Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet 516-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS *Fort Snelling* — Hull: LSD-30 — Designation: dock landing ship (LSD), Thomaston-class
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-pkt-516-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Fort Snelling (LSD-30), Vol. II p. 435 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, 1956-1963 service narrative, disposition note (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative, spec block, and bracketed disposition note
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: the name Fort Snelling was assigned to LSD-23 on 19 June 1944 but construction was canceled on 17 August 1946. LSD-30 was launched 16 July 1954 by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss.; sponsored by Mrs. Robert F. Briscoe, wife of Vice Admiral Briscoe; and commissioned 24 January 1955, Commander H. Marvin-Smith in command. Homeported at Norfolk, Va., she carried out an intensive exercise schedule along the east coast and in the Caribbean, almost always with Marines embarked for amphibious training; first Mediterranean deployment 1956; served with the 6th Fleet in 1957; during the 1958 deployment she was at sea bound for Rhodes when on 14 July she was notified to land her Marines at Beirut, Lebanon, the next day - part of the immediate Navy response to the 1958 Middle East crisis - and returned to the Lebanese coast several more times; through 1959 and 1963 she continued training operations with Marines in the Caribbean and on the Carolina coast. Spec block: dp. 6,880; l. 510'; b. 84'; dr. 19'; s. 21 k.; cpl. 756; cl. Thomaston. Bracketed editorial note: decommissioned 28 September 1984, transferred to the Maritime Administration 7 September 1989, struck from the Naval Vessel Register 24 February 1992, sold 25 August 1995.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1995 (entry coverage ends 1963 plus disposition note)
- Population
- Ingalls construction trades (1953-55); crew and embarked Marines (1955-1984)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. The DANFS narrative ends in 1963 - all post-1963 service comes from other rows. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 on 2026-09-30; verbatim transcription via losthistory.net/hazegray mirror used (standing NHHC link-rot defect, same as BATCH-01/98). The note's 28 September 1984 decommissioning date conflicts with NVR's 5 September 1984 - NVR carried as registry of record (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-01
-
[3]Naval Vessel Register, Ship Details - FORT SNELLING (LSD 30), live page (verified live 2026-09-30) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR ship detail page shipId=1100, VESSEL STATUS and MILESTONE DATES blocks
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NVR official milestone dates for this hull: Class LSD 28; UIC 03130; Builder Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.; Award Date 02/28/1952; Keel Date 08/17/1953; Launch Date 07/16/1954; Delivery Date 01/24/1955; Commission Date 01/24/1955; Decommission Date 09/05/1984; Stricken Date 02/24/1992; Status 'disposed of, by navy sale' with date status changed 08/25/1995. Age since launch at disposal 41.1 years; page last updated 02/23/1999.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1952-1999 (page last updated 1999)
- Limitations
- Authoritative registry dates. NVR Decommission Date 09/05/1984 conflicts with the DANFS note's 28 September 1984 and is carried here as the registry of record; the conflict is logged in gaps. NVR prints no MARAD custody-transfer date (7 September 1989 comes from NavSource/DANFS note). NVR physical characteristics section is suppressed ('currently unavailable'). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30), 10/12/1230.htm - designation timeline, specifications, awards, commanding-officer list, disposal chain, captioned photography (verified live 2026-09-30) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/12/1230.htm header timeline, Specifications block, Awards block, Commanding Officers list, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 17 August 1953 at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS; launched 16 July 1954; commissioned 24 January 1955 (CDR H. Marvin-Smith); decommissioned 5 September 1984; custody transferred 7 September 1989 to the Maritime Administration for lay-up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA; struck from the Naval Register 24 February 1992; withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet 15 June 1994 by the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA (NISMF) for stripping; returned to the NDRF (date printed '23 August 1984' - typographical error, see gaps); sold for scrapping at Peck Recycling, Richmond, VA for $268,707, withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet 6 May 1996. Specifications: 8,899 t light / 11,525 t full; 510' x 84' x 19'; 20 kts; 18 officers, 330 enlisted, 325 troop accommodations; armament as built four twin 3"/50 dual-purpose mounts, four twin 40mm mounts, six twin 20mm AA mounts; well deck three LCU or nine LCM-8 or fifty AAV/LVTP-7; helicopter landing