USS Garrett County (LST-786)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]research packet 725-packet.md (4 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-garrett-county-lst786-pkt-725-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Garrett County (LST-786), 1944-1976 - construction, USCG-manned WWII service, Iwo Jima/Okinawa operations, occupation duty, decommissioning, 1955 naming, 1966 recommissioning, one WWII battle star [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Garrett County (LST-786)' entry, narrative + spec block; published 2016-08-13

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: laid down 21 May 1944 at Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pa., by Dravo Corp.; launched 22 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. E. B. Keckler; commissioned 28 August 1944, Lt. Eli T. Ringler, USCG, in command. Spec block: displacement 1,780; length 328'; beam 50'; draft 14'1"; speed 11.6 knots; complement 115; armament 8 x 40mm, 12 x 20mm; class LST-542. After shakedown off Florida, departed Mobile 30 September 1944; embarked 112th NCB at Pearl Harbor; Eniwetok 28 December 1944; late March 1945 transported Seabees to Iwo Jima, embarked 114 POWs to Guam arriving 20 April; arrived off Green Beach, Okinawa, 8 May 1945, unloading under air-raid threat, sailed 20 May for the Philippines; shuttled troops/equipment Philippines-Okinawa; 4 August 1945 convoy attacked by enemy submarine sunk by Earle V. Johnson (DE-703). Post-V-J Day occupation transport Japan, Korea, Okinawa; departed Sasebo 8 December 1945, San Francisco 14 January 1946; decommissioned Astoria 9 July 1946, Pacific Reserve Fleet. Named Garrett County 1 July 1955; recommissioned 15 October 1966 for Pacific Fleet service; sailed for the Far East early 1967. 'LST-786 received one battle star for World War II service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1967 (entry coverage); entry header span 1944-1976

   Population

   Dravo construction trades (1944); USCG crew (1944-46); USN crew (1966-71); embarked PBR crews, HAL-3 detachments, SEAL elements (1967-71)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. The WWII narrative stops at recommissioning (1966) - Vietnam detail comes from other rows. Direct curl fetch returns 404 (NHHC bot-blocking); page verified live via firecrawl render this session.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-01

3. [3]DANFS, LST-786 - companion entry: China service, Columbia River Group reserve, 1955 naming, Vietnam service, transfer to Republic of Vietnam Navy 23 April 1971, award summary [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'LST-786' entry, short narrative + award line

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS LST-786 entry confirms: Asiatic-Pacific theater assignment; assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto May-June 1945; occupation duty and China service until mid-December 1945; decommissioned 9 July 1946, Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet; redesignated Garrett County (LST-786) 1 July 1955 'after a county in Maryland'; recommissioned 15 October 1966, 'saw extensive service in the Vietnam War'; 'transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy on 23 April 1971.' Award line: 'LST-786 earned one battle star for World War II service and the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Unit Commendation, and seven battle stars for the Vietnam War.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1971

   Population

   USCG crew (1944-46); USN crew and embarked units (1966-71); RVN Navy crew (1971-75)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos content. Award counts diverge from NavSource, Wikipedia, and MRFA versions (see gaps) - DANFS carried as highest-authority source. Direct curl 404; verified live via firecrawl render.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Garrett County (AGP-786) ex-LST-786 - timeline, flotilla assignment, campaign table, USCG/USN commanding-officer roster, disposition chain [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/16/160786.htm header block, awards block, timeline, campaign table, specifications block, CO roster, photo captions (page last updated 30 January 2026)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 21 May 1944 Dravo Corp., Neville Island; launched 22 July 1944; commissioned 28 August 1944, LT Eli T. Ringler USCG - 'USS LST-786 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II, and USS Garrett County (AGP-786) by the US Navy during the Vietnam War' (all four WWII COs USCG: Ringler, Myers, Garvey, Driscoll). Assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LST Flotilla 29, Group 85, Division 170; Okinawa Gunto campaign 8-29 June 1945; occupation/China service 2 September - 17 December 1945. Decommissioned 9 July 1946 Astoria; Pacific Reserve Fleet Columbia River Group; named 1 July 1955; recommissioned 15 October 1966 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, LT James C. Kunz USN; 'redesignated a Patrol Craft Tender (AGP-786), date unknown'; served 'continuously in country and in contiguous waters, with the exception of overhaul periods, from late 1967 to early 1971' across eight Vietnam campaign phases; decommissioned and transferred to South Vietnam 23 April 1971 as RVNS Can Tho (HQ-801); 'escaped to the Philippines with the fall of South Vietnamese government'; custody transferred to Philippines as BPR Kalinga Apayao (LT-516). Photo captions further document: activated by SUPSHIP San Francisco and moved to Mare Island for commissioning, post-overhaul sea trials departing San Francisco Bay 20 September 1966, and the Mare Island commissioning ceremony 15 October 1966 (MINSY photo 74899-10-66); Game Warden support base with PBRs alongside and HAL-3 Seawolves UH-1B detachments aboard, Co Chien River June 1968 and Mekong Delta anchorage 1968-69; Vam Co Cong River lookout 1 June 1969 (USN 1140480); RVNS Can Tho moored at Saigon; BRP Kalinga Apayao at A.G. & P. Shipyard, Bauan, Batangas, 1988. The page's 'Current Disposition, in service in Philippine Navy' line is stale - secondary sources report BRP Kalinga Apayao decommissioned September 2010 and scrapped at Naval Base Cavite in 2012 (unverified against primary records). Specifications block: 2 x GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, 3 x diesel-drive 100 kW DC ship's service generators, 2 shafts 1,700 shp, twin rudders, 11.6 kts trial, 4,300 bbls diesel; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; armament 2 twin 40mm + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-2012

