Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 633-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-grant-county-lst1174-pkt-633-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Grant County (LST-1174), 1957-1973 - updated by Robert J. Cressman, published 8 August 2016 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block (live NHHC page verified via Firecrawl scrape; direct fetch returned 404)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS ship history for this hull: laid down 15 March 1956 at Avondale, La., by Avondale Marine Ways, Inc.; launched 12 October 1956; sponsored by Mrs. John Martin Higgins; commissioned 17 December 1957, Lt. Cmdr. R. B. Nichols in command. Named for Grant counties in fifteen states; the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. Service: Atlantic/Caribbean amphibious exercises through 1958; training and experimental amphibious operations 1958-1962 including two Sixth Fleet Mediterranean deployments (1958, 1961); dispatched to Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis after October 1962 operations with Marines at Camp Pendleton; Dominican Republic embarkation of Marines and Seabees departing Little Creek 1 June 1965; Mediterranean deployment 3 October 1965 - 31 March 1966; two Dominican Republic runs August 1966; three-month overhaul from 1 December 1966; Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet thereafter. Decommissioned 15 January 1973 and transferred to the Brazilian Navy the same date as Duque de Caxias (G-26); stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 30 December 1977; transferred to Brazil by cash sale 1 February 1980. Spec block: displacement 3,560 (light); length 445'; beam 62'; draft 16'8"; speed 17 knots; complement 172; armament 4 3-inch; class listed as 'Suffolk County'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1956-1980
- Population
- Avondale construction trades (1956-57); U.S. Navy crew and embarked troops (1957-1973)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS entry text ends at 1967 for operations detail (updated 2016 for disposition). Spec-block figures conflict with NavSource on draft, complement, and armament - see gaps. 'Class Suffolk County' in the spec block conflicts with the modern De Soto County class naming - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Grant County (LST-1174) / Duque de Caxias (G26) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Live page (navsource.net), timeline, specifications, awards, commanding-officer and photo-caption sections; page last updated 15 September 2023
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull (LST-1171 DeSoto County Class): laid down 15 March 1956 at Avondale Marine Ways, Avondale, LA; launched 12 October 1956; commissioned USS Grant County (LST-1174) 17 December 1957, LCDR R. B. Nichols in command; decommissioned 15 January 1973; transferred (loaned) to Brazil, renamed Duque de Caxias (G26), 15 January 1973; struck from the Naval Register 30 December 1977; sold to Brazil under the Security Assistance Program 1 February 1980; decommissioned by the Brazilian Navy 8 February 2000; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Awards listed: Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic). Specifications: 3,560 t light / 7,823 t full; 446' x 62' x 18'; 17 kts; complement 124; troop capacity 706; four LCVPs; three twin 3"/50 gun mounts; six diesel engines, two shafts. Photo record places her at Valletta, Malta, 13 November 1965, and (as Duque de Caxias) at Santos, Brazil, September-October 1990.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1956-2000
- Population
- Avondale construction trades (1956-57); U.S. Navy crew (1957-1973); Brazilian Navy crew (1973-2000)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer photographic-history compilation, not a primary registry or materials record - its milestones here corroborate DANFS. No asbestos content. Specification figures conflict with DANFS on complement (124 vs 172), draft (18' vs 16'8"), armament (three twin 3"/50 mounts vs '4 3-inch'), and length (446' vs 445'); class name given as 'LST-1171 DeSoto County Class' vs DANFS 'Suffolk County' - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-02
-
[4]USS Grant County (LST-1174) 'Welcome Aboard' pamphlet, official shipboard publication (c. 1969-70), scanned PDF hosted by NavSource [other_primary]
- Locator
- Scanned 11-page pamphlet; OCR text extraction this session - 'Grant County Statistics' section and CO welcome letter
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's own official welcome-aboard pamphlet (scanned, hosted at NavSource) documents for this hull: built at Avondale, Louisiana; keel laid 15 March 1956; launched 12 October 1956; commissioned 17 December 1957 at the U.S. Naval Station, New Orleans, reporting to Commander Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet the following January. Ship-described characteristics: '442 feet long, displaces 7800 tons fully loaded, and can exceed 17 knots with her six Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines'; capacity 630 troops plus a ship's complement of 170 sailors; 500-ton dry-beaching / 1,500-ton pontoon-causeway landing capacity; three 3"/50 dual-purpose twin gun mounts; full helicopter launch/recovery capability; an air-conditioning plant for embarked troops; and a complete water washdown rig for atomic decontamination. The pamphlet dates to approximately 1969-70 ('her 12 years with the fleet'; VADM C. Edwin Bell as Commander Amphibious Force Atlantic; USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) as flagship).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1957-1973 (publication c. 1969-70)
