USS Holmes County (LST-836)

Evidence

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

1. [1]research packet 733-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-holmes-county-lst836-pkt-733-packet-md

2. [2]NHHC DANFS, 'Holmes County' (LST-836) entry - ARCHIVED COPY (live NHHC URL 404 on 2026-10-03; Wayback capture 2024-05-26) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Holmes County' page body (published 2015-07-20); live URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/holmes-county.html returned 404 on 2026-10-03

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS documents: laid down American Bridge Co., Ambridge PA 11 Sep 1944; launched 29 Oct, sponsored Mrs. H. E. Hetu; commissioned 25 Nov 1944, Ens. Elmo J. Sullivan in command; shakedown off Florida, departed New Orleans 2 Jan 1945, San Diego 23 Jan, Hawaii training, Marshalls/Carolines staging; departed Ulithi 12 Apr for Okinawa, arrived 18 Apr, returned Ulithi 29 Apr; post-VJ occupation duty Japan; arrived San Francisco 19 Jan 1946; decommissioned Vancouver WA 25 Jul 1946; Pacific Reserve Fleet; recommissioned Bremerton 3 Nov 1950 Lt. Thomas J. McLaughlin in command; Yokosuka 28 Mar 1951, eight months Japan-Korea shuttle; stateside overhaul early 1952; departed San Diego 24 Jul 1952 for first hydrogen-bomb tests in the Marshall Islands (Aug-Nov support); sailed 16 Mar 1953 for Korea, Yokosuka 22 Apr, cargo runs to Inchon; post-armistice UN cargo Korea; three WestPac cruises 1954-59; named Holmes County 1 Jul 1955; FRAM overhaul late 1959; five years Pacific Amphibious Force exercises West Coast/Hawaii; departed San Diego 11 Oct 1965, Da Nang 22 Nov, 89 days combat zone, Yokosuka 29 Mar 1966, home 26 May, Operation 'Base Line' Oct 1966; one battle star WWII, three Korea.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1966

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked troops, 1944-1966

   Limitations

   DANFS entry terminates in 1966 - post-1966 Vietnam service and Singapore disposition are absent here (covered by the LST-836 entry and NavSource). Commanding-officer names conflict with NavSource's roster (Sullivan rank 'Ens.' here vs 'Lt.' in the companion DANFS entry and NavSource; McLaughlin vs Leigh for the 1950 recommissioning) - see correction row. Live NHHC URL 404s (standing NHHC link-rot); archived copy cited. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-01

3. [3]NHHC DANFS, 'LST-836' entry - ARCHIVED COPY (live NHHC URL 404 on 2026-10-03; Wayback capture 2025-12-09) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'LST-836' page body; live URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lst-836.html returned 404 on 2026-10-03

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Companion DANFS entry covers the full arc: same construction data (with 'Lt. Elmo J. Sullivan, USNR, in command'); WWII Asiatic-Pacific service and Okinawa Gunto assault April 1945; occupation duty to mid-Dec 1945; decommissioned 25 Jul 1946; recommissioned 3 Nov 1950; renamed Holmes County (LST-836) 1 Jul 1955 after counties in Florida, Mississippi, Ohio; Vietnam service commencing 1965; 'Decommissioned again in early 1971'; transferred to the government of Singapore 1 Jul 1971 and renamed RS Endurance; 'one star for World War II service, three for the Korean War, and 12 battle stars and two awards of the Navy Unit Commendation for the Vietnam War.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1975

   Population

   Ship's company, 1944-1971

   Limitations

   Condensed entry; conflicts with NavSource on Vietnam star count (12 vs 11 campaign stars) and gives 'Lt.' where the Holmes County DANFS entry gives 'Ens.' for the same officer - see correction row. 'Early 1971' decommissioning is less precise than NavSource's 1 Jul 1971. Live NHHC URL 404s; archived copy cited. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Holmes County (LST-836) page 10/16/160836 (live, verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/16/160836: timeline bullets, campaign tables, awards ribbon block, specification block, commanding-officer table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource provides the working timeline: LST Flotilla 23 / Group 68 / Division 135 WWII organization; Okinawa Gunto operation 18-29 Apr 1945; occupation duty 2 Sep-15 Dec 1945; decommissioned 25 Jul 1946 Vancouver WA, Pacific Reserve Fleet Columbia River Group; recommissioned 3 Nov 1950 Bremerton; Korean War campaigns (Communist China Spring Offensive 23 Jun 1951; UN Summer-Fall Offensive 14 Jul-6 Aug 1951; Korea Summer-Fall 1953); renamed 1 Jul 1955; Vietnam campaigns across eleven periods from Vietnam Defense (21 Nov-24 Dec 1965) through Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase VII (to 10 May 1971); decommissioned 1 Jul 1971 and transferred to Singapore as RSN Endurance (L-201); sold outright 5 Dec 1975; struck date unknown; 'earned one battle star for World War II service and three battle stars for Korean War service and eleven campaign stars for Vietnam War service.' Full CO roster (LT Elmo J. Sullivan 25 Nov 1944 through LT George L. King Jr. to 1 Jul 1971) and specification block (2 x GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, 3 x 100 kW 230 V DC ship's-service generators, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; 13 officers/104 enlisted + troops 16/147).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1975