   Population

   Dravo construction trades (1944); USCG crew (1944-46); USN crew (1966-71); embarked PBR/HAL-3/SEAL elements; overhaul-yard workers; RVN and Philippine Navy crews (1971-2010); 2012 scrapping workers

   Limitations

   Volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - dates generally track DANFS but the page carries documented defects: (a) text line 'earned two battle stars for World War II service' contradicts DANFS (one) and its own Asiatic-Pacific ribbon display; (b) two photo captions mislabel hull 'USS Harnett County (AGP-786)' - NHHC catalog confirms K-82544 is Garrett County; (c) 'Current Disposition, in service in Philippine Navy' is stale - the ship was decommissioned 2010 and reportedly scrapped 2012; (d) AGP redesignation left 'date unknown' (see ev-05). Contains no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-03

5. [5]NHHC photo catalog K-51442 (Co Chien River, Mekong Delta, June 1968, Game Warden support) + K-82544 (Subic Bay) - official captions naming this hull [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC photo catalog pages K-51442 (Co Chien River June 1968) and K-82544 (Subic Bay); NavSource captions for K-51441, USN 1140480 (Vam Co Cong River, 1 June 1969), USN 1118354 (post-overhaul trials, 20 September 1966)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official NHHC catalog captions for this hull: K-51442 'USS GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786) - In the Co Chien River, Mekong Delta, South Vietnam, in June 1968 while providing support for five PBR Boats and two UH-1B Helicopters of Operation "Game Warden"' (NARA-sourced image); K-82544 'USS GARRETT COUNTY (LST-786) - In Subic Bay, Philippine Islands' (dated 21 March 1970 by secondary photo attribution). Documents the ship's actual Vietnam role: anchored riverine support base for River Division PBRs and HAL-3 UH-1B helicopter detachments - and a Subic Bay port presence consistent with NavSource's 'overhaul periods' note. NHHC titles both images '(LST-786)' - consistent with formal AGP reclassification postdating June 1968.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1966-1971

   Population

   USN crew + embarked PBR crews, HAL-3 Seawolves detachments, SEAL platoon elements (1967-71)

   Limitations

   Physical-presence and role documentation only; no asbestos content, no work records. The March 1970 date for K-82544 rests on Shipscribe's photo attribution (NHHC caption carries no date). K-51441 and K-47915 are companion NHHC images not individually scraped this session. Curl fetches of NHHC pages return 404 (bot-blocking); content verified via firecrawl render.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-04

6. [6]Shipscribe, Garrett County (AGP-786) Class: Photographs - official-photo analysis distinguishing reconfiguration (1966) from formal AGP reclassification (~September 1970) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Shipscribe usnaux2/AGP/AGP786-p.html, Garrett County and Hunterdon County caption analysis

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   CORRECTION: secondary sources (Wikipedia infobox) date the AGP-786 reclassification to October 1966. Shipscribe's analysis of official photography shows the ships were 'reconfigured but not yet reclassified as an AGP' in June 1968 and that K-82544 in March 1970 shows Garrett County 'six months away from being reclassified' - placing the formal LST->AGP redesignation in September 1970 (the companion Hunterdon County caption notes 'no letters were added to the bow and stern numbers of these ships after the reclassification to AGP in September 1970'). NavSource lists the date as unknown and headers LST-786 '1955-1970'. The 1966 date conflates reconfiguration-at-reactivation with reclassification; October 1966 was the commissioning month, not the redesignation.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1966-1970 (designation window)

   Limitations

   Corrects a circulating designation-date error, not a material claim. Shipscribe is a secondary specialist site, but its analysis is anchored to official photo captions (K-51441, NH 84873, K-82544, KN-13746) whose NHHC attributions are independently verified. Exact September-1970 date not pinned; NavSource 'date unknown' stands as the honest state. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-05

7. [7]Mobile Riverine Force Association, 'Garrett County (LST-786)' - DANFS text plus first-person reactivation account by CWO-3 Chuck Berlemann, USN (Ret.) [other_primary]

   Locator

   MRFA page, 'Comments by Chuck Berlemann, CWO-3, USN, (Ret)' section; DANFS-verbatim history block above it