area; propulsion two D-type 600-psi boilers, two steam turbines, two propellers, 24,000 shp. Awards listed: Navy Unit Commendation (4); Navy Battle 'E' (2); Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Lebanon); National Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Lebanon 1 Jul-1 Nov 1958, Grenada, Lebanon 1 Jun-1 Aug 1984); Humanitarian Service Medal (Beirut Lebanon Evacuation). Captioned photography documents: underway off the builder's yard at Pascagoula 12 January 1955; offloading LCU at Red Beach, Lebanon, 16 July 1958; Dominican Republic Power Pack operations mid-September 1966; Carib 1-68 Caribbean Ready Group formation (with Boxer LPH-4, Rankin AKA-103, Graham County LST-1176, Kirwin APD-90); Guantanamo Bay February 1971; Newcastle upon Tyne 1972; Genoa and Barcelona 1977. Commanding-officer list: 23 officers, last CDR Richard John McCarthy (19 March 1984 - 5 September 1984).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1953-1996
- Population
- Ingalls construction trades (1953-55); crew and embarked Marines (1955-84); NISMF stripping trades (1994); Peck Recycling shipbreakers (1995-96)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS and here corroborate the NVR decommissioning date (5 Sep 1984) via the final CO tour. The '23 August 1984' NDRF return date is an internal typo (ship was then in commission); actual sequence is 1994-1996. Award listings document service areas, not exposure. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-03
-
[5]DoD Deployment Health Support Directorate (Office of the ASD for Health Affairs) Fact Sheet, Deseret Test Center Project SHAD, DTC Test 69-10 (Version 10-09-2002); corroborated by archived DoD 'Ships Associated with SHAD Tests' list (mcm.dhhq.health.mil via Wayback 2013-07-26 capture) [other_primary]
- Locator
- health.mil fact sheet DTC Test 69-10 (PDF; live page JS-gated - text extracted from Wayback capture 20260422102031); archived associated-ships list https://web.archive.org/web/20130726035606/http://mcm.dhhq.health.mil/cb_exposures/project112_shad/shadassociatedShips.aspx
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Officially documented hazardous-substance exposure event aboard this hull: 'The USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) was the target ship for the ship trial' of DTC Test 69-10, conducted May 1969 off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. Marine A-4 aircraft carrying Aero 14B spray tanks delivered trioctyl phosphate (tri[2-ethylhexyl] phosphate) to simulate VX nerve agent against the ship (the primary control ship of an amphibious assault force) and Landing Force Carib 1-69/BLT 1/8 (2d Marine Division), VMA-324, MAG-32, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. The test assessed operational effects of a persistent toxic chemical agent spray attack, including contamination of ships and equipment and crew performance in a simulated toxic environment. The DoD associated-ships list independently names U.S.S. Fort Snelling (LSD-30) for test 69-10.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1969-05
- Population
- Fort Snelling ship's crew during ship trial; Landing Force Carib 1-69/BLT 1/8 (~1st Bn 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division); VMA-324 (MAG-32) aircrews; Deseret Test Center personnel - May 1969
- Limitations
- Ship-specific and official, but NOT asbestos documentation - this is a chemical-simulant (trioctyl phosphate) spray exposure event, recorded because it is the only ship-specific exposure event in the official record for this hull. The fact sheet itself states the VA 'cannot verify its accuracy.' National Academies SHAD reports group Test 69-10 participants (~900 exposed to TOF) in their health-outcome analyses. Live health.mil page returns a JavaScript interstitial to automated fetch; content verified via Wayback PDF capture 2026-04-22.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-04
-
[6]CAPT Lewis B. Melson, USN, 'Contact 261,' U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, June 1967 (Vol. 93/6/772) - Task Force 65 Palomares recovery account [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Proceedings June 1967 article text (fetched via Firecrawl; direct curl returns 403)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- During the 1966 Palomares incident recovery (lost H-bomb search off Spain, Task Force 65 under RADM William S. Guest): 'the uss Fort Snelling (lsd-30)' was among the ships assigned to the task force, and 'the Fort Snelling was designated the support ship for the submersibles.' Both deep submersibles - Alvin (Woods Hole/ONR) and Aluminaut - 'were docked in the Fort Snelling' during operations, and the Alvin 'would return to the Fort Snelling for battery recharging' between dives. Aluminaut had been ferried from Miami by class sister USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1966 (Palomares search phase)
- Population
- Crew and embarked submersible-support detachments (early 1966)
- Limitations
