Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet o-packet.md (9 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Freestone. Hull: APA-167. Designation: attack transport (APA). Class: Haskell.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-freestone-apa167-pkt-o-packet-md
-
[2]USS Freestone (APA-167), 'History of the U.S.S. Freestone (APA 167)' + supplement, ship-generated USN document forwarded 1946-03-01 by CO Capt. C. A. Thorwall, declassified NDC/NARA 2012-12-31; Fold3 scan hosted on Wikimedia Commons (8 page images incl. transmittal memo) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Commons files USSFreestone-History-Page00-1Mar1946.jpg and Pg01-Pg07.jpg (all 8 pages read); category 'USS Freestone (APA-167)'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The ship's own official 'History of the U.S.S. Freestone (APA 167)' - a seven-page narrative plus supplement transmitted by CO Capt. C. A. Thorwall (serial 082, letter to SecNav Public Information Officer) dated 1 March 1946, declassified by NDC/NARA 2012-12-31 - documents: keel laid 1944-09-04 at Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, OR; launched 1944-10-09 by Mrs. A. R. Ponto; dock trials 1944-11-07; acceptance board 1944-11-08; commissioned 0930 1944-11-09 at Pier #3, U.S. Naval Station, Astoria, OR, Capt. Charles L. Carpenter commanding; December 1944 shakedown at San Pedro / amphibious training San Diego incl. eight-day Navy Yard availability at Naval Drydocks, Terminal Island; departed San Diego 1945-01-08 with 403 passengers, Pearl Harbor 01-14; embarked 1,471 troops 01-20; Eniwetok 01-28; Saipan 02-06; Ulithi 02-10; Kossol Roads Palau 02-20 to 02-25; Leyte 02-28; assigned TransRon 13 / TransDiv 39 under ComPhibsGru 12; sortied Leyte Gulf 03-27 with TF 51 (TU 51.13.14); in Okinawa combat area 04-01 to 04-07, landed troops, received 65 battle casualties (52 retained for evacuation), shot down one enemy plane 04-06; departed 04-07 for Guam in convoy incl. USS Indianapolis; arrived Guam 04-11; Pearl Harbor upkeep; San Francisco 05-11; embarked 1,442 Army troops + 40 Navy passengers for Manila 06-12; Oro Bay New Guinea lift; San Francisco 08-02; drydocking, repairs and alterations at Everett Shipbuilding Yards, Everett, WA 1945-08-06 to 08-17 (V-J Day suspended work 2 days); Seattle departure 08-19 with 1,664 troops for Guam/Saipan; Nagasaki occupation lift; Lingayen 10-05; Magic Carpet duty (TG 16.12) from 10-11; embarked 1,903 enlisted + 102 officers + 8 nurses at Manus; San Francisco 11-06 (disembarked 2,050); Yokosuka 12-07; Nagoya 12-09 to 12-10; Tacoma 12-23; San Francisco 1946-01-07; decommissioning orders 01-25; departed San Francisco 02-14; Panama Canal 02-23; arrived James River, Norfolk 1946-03-01.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Ship's company (536) and embarked troops/passengers (documented lifts of 403 to ~2,050)
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated record; minor internal variances with DANFS noted (enemy-plane date 04-06 vs DANFS 'next day' after 04-01 assault; TransRon 13/TransDiv 39 here vs TransRon 19/TransDiv 57 in NavSource summary; CO spelling 'Thorwall' vs NavSource 'Thornall'). Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-01
-
[3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Freestone (APA-167)', Naval History Division; NavSource transcription (DANFS block) and HistoryCentral verbatim mirror [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/03/03167 DANFS section; HistoryCentral navy/APA/Freestone.html verbatim DANFS; live NHHC danfs/f/freestone.html 404 (standing link rot)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Freestone (APA-167): launched 1944-10-09 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, OR, sponsored by Mrs. Arthur R. Ponto; commissioned 1944-11-09, Capt. C. L. Carpenter. Service per DANFS: Pearl Harbor 1945-01-14 with passengers/cargo; troops Pearl Harbor to Saipan; loaded Marines/equipment at Ulithi; Leyte training; sortied Leyte Gulf 03-27, outer transport area during 04-01 assault, landed men in later waves; 'splashed a lone enemy aircraft'; 04-07 underway with casualties for Guam; San Francisco 05-11; Manila 06-12 with soldiers/sailors; New Guinea troops to Manila; homeward servicemen to West Coast; two western-Pacific cruises 08-04 to 12-23 redeploying men/equipment in Philippines and to Japan, returning servicemen eligible for discharge; sailed San Francisco 1946-02-14 for Norfolk; decommissioned 1946-04-17; transferred to War Shipping Administration 2 days later.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked troops; casualty evacuees aboard 1945-04