- Population
- U.S. Navy crew and embarked troops (c. 1969-70)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific primary document (official U.S. Navy shipboard publication) confirming propulsion type (six Fairbanks-Morse diesels) and outfit details. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials content. OCR of the scanned original; class given as '1173 class' in pamphlet text - see gaps on class naming. Complement figure (170 sailors + 630 troops) conflicts with both DANFS (172) and NavSource (124) - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-03
-
[5]National Archives catalog, RG 24 Navy deck logs, 'Grant County (LST-1174)' monthly file units [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search for "LST-1174" - digitized monthly deck-log file units, RG 24
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's catalog lists digitized monthly deck logs for Grant County (LST-1174), Record Group 24, with file units spanning January 1958 through at least September 1970 (e.g., January 1958 NAID 296912555; August 1960 NAID 214840849; April 1967 NAID 215323407; March 1969 NAID 219176989; September 1970 NAID 219178161). These are scanned page images of the hull's own deck logs - a primary-source path for any future material, availability, or yard-period finding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1958-1970 (digitized coverage observed)
- Population
- U.S. Navy crew (1958-1970)
- Limitations
- Record-location lead only: the catalog establishes that digitized deck logs exist and are online; they were not reviewed page by page in this batch and their content is unknown. A deck log documents daily position, personnel, and ship's events - it is not an asbestos or materials record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-04
-
[6]IN RE: Asbestos Products Liability Litigation (No. VI), MDL No. 875 (J.P.M.L.), docket entry 7281-8 (filed 2011-05-27), Vedros v. Northrop Grumman et al, E.D. La. No. 2:11-cv-01198 - 'Record of Vessels Constructed at Avondale's Shipyards Division' (1996-12-13) [court_record]
- Locator
- RECAP document gov.uscourts.jpml.375294.7281.8.pdf, p. listed entry 'LST 1174 / USS GRANT COUNTY' (scanned construction table)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener hull-number docket search returned one document-level hit naming this ship: in MDL-875 (IN RE: Asbestos Products Liability Litigation (No. VI), JPML), plaintiff Sally Gros Vedros filed Avondale Shipyards Division's internal 'Record of Vessels Constructed at Avondale's Shipyards Division' (document dated 13 December 1996, Bates-marked HS.250 / C6-185) as 'Exhibit 3 - Volume 1' to her motion to vacate a conditional transfer order, filed 27 May 2011 (MDL docket 7281, attachment 8; associated member case Vedros v. Northrop Grumman et al, E.D. La. 2:11-cv-01198). The scanned 47-page construction table lists 'LST 1174 / USS GRANT COUNTY / Diesel' among Avondale-built vessels (hull/job 796). The RECAP PDF was downloaded and the listing text-verified this session.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- document dated 1996-12-13; filed 2011-05-27
- Population
- Avondale construction trades (1956-57), per the record's scope
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage exhibit attached to a plaintiff's procedural motion - classified down per litigation-stage discipline: it documents that Avondale's own records list this hull as Avondale-built (consistent with DANFS), filed in asbestos litigation naming the yard's successor. It is NOT a finding, allegation, or even claim about asbestos aboard this vessel; the exhibit lists hulls constructed, not materials installed. Vedros's underlying exposure allegations concern the Avondale yard, not this hull. Scanned-table OCR shows keel/order-date columns that conflict with DANFS for this entry - DANFS dates control.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: ship's welcome-aboard pamphlet (six Fairbanks-Morse diesels, air-conditioning plant, washdown system); NavSource specifications (six diesel engines, two shafts); LST-1-class profile era framing for diesel LSTs; GAO HRD-80-2 program context [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship's pamphlet propulsion/equipment sections; NavSource specifications block; class-era framing
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-powered amphibious ship built 1956: asbestos-relevant applications aboard a ship of this type and period were diesel machinery and exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve and flange packing, hull and accommodation thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, winch brake linings, and insulation of the air-conditioning and ventilation plant documented in the ship's pamphlet. As a diesel ship she carried no boilers - the boiler/turbine steam-lagging pathway does not apply. Federal asbestos supply and specification context for 1950s naval construction is program-level documented (see ev-08).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1956-2000
- Population
- Avondale construction trades (1956-57); U.S. Navy crew and embarked troops (1957-1973); Brazilian Navy crew and yard trades (1973-2000)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, work package, or test data located for LST-1174. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-06
-