- Vessel-history documentation from the task-force staff's own published account (professional journal, primary-adjacent) - no asbestos or material content. Establishes operational role only; the well-deck/float-on handling of submersibles is documented but the mechanism ('carried in well deck') is consistent with the source. Wikipedia's claim that she was 'task group commander' exceeds this source (flagship was Macdonough then Boston) - not carried.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-05
-
[7]NHHC, 'Grenada, Operation Urgent Fury (23 October - 21 November 1983)' - official operation history FAQ (archived Wayback capture; corroborated by USNI Proceedings May 1984 'Fury from the Sea' and USNI Naval History October 2021 'Secret Mission of Urgent Fury') [other_primary]
- Locator
- Archived NHHC FAQ 95-1; usni.org 'Fury from the Sea' (May 1984) and 'Secret Mission of Urgent Fury' (Oct 2021)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Navy history names this hull in the Operation Urgent Fury order of battle: USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) was one of the four ships of Amphibious Squadron Four (with USS Guam LPH-9, USS Trenton LPD-14, USS Manitowoc LST-1180, USS Barnstable County LST-1197) carrying the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit in Task Force 124. USNI Naval History's 2021 account records that 'Tanks and jeeps on board the USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) also would be put ashore once the beachhead was secure' at Grand Mal Bay. NavSource's award listing carries the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Grenada for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1983-10/1983-11
- Population
- Crew and embarked 22 MAU (October-November 1983)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific participation documentation - no asbestos or material content. The archived NHHC FAQ is a Wayback capture (2008) of history.navy.mil content; the live URL no longer resolves (NHHC link-rot defect). Detailed SEAL/SeaFox reconnaissance narrative exists only in secondary literature (Kukielski, The U.S. Invasion of Grenada) - summarized in draft as secondary detail, not carried here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-06
-
[8]Christopher Dinsmore, 'Salvaging Steel: Company Cuts Up Ships for Scrap,' The Virginian-Pilot, 5 April 1996 (Virginia Tech archive); and 'Reserve Fleet's Weary Ships Wait for One More Call,' The Virginian-Pilot, 12 May 1996 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- scholar.lib.vt.edu VA-Pilot archive, issues vp960405 (article 04050525) and vp960512 (article 05110425)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous press documents asbestos handling on Navy hulls at the same scrapping operation in the same window this hull was scrapped: Peck Recycling's Navy shipbreaking program began with class sister USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29); at Peck's Norfolk plant workers were 'removing other environmentally hazardous materials such as asbestos' from USS Sierra; 'the problem with scrapping the old ships is that they are packed with the asbestos and other hazardous materials.' The James River Reserve Fleet superintendent stated the scrapping program was 'on hold pending a survey of the amount of asbestos and PCBs aboard the ships' - the fleet where this hull lay 1989-1996. This hull was withdrawn from that fleet 6 May 1996 for Peck scrapping.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1995-1996
- Population
- Peck Recycling shipbreakers, Norfolk and Richmond VA (1995-96); JRRF maintenance/custodial staff
- Limitations
- Class/yard-level press documentation - does not name this hull and is not a hazmat record for it. Documents that asbestos removal was routine practice on sister hulls at this yard in this window; whether this hull received the documented survey or what its ACM content was is not established. Reputable local paper via Virginia Tech's archived issues - original virginiapilot.com URLs no longer resolve.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-07
-
[9]EPA Superfund Site Profile, Peck Iron and Metal Site, Portsmouth, VA (NPL listed 4 November 2009); NPL Listing Narrative, semspub.epa.gov/work/03/900035.pdf [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA cumulis site profile id=0306115; NPL narrative PDF (both verified live 2026-09-30)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- EPA documents that the Peck Iron and Metal facility (Portsmouth, VA - part of the same family company that scrapped this hull at Richmond) 'purchased and processed metal scrap from military bases... including scrapped naval vessels,' with soil contamination from PCBs and heavy metals; the site was added to the National Priorities List 4 November 2009.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-1999 (site operating window); NPL 2009
- Population
- Peck facility workers and surrounding community (Portsmouth site)
- Limitations
- Context only: the NPL site is the Portsmouth scrap facility, not the Richmond ship-breaking plant where this hull was dismantled; primary contaminants listed are PCBs and lead, not asbestos. Establishes that the scrapping chain ended at a facility later judged a federal cleanup site - establishes nothing about material aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-08
-