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity, construction, operational history, and disposition. Live NHHC DANFS page 404s (standing NHHC link rot documented since batch-01) - transcription mirrors cited; hazegray mirror unreachable 2026-09-25 (connection failure). Contains no asbestos or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-02
-
[4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - FREESTONE (APA-167), Ship History Detail 1765, incl. digitized status cards (Vessel Status Card 2L7_01 face; Reserve Fleet Division Vessel Data card; permanent-ballast card) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 1765, milestone table + status card scans 1765_3264AF.jpg, 1765_3264AB.jpg, 2L7_01.png (all read)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 1765) and digitized status cards document full custody chain for FREESTONE (APA-167), MCV hull 133, VC2-S-AP5, built Oregon SB Corp. Portland (builder hull #1117), completed 1944-11-08: delivered by builders to USMC Portland 1944-11-08 (1:45 PM PWT) then Navy Dept.; Reserve Fleet at Lee Hall, VA 1946-04-19 (3:00 PM EST) from 'Navy Dept. - Surplus'; reason for lay-up 'high cost to convert for commercial use'; permanent ballast recorded 1949-12-29 (cement blocks/poured concrete in holds and machinery spaces); withdrawn 1955-03-25 (10:25 AM EST) under General Agency Agreement to A. L. Burbank & Co., Ltd. for 'Nominated Repair Program FY 1955 Group 5'; returned James River Reserve Fleet 1955-05-11 (1:40 PM EST); sold for scrap under PD-X-956 1973-04-09 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. for $111,560; withdrawn from fleet/delivered 1973-09-21 (3:15 PM EDT); termination port last voyage Norfolk. Fuel oil on fleet entry: 1,287 bbls Bunker C, 7 diesel. Milestone table: Disposition and Withdrawal both 1973-09-21; fate 'Sold - Scrap.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- NDRF caretaker crews (James River 1946-1973); 1955 repair-program yard workers (A. L. Burbank & Co. GAA); 1973 disposal/scrapping workers
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody, repair-program withdrawal, and disposal chain; handwritten card entries legible (image read). Withdrawal/delivery 1973-09-21 vs NavSource 'removed 29 September 1973' - 8-day variance noted (likely sale-to-tow lag); card adopted for custody, see gaps. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-03
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[5]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Freestone (APA-167) page (DANFS-derived history + specifications block + CO roster + campaign/ribbon tables) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net 10/03/03167, specifications block, commanding-officer table, campaign/occupation tables, disposition line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource APA-167 page corroborates the DANFS record and adds the ship-specific specification block: one Westinghouse geared turbine; two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 465 psi / 750 deg F; double Westinghouse main reduction gears; three turbo-drive ship's service generators 120V/240V DC; single propeller 8,500 shp; 17.7 kt trial; complement 56 officers / 480 enlisted; troop capacity 80 officers / 1,440 enlisted; cargo 2,900 DWT; boats 2 LCM, 1 LCPL (open), 1 LCPL (covered, captain's gig), 2 LCPR, 18 LCVP; armament 1x 5"/38 DP, 4x twin 40mm, 1x quad 40mm, 10x 20mm. Campaign: Okinawa Gunto operation 1-7 April 1945. Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 18-28 Sep 1945 and 6-12 Dec 1945. CO roster: CAPT Charles L. Carpenter (1944-11-09 to 1945-11-10); CDR Dwight H. Day (to 1946-02-04); LCDR Milton B. Morse (to 02-10); CAPT Charles A. 'Thornall' (to 1946-04-17). Disposal: sold for scrapping 1973-04-09 to Union Mineral and Alloys Corp., New York, for $111,560, removed 1973-09-29. One battle star.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked troop complement
- Limitations
- Unofficial but standard Navy-vessel compilation consistent with DANFS/ship's history; boiler maker attribution (Combustion Engineering) conflicts with class-level BuShips reading (B&W) - noted, not resolved; CO name 'Thornall' vs ship history 'Thorwall' and relief date 02-10 vs 02-11 noted. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-04
-