   Population

   Ship's company; embarked troops; overhaul-yard personnel

   Limitations

   Volunteer-curated secondary archive (much content transcribed from USN/NARA sources) - used for timeline, campaign tables, CO roster, and specifications; conflicts with DANFS on Vietnam star count and 1950 CO naming are flagged in the correction row. 'Final Disposition, fate unknown' conflicts with secondary reports of barrier use at Changi - see RSN row. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-03

5. [5]Commander Task Group 132.3, 'History of Operation IVY' (Joint Task Force 132, 1952-53; declassified U.S. government report) - scan via Republic of the Marshall Islands Nuclear Claims Archive (rminucleardocs.icaad.ngo) [other_primary]

   Locator

   CTG 132.3 History of Operation IVY, installments V-VIII: task-organization, daily-narrative, personnel-clearance (p. ~'131' area) and radiological-clearance tables; USS LST-836 appears at pp. ~65, ~95, ~105, ~122-131 of the scan

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The declassified Navy task-group history names USS LST-836 as Task Unit 132.31.1, operating separately from the Transport Element throughout all phases of Operation IVY (first U.S. hydrogen-bomb tests, Eniwetok/Bikini, fall 1952): early mission establishing weather-island stations and erecting navigational aids on atolls for TG 132.4 aircraft; returned to Eniwetok 27 Sep; proceeded to Bikini 1 Oct in support of TG 132.1; deployed to Bikini 27 Oct and at MIKE shot time (1 Nov 1952 local) on standby notice to effect an evacuation of Bikini if necessary; retained past KING to roll up weather stations en route to Hawaii; released from TG 132.3 operational control in Dec 1952 (LST-1126 designated relief); the clearance table lists USS LST-836 granted 'Final' radiological clearance; the personnel-security table records 226 completed National Agency Check requests for the ship.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1952-07 to 1952-12

   Population

   Ship's company plus embarked staff (226 NAC checks processed)

   Limitations

   Government radiological/operational record - documents the hull's presence and tasking at an atmospheric nuclear test, not asbestos and not individual dose/exposure data. Scan OCR quality is poor (some dates/names garbled); verbatim readings were cross-checked across duplicated passages. Release date reads 'released on 10' with the scan truncated - carried as early Dec 1952 from context (departed Eniwetok 21 Nov; relief LST-1126 expected ~6 Dec). Does not establish that any specific person was aboard at any moment.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-04

6. [6]Mobile Riverine Force Association, 'Holmes County (LST-836)' association history page (veterans' association - secondary source) [other_primary]

   Locator

   mrfa.org Holmes County (LST-836) page body

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MRFA supplies post-1966 operational detail absent from DANFS: overhaul in spring 1968 followed by refresher training and amphibious-vehicle evaluation work with Marines; departed San Diego late summer 1968 for Vietnam, arriving in-country October; carried cargo in I Corps between Da Nang and Cua Viet on the DMZ with refitting trips to the Philippines; on 15 March 1969 traded crews in-country with USS Blanco County (LST-344); served in Vietnamese waters until 10 May 1971; decommissioned and transferred to Singapore 1 Jul 1971 as RS Endurance (LS201). MRFA's awards list carries (3) Navy Unit Commendations and VSM with (12) battle stars - conflicting with DANFS/NavSource (2 NUC; 11 campaign stars), flagged in the correction row.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1968-1971

   Population

   Ship's company; embarked troops and crew-swap personnel

   Limitations

   Veterans' association page - reputable secondary source but not official; its service detail is plausible and consistent with NavSource campaign dates, while its award counts conflict with official sources and are not adopted. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-05

7. [7]National Library Board Singapore Infopedia, 'Landing Ship Tanks' (Singapore government reference; archived copy) + Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore circular on floating sea-barrier works off Changi (2025) + NavSource sale dates + Wikipedia transcription of Moore 1985/Baker 1998/Wertheim 2007 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NLB Infopedia SIP_539_2005-01-05 (archived 2007-06-12); MPA circular 'REMOVAL OF SECTION OF FLOATING SEA BARRIER OFF CHANGI BEACH' (mpa.gov.sg, 2025); Wikipedia 'USS Holmes County' Singapore sections (Wertheim chain); NavSource disposition bullets