[10]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (two D-type 600-psi boilers, two steam turbines); shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product list for Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula (Thermobestos, Superex, Kaylo, Zonolite, Monokote, pipe covering, block insulation, gaskets, packing, cement, tape, fireproofing materials) and its yard-level litigation record (Overly v. Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc., 74 Cal. App. 4th 164 (1999); Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. v. Director, OWCP, 519 U.S. 248 (1997)); GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-10) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; shipyards.json record ingalls-shipbuilding (products, evidence rows incl. Overly and OWCP cases)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A steam plant amphibious ship built 1953-55 at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, sits inside both the Navy's documented asbestos era and a builder yard with documented asbestos products and asbestos litigation. Era-standard applications aboard a steam amphibious ship of this period: boiler and steam-drum insulation, steam-line lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, fireproofing and deck insulation. The full steam pathway (boiler rooms, turbine spaces, steam runs between machinery spaces and living spaces) applies.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1953-1996
- Population
- Ingalls construction trades (1953-55); crew and embarked Marines (1955-84); overhaul/availability trades at Norfolk-area facilities; NISMF stripping trades (1994); Peck shipbreakers (1995-96)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or build specification located for LSD-30. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Ingalls yard litigation and product documentation name the yard, not this hull. Product names are yard-documented or normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-09
-
[11]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1953-55) and nearly all of her service era (1955-84).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, confirmed 2026-09-30 - standing access defect same as BATCH-01/98); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-10
-
[12]Batch-5819 search ledger (this record): NVR live page; DANFS verbatim transcription (NHHC 404); NavSource; DoD SHAD fact sheet + associated-ships list; NHHC archived Grenada FAQ; USNI Proceedings/Naval History; Virginian-Pilot archive; EPA; GAO product page; NARA catalog; MARAD ship-history; CourtListener (paced out); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, insulation material list, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - authenticated API v4 requests were paced out by the fleet-wide budget limiter on every attempt (recorded as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm/marketing listicle content (freeasbestostesting.com, mesotheliomaveterans.org, simmonsfirm.com, classcreator.com reunion page) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1950s steam amphibious ship sits squarely in the documented asbestos era, and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (paced, not run). Deck logs, build specifications, NISMF stripping work packages, and the JRRF pre-scrapping asbestos/PCB survey results are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-11
-
[13]Archival leads not yet digitized or not fetchable this session: NARA RG 24 deck logs for USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30), 1955-1984 (a 1966 deck-log citation for this hull appears in the bibliography of 'The Day We Lost the H-Bomb,' confirming the series exists at NARA); NHHC Operational Archives command histories/operations reports for this hull; MARAD vessel status/history card (marad.dot.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch); NISMF stripping work package and JRRF pre-scrapping hazmat survey (1994-1996), if extant [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA RG 24 deck-log series (undigitized); catalog.archives.gov JS-gated; marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory HTTP 403
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Open archival leads: deck logs (RG 24, NARA College Park) and command operations reports would document yard availabilities, the 1984 collision event reported in secondary accounts, and material-condition detail; the MARAD custody card would document the 1989-1996 reserve-fleet period and disposal paperwork; NISMF/MARAD hazmat surveys (the fleet superintendent's pending 'survey of the amount of asbestos and PCBs aboard the ships' reported in May 1996) are the likeliest ship-specific asbestos records if they survive.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1955-1996 records
- Limitations
- Leads only - none of these records was retrieved. NARA catalog (catalog.archives.gov) is JS-rendered and unfetchable from this session; no NAID verified. The MARAD ship-history database returned HTTP 403. The 1996 survey's existence is documented at fleet level only; whether results for this hull exist or were released is unknown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fort-snelling-lsd30-12