Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]DANFS, 'Guardian' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (verbatim text retrieved 2026-09-20; canonical content path returned HTTP 200 to a browser-UA fetch - the prettier /research/ alias 404s) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Guardian' entry body text + spec block; PT-809 note appended to same page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records: '(YAGR-1: dp. 10,160(f); l. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 24'; s. 11 k.; cl. Guardian). Guardian (YAGR-1) was launched as Liberty Ship James Squires 8 May 1945 by J. A. Jones Construction Co., Inc., Panama City, Fla.; sponsored by Mrs. Elisa Broome; and delivered 31 May to Waterman Steamship Co. The ship served until 5 October 1945, when she was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Va. Taken out of reserve in 1954, she was renamed Guardian, converted at Charleston Navy Yard, and commissioned YAGR-1 at Norfolk 1 February 1955, Lt. Comdr. Robert E. Euliss in command. The first ocean radar station ship put into service by the Navy, Guardian conducted shakedown in Roosevelt Roads, P.R., and surrounding waters, reporting to Newport, R.I., her home port, 2 June 1955. ... attached to the Eastern Continental Air Defense Command. She and her sister ships spend 3 or 4 weeks at a time off the East Coast on radar picket duty ... participated in ASW exercises with both American and Canadian naval units and in local operations out of Newport and Key West. Her designation was changed to AGR-1 28 September 1958.' The same DANFS page notes PT-809 was named 'Guardian' in November 1959 as a presidential-yacht escort - a different hull (name collision anchor).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1958
- Limitations
- Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for construction, conversion, and early service. Written while the ship was in service ('at present remains'); does not cover decommissioning (1965), striking, or disposal. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-01
-
[2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - GUARDIAN (AGR-1/YAGR-1), Ship History Detail 2032 (status card 2032_3779AF.jpg listed) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 2032 registry block, milestone table, Status Cards tab (2032_3779AF.jpg)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD registry record for this hull under its naval name: Year Built 1945; U.S. Official No. 247855; Shipyard 'J. A. Jones Construction Company'; General Type Naval Combatant; Specific Type 'AGR/YAGR Radar Picket Ship'; MARAD Type Z-EC2-S-C5; length 441.50 ft; beam 57.00 ft; gross 7,200 tons; displacement 14,245 t (summer) / 3,380 t (lightweight); fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestone rows - Entry/Acquisition 10/5/1945, Disposition 12/21/1970, Withdrawal 12/21/1970; a scanned vessel status card is attached to the record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1970
- Limitations
- Authoritative for government custody milestones and registry particulars; merchant-era tonnage figures differ from naval displacement figures (basis difference). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Status-card image itself not retrievable at public media path (404) - listing only verified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-02
-
[3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - JAMES G. SQUIRES, Ship History Detail 5619 (status cards 1445_10085AB.jpg, 1445_10085BB.jpg, 3D6_01.png, 3D6_02.png listed) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 5619 registry block, milestone table, Status Cards tab (4 card images)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD registry record for the same hull under its merchant name: Year Built 1945; U.S. Official No. 247855 - the same official number as the GUARDIAN record, confirming a single hull across both name histories; Shipyard 'J. A. Jones Construction Company'; General Type General Cargo / Specific Type Break Bulk; MARAD Type Z-EC2-S-C5; length 441.50 ft; beam 56.80 ft; gross 7,176 t; fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Milestones document two distinct reserve-fleet layup periods: Entry 10/5/1945; Withdrawal 2/7/1947; Entry 9/28/1947; Withdrawal 6/3/1954 (the Navy acquisition pull); Disposition 6/10/1954 - formal MARAD disposal to the Navy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1954
- Limitations
