Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
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[1]research packet 731-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-hickman-county-lst825-pkt-731-packet-md
-
[2]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, LST-825 entry (archived official Navy page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Archived DANFS entry, opening, service, disposition, and awards paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The archived official NHHC DANFS entry states that LST-825 was laid down on 2 October 1944 at Evansville, Indiana, by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., launched on 11 November 1944, and commissioned on 8 December 1944. It records Asiatic-Pacific service, participation in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945, Far East occupation duty through early November 1945, decommissioning on 22 May 1946, recommissioning on 3 November 1950, redesignation as Hickman County (LST-825) on 1 July 1955, a second decommissioning on 20 May 1956, recommissioning on 22 March 1963, transfer to Service Force, Pacific Fleet for Vietnam service in 1966, and sale to the Philippine government in November 1969. DANFS credits one World War II battle star, two Korean War battle stars, and 10 Vietnam War battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1969
- Population
- U.S. Navy personnel
- Limitations
- The live official DANFS URL returned 404 during this review, so the archived official page is cited. DANFS does not identify asbestos, material composition, a material schedule, an asbestos survey, an individual exposure, or causation. Its phrase 'battle stars' for Vietnam is retained as stated; NavSource calls them campaign stars.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hickman-county-lst825-01
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[3]NavSource Online, Amphibious Photo Archive, Tank Landing Ship LST-825 Hickman County page [museum_official]
- Locator
- Live page history, specifications, awards, and final-disposition sections
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's live hull page identifies the hull as USS LST-825 and later USS Hickman County (LST-825), transferred to the Philippines as RPS Cagayan (LT-97). It records 8 December 1944 commissioning, 3 November 1950 and 22 March 1963 recommissioning, 20 September 1955 second decommissioning, 25 November 1969 final U.S. Navy decommissioning, 26 November 1969 transfer, and 15 September 1979 striking. It gives LST-542-class specifications of a 117-person ship's company, accommodations for 163 troops, and two General Motors 12-567A diesel engines producing 1,700 shp. It reports Philippine decommissioning and scrapping circa 1982.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1982
- Population
- Construction and maintenance workers; engineering crew; embarked troops
- Limitations
- NavSource is an archival photo/history resource. Its 20 September 1955 second-decommissioning date conflicts with DANFS's 20 May 1956 date; the conflict is retained rather than resolved by inference. Its reported Philippine final disposition was not corroborated by a government disposal record in this review. Specifications do not establish asbestos in any engine, gasket, packing, covering, cable, or insulation aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hickman-county-lst825-02
-
[4]National Archives and Records Administration, Special List No. 44, by Ship Numbers [other_primary]
- Locator
- PDF text, LST-825 rows
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List No. 44, by ship number, lists LST-825 with logbook coverage from 8 December 1944 through 30 June 1945, providing an archival lead for the vessel's commissioning and wartime record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Ship's company and wartime operations
- Limitations
- The index confirms logbook coverage dates, not log contents. No underlying logbook was retrieved; this row makes no asbestos or exposure finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hickman-county-lst825-03
-
[5]Corn and Starr, Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding, American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987), PMID 3555021 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed abstract
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A peer-reviewed historical study documents extensive use of asbestos as fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during the 1940s, the construction era of LST-825.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1940s; article published 1987
- Population
- 1940s U.S. shipbuilding workers and ship crews
- Limitations
- Era-level documentation only. The study does not name LST-825, its builder, a component, a location aboard, a product, a quantity, a condition, removal history, individual exposure, or causation; it cannot establish asbestos aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hickman-county-lst825-04
-
[6]National Archives and Records Administration, Researching Asbestos aboard U.S. Naval Vessels up through 1961 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Guide sections on engineering drawings and deck logs/muster rolls
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's guide to researching asbestos aboard U.S. naval vessels through 1961 identifies ship engineering drawings and other record series as possible research avenues and states that deck logs and muster rolls do not provide direct evidence of asbestos in ship components.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- Guide accessed 2026-10-03
- Population
- Researchers of U.S. naval vessels through 1961
- Limitations
- This is a research guide, not a finding that LST-825 had or lacked asbestos. It identifies possible repositories and expressly limits deck logs and muster rolls as direct asbestos evidence; no LST-825 engineering drawing or component record was retrieved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hickman-county-lst825-05
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[7]NARA, Researching Asbestos aboard U.S. Naval Vessels up through 1961, and batch search review [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA asbestos research guide; batch search ledger rows sl-uss-hickman-county-lst825-01 through -09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos documentation was located in the public sources searched: the archived DANFS entry, live NavSource page, and NARA logbook index contain no asbestos survey, abatement, hazmat, or insulation-material disclosure. The authenticated CourtListener helper reported the fleet-wide request budget momentarily spent on exact-name and exact-hull opinion queries, so no opinion result was returned and docket searches were not run.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- This is a negative finding about records located, not proof that asbestos was absent. Litigation coverage is incomplete because the authenticated helper rejected the name and hull queries under the fleet-wide pace limiter; no anonymous, raw, v3, or non-helper request was made. The NARA guide does not itself establish asbestos aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-hickman-county-lst825-06