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   First-person account of this hull's 1965-66 reactivation: Chuck Berlemann (later CWO-3, USN Ret.) states he worked 'as a welder and later a Shipfitter on the Garrett County' at Todd Shipyard, Alameda, CA, in late 1965, 'as we pulled her out of preservation and got her ready for re-commissioning' - 'like opening a time capsule from 1946,' crews 'refurbished the whole ship,' he 'stripp[ed] the entire galley to the bare bulkheads' (galvanized fittings replaced with stainless steel; diesel-fired ranges), and 'the flight deck we added' was later used by helicopters. Documents (a) Todd Shipyards Alameda participation in the reactivation alongside the documented Mare Island commissioning, (b) wholesale interior strip-out - the disturbance pathway by which original-era material would have been removed, and (c) the added flight deck behind her later HAL-3 role.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   late 1965 - October 1966

   Population

   Todd Shipyards Alameda welders/shipfitters and Mare Island yard workers (1965-66 reactivation)

   Limitations

   Unsworn first-person reminiscence on a veterans-association site - single-source, no corroborating work package or contract record; establishes that interior strip-out and refit occurred, not what materials were removed or installed, and contains no asbestos statement. Todd Alameda and Mare Island roles split (activation SUPSHIP SF -> move to Mare Island for commissioning) is consistent but unpinned. MRFA's own award line (6 NUC, 10 campaign stars) conflicts with DANFS - see gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-06

8. [8]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 'U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents' (shiplist.docx, VBA ship list) - ARCHIVED COPY (live list retired) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shiplist.docx, 'SHIPS LIST - I. Ships operating primarily or exclusively on Vietnam's inland waterways' section

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   Official VA adjudicative list, Category I 'Ships operating primarily or exclusively on Vietnam's inland waterways': 'All vessels referred to in military records as part of the "Mobile Riverine Force"; All vessels with the designation AGP [Assault Group Patrol/Patrol Craft Tender]; All vessels with the designation LST [Landing Ship, Tank] ... All Veterans who served aboard these vessels are eligible for the presumption of Agent Orange exposure because their primary service was on the inland waterways of Vietnam.' This hull held BOTH designations (LST-786, then AGP-786) during her 1967-71 Mekong Delta service - she is covered wholesale, consistent with NHHC-documented anchorage in the Co Chien River.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   list current to ~2019 capture; ship's qualifying service 1967-1971

   Population

   USN crew and embarked units aboard 1967-71 (brown-water presumption)

   Limitations

   Herbicide (Agent Orange) exposure presumption, NOT asbestos - included as a regulatory exposure record and as official confirmation of the brown-water operating environment. Coverage is designation-blanket (all AGP/all LST), not a ship-name adjudication. Citation is an ARCHIVED copy: the live publichealth.va.gov/benefits.va.gov list pages now 404 (VA consolidated AO pages post-PACT Act); the 2019-01-20 Wayback capture verified this session.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-07

9. [9]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, April 15, 1945), LST design table (Shipscribe scan) + class profile lst-1-class consolidated era inference + shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product lists for Mare Island Naval Shipyard and Todd Shipyards Alameda [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v2 LST design table (Shipscribe pubs scan, 433 pp); class-f lst-1-class.class.json ev-lst-1-class-03

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for this diesel-powered LST-542-group hull: no boilers - the steam-lagging pathway does not apply; asbestos-relevant applications aboard a ship of this type and period were GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. Her 1965-66 reactivation (documented strip-out and refit) and AGP conversion - interior rework plus added flight deck - are the kind of events that disturb or replace original-era material. Both reactivation yards carry documented asbestos product records in the Atlas yard dataset: Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Unibestos, Marinite boards, Transite, Kaylo, Careytemp, Gold Bond, Super 66, packings, gaskets, refractories) and Todd Shipyards Alameda (Pabco/Fibreboard products; Owens-Corning as exclusive insulation contractor). WWII-era naval construction used asbestos extensively (GAO documents Navy asbestos insulation use through the early 1970s).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-2012

   Population

   Dravo construction trades (1944); USCG/USN crews (1944-46, 1966-71); Todd Alameda + Mare Island reactivation trades (1965-66); Vietnam-era overhaul/availability yard workers; RVN/Philippine maintenance crews (1971-2010); 2012 scrapping workers

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for LST-786/AGP-786. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity, no manufacturer attribution for this hull. BuShips SDB v2 establishes machinery/design data, not material content. NOTE: class profile cited the prior scan URL (shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf) - moved; live URL now /pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf (verified this session).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-08

10. [10]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 U.S. construction and service era (1944-46, 1966-71).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    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 blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-09

11. [11]Batch-7323 search ledger (this record): DANFS (2 entries); NHHC photo catalog; NavSource; Shipscribe; MRFA; VA shiplist.docx (archived); BuShips SDB v2; GAO product page; NVR; NARA; CourtListener (blocked); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-garrett-county-lst786-01 through -12

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS Garrett County / LST-786 / AGP-786 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - authenticated helper reported the fleet-shared daily quota exhausted with a server-directed ~10.8-hour wait; logged as blocked, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (freeasbestostesting.com lists 'USS Garrett County (AGP-786)' on an auxiliary-ships page; similar listicles) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    2026-10-03

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run). Deck logs, reactivation/overhaul work packages (Todd Alameda, Mare Island, WestPac yards), RVN/Philippine maintenance records, and the 2012 scrapping file are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-garrett-county-lst786-10