[6]NHHC Online Library of Selected Images, USS Freestone (APA-167) page / photo NH 98720 caption (Naval Historical Center, ibiblio/HyperWar mirror) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Online Library page 'USS Freestone (APA-167), 1944-1973' caption paragraph 1
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancy resolved: the NHHC Online Library caption for photo NH 98720 (USS Freestone in San Francisco Bay, late 1945/early 1946, donation of BM1 Robert G. Tippins USN Ret. 2003) states the ship 'was built to a modified Victory ship design at Vancouver, Washington.' This conflicts with the ship's own 1946 history document, DANFS, and the MARAD status card, all of which document Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oregon (MCV hull 133, builder hull #1117). The Vancouver attribution is an NHHC caption error (Kaiser Vancouver built other Haskell-class members); Portland is adopted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944
- Limitations
- Resolves a yard-city error in NHHC's own photo caption against three corroborating primary/official records; does not affect identity or custody timeline. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-05
-
[7]Consolidated era inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery data for the VC2-S-AP5 type + NavSource ship spec block + ship's history/MARAD repair chronology [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class/type technical data; this record's ev-01/ev-03 repair chronology
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: the VC2-S-AP5 attack transport is a single-screw geared-steam ship (Westinghouse turbine, two superheated header-type boilers at 465 psi/750 deg F, 8,500 shp) built 1944 at Oregon Shipbuilding - a Kaiser-system yard at the peak of wartime asbestos application. Typical applications for the type: boiler and fireroom insulation; steam-line and turbine lagging; valve/flange gaskets; machinery packing; accommodation and joiner insulation for troop berthing; winch/windlass brake linings. The hull's documented disturbance events (December 1944 Navy Yard availability at Terminal Island; August 1945 drydock at Everett Shipbuilding Yards; the March-May 1955 NDRF repair-program activation under A. L. Burbank & Co. GAA; and final scrapping) are the points where such materials would have been installed, handled, or removed.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1974
- Population
- Construction trades (Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland, 1944); ship's company/embarked troops (1944-46); Terminal Island Naval Drydocks workers (1944-12); Everett Shipbuilding yard workers (1945-08); NDRF repair-program workers under A. L. Burbank GAA (1955); disposal-phase scrapping workers (1973-74)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no ship-level asbestos record exists for this hull. Establishes no quantities, no locations, no condition, and no exposure for any individual aboard. Repair events are documented as events; their materials scope is not documented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-06
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[8]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
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- 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 era and emergency-construction program under which this VC2-S-AP5 attack transport was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type and auxiliary hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-07
-
[9]DOT Office of Inspector General, 'Report on the Program for Scrapping Obsolete Vessels, Maritime Administration,' MA-2000-067 (2000-03-10) [other_primary]
- Locator
- MA-2000-067, summary p. ii and 'Obsolete Vessels Pose Environmental Risks' section
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- DOT Office of Inspector General audit of MARAD's obsolete-vessel scrapping program documents that deteriorating National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels awaiting disposal 'contain hazardous substances such as asbestos and solid and liquid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),' and that inspection of 'worst condition' vessels found 'asbestos hanging from pipes below deck,' lead-based paint, and PCBs - the fleet environment (James River Reserve Fleet) in which this hull lay for 27 years (1946-1973).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- audit published 2000; fleet conditions described 1990s
- Population
- NDRF maintenance and disposal workers (fleet-level)