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   RSN service and disposition: transferred on loan 1 Jul 1971 as RSS Endurance (L-201), sold outright to Singapore 5 Dec 1975 (DANFS LST-836 entry; NavSource); served with the RSN's 191 Squadron, 3rd Flotilla, on troop transport, rescue-and-aid, supply, and officer-cadet training duties; re-engined with MTU diesels during RSN service; decommissioned 1999 when the new Endurance-class LPDs entered service (Wikipedia, citing Jane's Fighting Ships 1985-86 p.429, Combat Fleets 1998-99 p.781, Wertheim 2007 p.703). Singapore-government corroboration: NLB Infopedia documents five former U.S. County-class LSTs acquired in the 1970s and replaced by the Endurance class; a 2025 MPA circular confirms floating sea-barrier maintenance works off Changi (without naming component hulls). Wertheim (2007), as transcribed by Wikipedia, reports the ex-USN LSTs employed as floating sea-defense barricades at Changi Naval Base.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1971-present

   Population

   RSN crews and trainees, 1971-1999; maintenance personnel if barrier conversion occurred

   Limitations

   RSN-era detail rests on secondary references (Jane's/Combat Fleets/Wertheim transcribed through Wikipedia) - not verified against MINDEF/RSN primary releases. NLB confirms the County-class acquisition frame, not this specific hull's post-1999 use; MPA confirms barrier works but does not identify hulls. 'Floating barricade' disposition is therefore carried as reported-unverified; NavSource records final disposition as unknown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-06

8. [8]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, April 1945), LST design table, LST542-931 design group (shipscribe.com scan - live, verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v2 LST design table - propulsion rows 'LST542-931 ... 2 ... G.M. Diesel, 12-567A ... 1,700'; ship's-service generator rows

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The official BuShips design table confirms the LST542-931 group's diesel machinery fit: 2 x G.M. Diesel 12-567A engines at 1,700 shp, Falk reduction gears, 3 x 100 kW 230 V DC ship's-service generators - no boiler plant. Era/design inference for asbestos-relevant applications on this diesel LST design: engine-exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, machinery packing, winch/crane brake linings. Built 1944 at a commercial yard operating under wartime emergency specifications, when asbestos was the standard marine fireproofing/insulation material.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1945 (design); era inference spans service life

   Population

   Construction trades at Ambridge 1944; engine-room and maintenance crews

   Limitations

   Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the BuShips table does not name LST-836 and contains no asbestos statement; the application list is era-consistent inference, not ship-proven content. Does not establish quantity, presence, or any individual exposure. NOTE: prior class-profile citation of this document at shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf now 404s - relocated live URL used here.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-07

9. [9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page HRD-80-2 (HTTP 403 to automated fetch; description via product page)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: a 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. Program-level context for the period covering this hull's service and yard availabilities.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1979

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers; ship's company during availabilities

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation, not ship- or class-specific. gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches (confirmed 2026-10-03, same standing defect as prior batches); product-page description used, full text not retrieved.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-08

10. [10]Batch-7378 search ledger (this record): DANFS x2 (via Wayback), NavSource, declassified JTF-132 CTG 132.3 report, NVR, NLB/MPA (Singapore), MRFA, Wikipedia cross-check, secondary web sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-holmes-county-lst836-01 through sl-uss-holmes-county-lst836-11

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum documentation, or docketed case naming LST-836 / Holmes County / RS(S) Endurance was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The only asbestos content surfaced in secondary sweeps was law-firm marketing material (mesotheliomasymptoms.com) asserting generic asbestos presence without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy. CourtListener could not be searched this batch (authenticated helper returned daily-quota exhaustion with server-requested ~9.7-hour stand-down) - litigation status is therefore OPEN, not negative.

    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 - the reported unrestored barrier-hull disposition (if accurate) is consistent with retained era materials. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage is explicitly incomplete (CourtListener blocked).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-09

11. [11]Cross-source conflict register (this record): DANFS 'Holmes County' vs DANFS 'LST-836' vs NavSource vs MRFA [other_primary]

    Locator

    DANFS Holmes County + LST-836 entries (archived); NavSource 10/16/160836 CO table and awards block; MRFA Holmes County page

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Documented source conflicts carried rather than resolved: (a) first CO rank - DANFS Holmes County entry 'Ens. Elmo J. Sullivan' vs DANFS LST-836 entry 'Lt. Elmo J. Sullivan, USNR' vs NavSource 'LT.'; (b) 1950 recommissioning CO - DANFS 'Lt. Thomas J. McLaughlin' vs NavSource CO roster 'LCDR William C. Leigh, USNR, 3 November 1950'; (c) Vietnam campaign stars - NavSource 11 campaign periods/stars vs DANFS LST-836 entry '12 battle stars' vs MRFA '(12) Battle Stars'; (d) Navy Unit Commendations - DANFS/NavSource 2 vs MRFA 3; (e) decommissioning - DANFS 'early 1971' vs NavSource 1 Jul 1971 (MRFA in-country service ending 10 May 1971 is consistent with the later formal decommissioning); (f) pennant renderings L-201 / L201 / LS201 across sources.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    2026-10-03

    Limitations

    Register of conflicts, not an adjudication - DANFS/NavSource are carried at their own word and the conflicts are logged in gaps. None of the conflicts bears on asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-holmes-county-lst836-10