- Authoritative custody milestones. The Feb-Sep 1947 withdrawal/re-entry documents a brief activation out of the reserve fleet; its purpose (commercial charter vs. transfer administrative action) is not stated. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Status-card images not retrievable at public media path (404).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-03
-
[4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Guardian (AGR-1), file 09/62/6201 (contributor Mike Smolinski; reproduces DANFS) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 6201.htm - timeline block, spec block, commanding-officer table, final-disposition entry, Z-EC2-S-C5 type caption (image 09620106)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: laid down 20 Mar 1945 as SS James G. Squires, MC type Z-EC2-S-C5 hull (MCE hull 3137) at J.A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL; launched 8 May 1945; delivered 31 May 1945 to Waterman Steamship Co.; returned to Maritime Commission 5 Oct 1945 for lay up NDRF James River, Fort Eustis, VA; acquired by Navy 1954; converted to radar picket ship at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C.; commissioned USS Guardian (YAGR-1) 1 Feb 1955 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA, LCDR Robert E. Euliss in command; redesignated AGR-1 28 Sep 1958; decommissioned 28 Jul 1965; 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown'; returned to Maritime Commission for NDRF lay up. Final disposition: sold for scrapping under PD-X-888 dated 23 Nov 1970 to Revalarizacion de Materiales, S.A., MARAD contract MA-6163, withdrawn from the reserve fleet 21 Dec 1970, scrapped September 1971 at Bilbao, Spain. CO table: LCDR Euliss (1 Feb 1955-6 Jan 1956), LCDR Patterson (to 9 Mar 1956), LCDR Dyer (to 2 Aug 1958), LCDR Rogers (to 1 Aug 1960), LCDR Ellis (to 9 Jul 1963), LCDR Krantzman (to 28 Jul 1965). Type note on the Z-EC2-S-C5: designed for transport of tanks and boxed aircraft; same hull-form as EC2-S-C1 but with large hatches and heavier loading gear.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1971
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed and consistent with NHHC/MARAD but not an official publication. Its 'struck ... date unknown' conflicts with shipscribe's 1 Sep 1965 strike date - discrepancy flagged in gaps; 1 Sep 1965 carried with flag. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-04
-
[5]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Guardian (YAGR/AGR 1, Z-EC2-S-C5) Class' page (compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AGR-01 class page: Design block, Construction table row (AGR 1), Disposition table row (AGR 1), ship notes, class narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class compilation naming this hull across its design and construction/disposition tables: conversion design - 'SCB Project No. 126, conversion of MC Z-EC2-S-C5'; displacement 8,760 t light (including permanent ballast) / 10,760 t full; dimensions 442' oa, 416' pp x 57' e x 27' max nav; armament 2-3"/50S (bow and stern); accommodations 13 officers, 124 enlisted; 11 kts; machinery 2,500 hp, steam triple expansion reciprocating, 2 boilers (220 psi / 450 deg F), 1 screw. Construction table: GUARDIAN acquired 3 Jun 1954 (matches the MARAD merchant-record withdrawal date); keel 20 Mar 1945; launched 8 May 1945; commissioned 1 Feb 1955. Disposition table: decommissioned 28 Jul 1965; struck 1 Sep 1965; disposal 4 Feb 1966; fate MA/T; MARAD sale 23 Nov 1970. Ship note: 'FY 1955. (ex-YAGR, ex-YAG 41) (ex-JAMES G SQUIRES, compl. 31 May 1945). Converted at NSY Charleston, S.C., and commissioned at Norfolk, Va. Renamed 19 Jan 1955 as YAGR. To MA custody 28 Jul 1965. To buyer 21 Dec 1970, BU in Bilbao, Spain.' Class table lists 16 Guardian-class hulls, all converted from J.A. Jones Panama City Z-EC2-S-C5 hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1970
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard conversion workforce (1954-55); ship's company 1955-1965 (13 officers + ~124 enlisted design)
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records - not the registers themselves; figures used where consistent with NHHC/MARAD. 'Renamed 19 Jan 1955 as YAGR' and the YAG-41 conversion designation are carried from this compilation (independently echoed by the veterans' association timeline) - the underlying register entries are not directly imaged here. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-05
-
[6]YAGRs Association (radar picket ship veterans' association), USS Guardian AGR-1 ship history page [other_primary]
- Locator