- Limitations
- Fleet-level audit documentation of asbestos in obsolete NDRF vessels generally; the report postdates this hull's 1973 withdrawal by 27 years and does not name her. Establishes that the reserve-fleet environment and disposal pathway handled asbestos-containing ships; establishes nothing about materials aboard this specific hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-08
-
[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records / logbook guidance: RG 24 Entry 118 deck logs; RG 19 BuShips; RG 178 USMC construction records; Fold3 WWII War Diaries/USS Freestone scan set on Wikimedia Commons [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA deck-log guidance page; RG 19/24/178 record-group guides; Commons category 'USS Freestone (APA-167)' (war diary Nov 1944 pp. 1-4 + 1946 history pp. 0-7)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), Entry 118 (NAID 581208) holds WWII deck logs - APA-167 logs 1944-46 would record daily operations, yard periods, and materiel casualties incl. the December 1944 Terminal Island availability; NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds construction and repair records that may include the Everett 1945 availability work package; NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) holds contract/construction records for MCV hull 133 at Oregon Shipbuilding; Maritime Administration successor records hold the 1955 NDRF repair-program files (A. L. Burbank & Co. GAA). The ship's own war diary and 1946 history are already digitized on Fold3 (public-domain scans on Wikimedia Commons, Nov 1944 war-diary pages also present).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MCV 133 / APA-167 is unknown until surveyed in person. WWII deck-log digitization is partial (NAID 581208). Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-09
-
[11]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, cl-auth-search.py), opinion and docket indexes - this record's search ledger [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-freestone-apa167-08 through sl-uss-freestone-apa167-10, sl-uss-freestone-apa167-15, sl-uss-freestone-apa167-16
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener searches returned no qualifying result: opinion searches '"USS Freestone"', '"USS Freestone" asbestos', and '"APA-167"' each returned zero hits; docket-index search '"USS Freestone"' (type=r) returned zero; bare-name '"Freestone" asbestos' returned 6 hits that are all name collisions - unrelated non-asbestos opinions where 'Freestone' is a surname or Texas county reference (e.g., Enbridge Pipelines East Texas v. Gilbert Wheeler; TCEQ v. Wilbarger Creek Conservation Alliance) - not the vessel. A prior class-wide sweep (2026-09-16) found no asbestos docket naming any Haskell-class member; attack-transport asbestos filings on record resolve to other APA classes (e.g., Bayfield class).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- RECAP-indexed text only; county-name hulls under-cover filings that omit hull numbers, and asbestos litigation often names shipbuilders/operators rather than hulls. 'Freestone' bare-name sweeps collide with surname dockets and were not relied on. Absence of a docketed case does not establish absence of exposure; no exposure finding made.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-10
-
[12]Batch-2240 search ledger (this record): NHHC live page attempts; NavSource 10/03/03167; HistoryCentral DANFS mirror; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1765 + 3 status-card scans; Wikimedia Commons/Fold3 1946 ship history (8 pp.) + Nov 1944 war diary (4 pp.); NHHC Online Library NH 98720; DOT OIG MA-2000-067; CourtListener name/hull searches; NARA path mapping [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-freestone-apa167-01 through sl-uss-freestone-apa167-16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, shipyard work package, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Freestone (APA-167 / MCV 133) was found in the public sources searched - the ship's own 1946 USN history, DANFS, MARAD ShipHistory + status cards, NavSource, BuShips SDB 1945 v3 (class machinery data), DOT OIG MA-2000-067, and CourtListener (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 geared-steam hull retained in NDRF custody 27 years is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the 1955 repair program plus final scrapping are undocumented disturbance points. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-freestone-apa167-11
