Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet crew-dd-packet.md (6 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-geronimo-ata207-pkt-crew-dd-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Geronimo II (ATA-207)' - NHHC page (live URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-26; text retrieved from Wayback Machine capture 2024-05-25, NHHC 'Published Mon Jul 13 2015') [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry text, paragraphs 1-5 (specs line through '...serves the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Department of the Interior')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS: the second Geronimo (ATA-207), an auxiliary ocean tug, was built by Gulfport Boiler and Welding Works of Port Arthur, Texas, and originally designated ATR-134; launched 4 January 1945 as ATA-207 and commissioned 1 March 1945, Lt. Joseph K. Hawkins in command; her name was assigned 16 July 1948. WWII service: shakedown off Galveston; towed a barracks ship from Tampa through the Panama Canal (transit 15 April 1945) to Leyte, arriving 25 June 1945; harbor and rescue tug at Lunga Point Naval Base, Guadalcanal, from 2 July; departed for Leyte with cargo lighters 21 July. Postwar: towing and rescue work across the islands - dock sections to Eniwetok (October 1945), harbor/towing tug at Noumea, cargo towing to Brisbane (arrived 29 April 1946); assisted SS John Miller off a reef at the Pearl Harbor entrance (13 June 1946); towed disabled USAT Peter M. Anderson to San Pedro. Moved via Charleston to New Orleans (September 1946); Gulf-region towing until decommissioned 19 September 1947 at Orange, Texas. Assigned to the Reserve Fleet; taken to Chelsea, Mass., 20 September 1962 for fit-out as an oceanographic and marine biological research ship; on loan from the Navy she served the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Department of the Interior. DANFS statistics: dp. 835; l. 143'; b. 33'10"; dr. 13'2"; s. 13 k.; cpl. 45; a. 1 3".
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1963
- Population
- USS complement ~45; towing/harbor operations crew
- Limitations
- Authoritative Navy history establishing construction, service, naming date, decommissioning, and the 1962 Chelsea fit-out for the DOI/BCF loan. Contains no asbestos or materials statement of any kind; entry's coverage ends at the BCF loan and does not mention the 1968 Taiwan transfer. Live NHHC URL 404s - archived Wayback capture cited (standing NHHC link-rot issue first logged in BATCH-01).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, 'USS Geronimo (ATA-207) ex USS ATA-207' (navsource.net/archives/09/38/38207.htm); Taiwan-transfer leg corroborated by shipbuildinghistory.com tug table ('AT 207 ... to Dept. of Interior 1962, to Taiwan 1968') and the NTU Institute of Oceanography chronology [other_primary]
- Locator
- ATA-207 page - timeline bullet list, specifications block, awards line, commanding-officers table; corroboration http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/auxat.htm (AT 207 row) and https://www.oc.ntu.edu.tw/en/chronology-of-iontu/
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online ship page supplies milestones beyond the DANFS text: planned and authorized as rescue ocean tug ATR-134; redesignated auxiliary fleet tug ATA-207 on 15 May 1944; laid down 10 November 1944 at Gulfport Boiler and Welding Works, Port Arthur, TX; decommissioned 19 September 1947 at Orange, TX and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group; named Geronimo (ATA-207) 1 January 1948 [conflicts with DANFS - see correction row]; struck from the Naval Register 1 March 1962; transferred on loan to the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Department of the Interior, in 1963; returned to Naval custody and transferred to Taiwan in 1968 under the Security Assistance Program, renamed ROCS Chiu Lien (AGS-563); final disposition 'fate unknown'. Specs: two GM 12-278A diesel-electric engines, single Fairbanks Morse reduction gear, two 60kW 120V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller 1,200 shp; complement 5 officers + 40 enlisted. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal. Commanding officers: LT Joseph K. Hawkins (Mar 1945-Jun 1947), ENS Francis G. Crawford (Jun 1947-19 Sep 1947).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1984
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-maintained archival site transcribing official records - not itself a government source; milestones resting solely on it (15 May 1944 redesignation, 10 Nov 1944 laydown, 1 Mar 1962 strike, 1968 Taiwan transfer) are carried as partial. No asbestos or materials content. Naming-date field conflicts with DANFS - resolved in correction row.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-02
-
[4]Jones, Albert C., 'The Miami Laboratory: a history of federal fisheries research in Miami, Florida,' NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-533 (November 2005), NOAA Institutional Repository noaa:8578 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NMFS-SEFSC-533, Tropical Atlantic Tunas Investigations Program / R/V Geronimo acquisition paragraph (PDF pp. ~2-3); landing-page abstract and citation metadata
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NOAA-published laboratory history documents the fisheries-research conversion: in 1963 BCF Director Donald L. McKernan established the Tropical Atlantic Tunas Investigations Program and 'a former Navy ATA sea-going tugboat, the R/V Geronimo, was acquired and outfitted as a fishery oceanographic research vessel'; sister vessel R/V Undaunted was added in 1964; the ships were docked at Dodge Island, Miami's commercial seaport, supporting the Washington Biological Laboratory / Tropical Atlantic Biological Laboratory (Virginia Key) operations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1963-1968