- yagrs.org/guardian.htm - conversion/commissioning/homeport/reclassification/decommissioning timeline + narrative paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Veterans' association ship history adds operational detail: 'CONVERTED 3 June 1954 as YAG-41 at Charleston, SC' (corroborates the shipscribe YAG-41 designation); commissioning crew of 120 men and 11 officers sailed from Norfolk 4 Mar 1955 for training at Roosevelt Roads, P.R.; during the post-shakedown availability the ship was ballasted with 928 tons of concrete poured 21 inches thick on her main deck for radar stability ('the only ship in the Navy to take her own sidewalks to sea'); sailed 2 Jun 1955 for Newport, R.I., first home port; Davisville, R.I. became home port of YAGR Division 21 in 1957; in September 1958 YAGR Division 21 became Radar Picket Squadron TWO and the YAGRs became AGRs; about 1960 Guardian participated in tests of IBM transceiver equipment for ship-to-shore data transmission; RADRON 2 deactivation began February 1965 and the IBM transceiver/telesignal equipment was inactivated 5 April 1965; scrapped September 1971 at Bilbao, Spain.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1954-1971
- Population
- Commissioning crew 131 (11 officers + 120 enlisted, per this source); ship's company generally 1955-1965
- Limitations
- Unofficial veterans'-association compilation - firsthand institutional history but not an official record; individual figures (928 t concrete, 120+11 commissioning crew, 1957 Davisville move) are not independently corroborated by an official source, though shipscribe's '8,760 t light (including permanent ballast)' is consistent with a permanent ballast pour. Wikipedia's narrative places the Atlantic picket force's Davisville relocation in 1958 vs. this page's 1957 - flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-06
-
[7]Designation/alias consolidation - MARAD ShipHistory linked name-history pair (Details 2032 and 5619, single U.S. Official No. 247855) + DANFS redesignation sentence + NavSource 'ex USS Guardian (YAGR-1)(1955 - 1958)' + shipscribe '(ex-YAGR, ex-YAG 41)' [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD Details 2032/5619 name-history links; DANFS 'Guardian' entry (redesignation sentence + PT-809 note); NavSource 6201.htm title line; shipscribe AGR-01 ship notes
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Alias verification per batch instruction: YAGR-1 and AGR-1 are the same hull, consolidated into one record - the MARAD registry carries a single U.S. Official No. (247855) across both the JAMES G. SQUIRES and GUARDIAN name-history records; DANFS documents 'Her designation was changed to AGR-1 28 September 1958'; NavSource titles the file 'USS Guardian (AGR-1) ex USS Guardian (YAGR-1)(1955 - 1958)'; shipscribe carries '(ex-YAGR, ex-YAG 41)'. No second hull is involved. Distinct name collisions that are NOT this hull: PT-809 (a torpedo boat named 'Guardian' November 1959 as presidential-yacht escort - noted on the same DANFS page) and USS Guardian (MCM-5), the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship wrecked on Tubbataha Reef in 2013.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1971
- Limitations
- Consolidation confirmed by the shared official number and the redesignation record. The YAG-41 interim designation rests on shipscribe + veterans'-association sources (not directly imaged register entries). Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-07
-
[8]Consolidated era/design inference - U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) + shipscribe Guardian-class machinery row [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipsproject.org mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section; shipscribe AGR-01 design block (machinery row); NavSource 6201.htm type caption
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull retained its EC2 merchant plant through the SCB-126 conversion - steam triple-expansion reciprocating machinery, two oil-fired boilers at 220 psi / 450 deg F, 2,500 ihp, single screw - the configuration for which the USMC operating manual describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging, and whose boiler and fireroom insulation, steam-line lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation insulation were commonly asbestos-containing in WWII construction. Documented disturbance phases for this hull: original Liberty construction (1945, J.A. Jones emergency yard), the SCB-126 radar-picket conversion at Charleston Naval Shipyard (1954-55 - stripping merchant outfit, installing radar/CIC spaces, accommodations, and permanent ballast), ~10 years of picket-service maintenance cycles, NDRF layups, and the 1971 Bilbao breaking. The Z-EC2-S-C5 shared the EC2-S-C1 hull form and machinery specification (per NavSource type note: same hull-form, larger hatches and heavier loading gear for boxed-aircraft/tank transport).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1971