[8]Latiolais v. Huntington Ingalls, Inc., No. 18-30652 (5th Cir. Mar. 11, 2019) - opinion via Justia; companion yard-record entries Barrosse (5th Cir. 2023) and Hotard (E.D. La. 2020) per shipyards.json yard record [court_record]
- Locator
- Justia opinion page, 5th Cir. docket 18-30652 (live-verified 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Builder-yard asbestos litigation is documented at this hull's builder: in Latiolais v. Huntington Ingalls, Inc., the plaintiff alleged asbestos exposure at the Avondale shipyard and developed mesothelioma; the Fifth Circuit affirmed remand to state court, holding the failure-to-warn claims did not satisfy the federal-officer removal causal-nexus test (a jurisdictional ruling, not a merits adjudication of exposure). The shipyard record also carries Barrosse v. Huntington Ingalls (5th Cir. 2023; Avondale electrician, 1969-70, mesothelioma; federal-officer removal / government-contractor defense) and Hotard v. Avondale Industries (E.D. La. 20-1877; asbestos-product allegations).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2019 opinion; underlying exposure era mid-20th century
- Population
- Avondale shipyard workers (era-spanning)
- Limitations
- Yard-level litigation context only: Latiolais is a federal-officer-removal opinion - it establishes that asbestos exposure at the Avondale yard was alleged and litigated to appellate level, not that this hull carried asbestos or that the plaintiff's exposure occurred aboard this ship. Exposure claims remain allegation-stage; no merits finding on asbestos aboard any specific vessel. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, individual exposure, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-07
-
[9]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 historically blocked to automated fetch, HTTP 403 - product-page description used)
- 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 (1956) and U.S. service era (1957-1973). Standing 1975 policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 report; policy era to early 1970s
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Does not establish that asbestos was aboard LST-1174, its quantity, condition, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-08
-
[10]Batch-6662 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live; NavSource live incl. welcome-aboard pamphlet; NARA catalog; CourtListener authenticated API v4; RECAP document download; Brazilian naval-history compilation; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-grant-county-lst1174-01 through -13 (incl. -10b)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazardous-material disclosure, material specification, or adjudicated exposure case naming USS Grant County (LST-1174) or Duque de Caxias (G-26) was found in the public sources searched. Authenticated CourtListener sweeps: 'LST-1174' opinions 0; 'USS Grant County' opinions 0; 'Grant County' AND asbestos opinions 18 (all name collisions - Grant County, Washington venue cases, not the ship); 'LST-1174' and 'LST 1174' dockets each 1 hit - the same MDL-875 docket via the Avondale vessel-construction exhibit (ev-05, a construction list, not an exposure record); 'Grant County' AND LST dockets 55 hits, all county-name collisions. Sweep set complete.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1956-built naval vessel of this type carries a strong era prior, and the hull's entire litigation footprint is a construction-record exhibit only. The CourtListener sweep set completed this session. Deck logs, Avondale work packages, and Brazilian disposal/scrapping records are open leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-09
-
[11]Navios de Guerra Brasileiros (naval.com.br), NDCC Duque de Caxias - G 26 (ex-USS Grant County LST-1174) - Brazilian service chronology and characteristics [other_primary]
- Locator
- Live page via Firecrawl scrape; 'Datas' block, characteristics block, and year-by-year service chronology 1973-2000
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Brazilian naval-history compilation (Navios de Guerra Brasileiros) documents the post-transfer career of this hull as NDCC Duque de Caxias (G-26): loan-transfer ceremony at 14:00 on 15 January 1973 at Pier 57, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk; Caribbean/Atlantic amphibious operations with US, Canadian, Dutch and British units (READEX-I/77, CARIBEX-I/77, DRAGAO series); stricken from active Brazilian service 8 February 2000 after 210,763 nautical miles, 1,280.5 days at sea, and 187 beachings (abicagens). Technical block: '6 motores diesel Fairbanks-Morse 38D, gerando 13.900 hp, acoplados a 2 eixos com hélices de passo controlável' (six Fairbanks-Morse 38D diesels, 13,900 hp, two shafts, controllable-pitch propellers); Brazilian-era crew 201 (14 officers, 187 enlisted).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1973-2000
- Population
- Brazilian Navy crew and dockyard workforce (1973-2000)
- Limitations
- Reputable Brazilian naval-history compilation citing NOMAR (official Brazilian Navy news), Revista Maritima Brasileira, and Friedman - secondary, not a primary registry, but consistent with DANFS/NavSource on all overlapping dates. Documents Brazilian service only; no asbestos or materials content. 'Adquirido em definitivo' 17 December 1978 conflicts with the US-side sale date 1 February 1980 - US dates carried in record fields, conflict in gaps. Final disposition not stated.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-grant-county-lst1174-10