- Population
- BCF research-vessel crew and embarked scientists
- Limitations
- Official NOAA-published institutional history identifying R/V Geronimo as 'a former Navy ATA sea-going tugboat' - consistent with the ATA-207/NavSource chain, though the memo does not itself print the hull number. Contains no asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-03
-
[5]Tashiro, Joseph E., 'A report of data collected and publications resulting from the research cruises of the Geronimo and Undaunted in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, 1963-1969,' NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-60 (December 1980), NOAA Institutional Repository noaa:10390 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Landing-page abstract/introduction paragraph 1; Appendix 1 'Geronimo Stations' (pp. 18+)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFC-60 (Tashiro 1980) tabulates the vessel's research-cruise record: 'The research vessels Geronimo and Undaunted, based in Miami, Florida between 1963 and 1970, were used to conduct fishery and oceanographic investigations in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. During 27 research cruises the two vessels logged over 1,500 days and 200,000 miles'; the memo's station appendices cover Geronimo and Undaunted cruises 1963-1969.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1963-1969
- Population
- R/V Geronimo crew and embarked BCF scientists
- Limitations
- Documents operating tempo and geography of the BCF research period; the 1963-1969 tabulation window extends past the 1968 Navy-custody return reported by NavSource (program-level tabulation may include Undaunted-only or late-1968 cruises - boundary inconsistency logged in gaps). Contains no asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-04
-
[6]U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service historic news release 19650518A (May 18, 1965); NOAA Digital Collections, 'Sailing for Science - Fisheries Research, Supply, and Patrol Vessels,' Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Vessel GERONIMO photograph caption (credit: Archival Photograph by Mr. Steve Nicklas, NGS/RSD) [other_primary]
- Locator
- FWS media page incl. linked release PDF (19650518A.PDF); NOAA digital collection item https://www.noaa.gov/digital-collections/collections/3379/item?page=400
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Department of the Interior / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service historic press release dated 18 May 1965: 'Interior's Fishery Research Vessel, Geronimo, returns From Studies of African Waters.' NOAA digital-collections photograph caption (National Geodetic Survey/RSD, ca. 1966): 'Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Vessel GERONIMO. This vessel operated out of Galveston. In 1964 it was the first vessel to transmit oceanographic data via the communications satellite Syncom II to a shore installation.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1963-1966
- Population
- R/V Geronimo crew and embarked scientists
- Limitations
- Two official federal sources confirming the BCF research-vessel period (African-waters cruise; 1964 Syncom II satellite first). Note the NOAA caption says the vessel 'operated out of Galveston' while Tashiro documents a Miami base - likely reflects different program phases; both recorded. No asbestos or materials content; FWS PDF is image-only (text not machine-extracted).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-05
-
[7]National Taiwan University, Institute of Oceanography - 'Chronology of IONTU' (official university page, oc.ntu.edu.tw) [other_primary]
- Locator
- IONTU chronology entries: May 1969 (conversion/management), July 1984 (decommission), January 1985 (R/V OR1 succession)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- National Taiwan University Institute of Oceanography (IONTU) official chronology documents the Taiwanese research chapter: May 1969 - 'a former US Navy tugboat Geronimo is converted to become R/V Chu Lien, under the management of the Taiwanese Navy; National Science Council (NSC) assigns the vessel to oceanographic research'; the chronology later records 'R/V Chiu Lien is decommissioned' in July 1984, with replacement R/V OR1 berthing at Kaohsiung in January 1985 and assigned to IONTU.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1969-1984
- Population
- ROC Navy crew and NSC/NTU embarked researchers
- Limitations
- Official university institutional history corroborating the ROC research-vessel chapter (conversion 1969, NSC/IONTU assignment, July 1984 decommission); romanization varies ('Chu Lien' in the 1969 entry, 'Chiu Lien' later). Does not document the vessel's ultimate disposition after decommissioning. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-06
-
[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
- AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract and article - WWII shipbuilding asbestos use; NavSource spec block for the diesel-electric plant (see ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-02)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era context only: peer-reviewed scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the period and procurement system under which this hull was built (laid down November 1944, completed March 1945). As a diesel-electric auxiliary tug the vessel carried no boilers or steam propulsion plant; for a vessel of this type and era the period-consistent asbestos applications would have been machinery gaskets and packing, exhaust-system lagging, electrical insulation, bulkhead/joiner insulation, and towing-winch brake linings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- Construction trades (Gulfport Boiler & Welding, Port Arthur, 1944-45); ship's crew (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level documentation; neither source names this hull nor establishes that asbestos was or remains aboard. Product list is era inference for a diesel-electric tug, not a documented inventory. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-07