- Population
- J.A. Jones Panama City construction trades (1945); Waterman Steamship merchant crew (1945); Charleston Naval Shipyard conversion workforce (1954-55); ship's company 1955-1965; NDRF caretakers; Bilbao breaking-yard workers (1971)
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant and construction/conversion era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming MC hull 3137 / YAGR-1 / AGR-1 was located; the EC2-S-C1 manual names the sister type, not this variant or vessel, and does not itself state 'asbestos' content. Establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-08
-
[9]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 program under which this Z-EC2-S-C5 hull was built at J.A. Jones's Panama City emergency yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- 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, type, or builder and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-09
-
[10]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval and merchant-vessel construction of this hull's build era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- survey ~1944-45; published 1946
- Population
- WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation of asbestos use in wartime construction generally; the survey covers WWII new construction, not 1954-55 conversion work specifically, and does not name this vessel, class, or yard - establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-10
-
[11]Batch-745 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS; MARAD ShipHistory Details 2032 + 5619; NavSource 6201; shipscribe AGR class page; yagrs.org; CourtListener (API blocked + indexed-web checks); VA BVA index; NVR; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-guardian-agr1-01 through sl-uss-guardian-agr1-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Guardian / YAGR-1 / AGR-1 / SS James G. Squires / MC hull 3137 / Official No. 247855 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener API v4 was HTTP-429 throttled on first call (125/day shared quota exhausted before this batch's sweep) - name/hull coverage was instead run via indexed-web site:courtlistener.com queries, which surfaced only name collisions (legal 'guardian' roles, USS Fitzgerald collision pleadings, unrelated 'Squires' parties) and no hull hit. Law-firm marketing pages asserting era-typical asbestos content for this hull (asbestos-ships.com dedicated page; gorilaw.com auxiliary-ships list) were located and excluded per the no-law-firm-sources rule - their assertions carry no primary documentation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945 Liberty-type hull with a 1954-55 naval conversion is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the undocumented conversion scope, NDRF layups, and 1971 breaking are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage rests on indexed-web checking only - the API sweep is logged as blocked, not as a negative result.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-11
-
[12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships - SCB project files), RG 181 (Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments - Charleston Naval Shipyard), RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Maritime Administration); MARAD ShipHistory status-card scans for Details 2032/5619 [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; /groups/181.html ; /groups/024.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/2032 and /5619 (status-card listings)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): BuShips/SCB records for SCB Project No. 126 including the conversion specifications and Booklet of General Plans for the Guardian class (RG 19) - the likeliest primary source for the conversion's materials scope; Charleston Naval Shipyard conversion work-order and shop records 1954-55 (RG 181); Navy deck logs for USS Guardian 1955-1965 (RG 24, NARA College Park); USMC contract file for MC hull 3137 at J.A. Jones Panama City (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1945-47 and 1947-54 layups, the 1954 Navy transfer, the 1965-70 post-service layup, and the 1970 sale to Revalarizacion de Materiales S.A. under contract MA-6163 (RG 357) - the sale file is the most promising disposal-era hazmat lead; the MARAD status-card scans listed on Details 2032 and 5619 (5 card images total) may carry additional handwritten custody entries.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1971 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-guardian-agr1-12