224 (NavSource); MARAD's milestones show disposition and withdrawal 3/29/1983, which is adopted as the controlling disposal date. Neither discrepancy affects the identity or custody timeline materially.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1982-1983
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies in secondary framings; carries no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-13
-
[18]NARA record-group mapping for hull-specific records: RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel / deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships - plans and specifications), WWII war diaries; NARA Guide to Federal Records [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; RG 19/RG 181 guides and NARA war-diary guidance
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (collection-level mapping only; not retrieved - no spend authorized): (a) NARA holds deck logs for commissioned naval vessels (RG 24) - Dixie's 1940-1982 logs would document alongside-tended destroyers and overhaul periods; (b) WWII war diaries submitted by the ship are at NARA College Park; (c) RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) may hold Dixie-class plans/specifications including insulation schedules; (d) Mare Island Naval Shipyard overhaul records for the December 1941 and later availabilities would sit with yard records in RG 181 (naval district/shipyard records).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1938-1983 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-dixie-ad14-14