-
[9]DANFS 'Geronimo II (ATA-207)' (name assigned 16 July 1948; s. 13 k.; dp. 835) vs NavSource ATA-207 timeline/specs (1 January 1948; 12 kts; 835 lt/1,360 fl) and NavSource ATA-176 page (named 16 July 1948) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS para 2 and stats line; NavSource ATA-207 timeline + specifications block; https://navsource.org/archives/09/38/38176.htm (Tonkawa naming date)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved: (a) naming date - DANFS states 'Her name was assigned 16 July 1948,' while the NavSource timeline and Wikipedia infobox give 'Named/Renamed Geronimo (ATA-207), 1 January 1948'; the DANFS date is adopted as controlling, and 16 July 1948 matches the mass naming action applied to sister ATAs (e.g., NavSource records Tonkawa (ATA-176) named 16 July 1948). (b) Performance figures - DANFS lists 13 knots while the NavSource spec table lists 12 kts; DANFS value carried. (c) Displacement - DANFS 'dp. 835'; NavSource specs give 835 t light / 1,360 t full, while Wikipedia class figures give 534 t light / 835 t full; the record asserts only DANFS's 835 figure.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1948
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies in secondary framings against the controlling official source; does not affect identity or custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any cited source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-08
-
[10]Batch-2881 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (Wayback capture); NavSource ATA-207; NOAA IR noaa:8578 and noaa:10390; FWS release 19650518A; NOAA digital collections; NTU IONTU chronology; NVR ship-detail attempt; CourtListener name/hull searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-geronimo-ata207-01 through sl-uss-geronimo-ata207-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum/registry condition statement, or docketed case naming ATA-207, USS Geronimo, R/V Geronimo, or ROCS/R/V Chiu Lien was found in the public sources searched - DANFS contains no materials statement; NavSource page contains none; NOAA Technical Memoranda and the FWS release document the research period without materials content; the Naval Vessel Register does not cover pre-1987 disposals; CourtListener opinion searches returned no qualifying case (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a hull built in 1944-45 and retained in government/research service through 1984 is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the diesel-electric plant changes but does not eliminate candidate applications. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-09
-
[11]CourtListener API v4, type=o searches - queries 'ATA-207', '"USS Geronimo"', '"Chiu Lien"' (all count=0), and 'Geronimo asbestos' (count=2, both non-qualifying name collisions) at 2026-09-26; fleet-paced authenticated access via cl-auth-search.py [court_record]
- Locator
- Zero-hit result sets for hull/name queries; qualified sweep hits classified non-qualifying; search_ledger rows sl-uss-geronimo-ata207-07 through -10
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener API v4 sweep (authenticated, 2026-09-26): opinion search 'ATA-207' returned 0 results; opinion search '"USS Geronimo"' returned 0 results; opinion search '"Chiu Lien"' returned 0 results; asbestos-qualified name search ('Geronimo asbestos') returned 2 hits, both non-qualifying name collisions - Westfreight Systems Inc. v. Heuston (Tex. App. 4th Dist. 2015, 'Geronimo Rodriguez' is a person, not the vessel) and TCEQ v. Wilbarger Creek Conservation Alliance (Tex. App. 15th Dist. 2025, Geronimo Creek environmental matter). No qualifying asbestos-litigation opinion naming this hull or its research-vessel names was located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Opinion-index coverage only (type=o); docket-level (RECAP) and state-court filings are not fully represented in CourtListener, so a zero-hit sweep does not prove no filing ever existed. Absence of a case is not evidence about asbestos conditions aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-10
-
[12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (naval ship logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 22 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service incl. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 22.12-22.13), RG 370 (NOAA) [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 22 guide section 22.12 'General Records of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 1902-71' + 22.13; RG 24 deck-log guidance https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks ; RG 19/370 guide pages
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 (Logs of U.S. Naval Ships and Stations) holds WWII-era deck logs - ATA-207's 1945-1947 commissioned logs and 1962-63 custody logs would be at NARA II, College Park; RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds Sotoyomo-class design/construction records and builder correspondence for Gulfport Boiler & Welding hulls; RG 22 sections 22.12-22.13 (Bureau of Commercial Fisheries general and operating-unit records, 1902-71) cover the R/V Geronimo period; post-1970 successor records fall under RG 370 (NOAA); the 1968 Security Assistance Program transfer would be documented in Navy international programs / DoD security-assistance records.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1984 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether asbestos-specific documentation exists in ATA-207 construction files, deck logs, or BCF vessel files is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-geronimo-ata207-11