Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (NHHC), 'James O'Hara (APA-90)' entry; live NHHC page returns 404 to direct fetch - 2025-12-09 Wayback capture cited [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry text (ship-data line + full narrative paragraphs), 2025-12-09 Wayback capture of the canonical NHHC URL
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS: James O'Hara (APA-90: dp. 8,600; l. 492'; b. 69'6"; dr. 26'6"; s. 19 k.; cpl. 538; trp. 2,200; a. 1 5", 2 3", 8 1.1", 16 20mm.; T. C3-S-A1), named for James O'Hara (1752-1819, Quartermaster General of the Army 1792-1796), was laid down for the Army under Maritime Commission contract by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Wash., 1941-06-16; launched 1941-12-30, sponsored by Miss Anne B. Denny; delivered to the Army 1942-11-30. Four months Army transport service (West Coast-Australia-Panama-New York); acquired by the Navy 1943-04-15, commissioned 1943-04-26, Comdr. Charles Allen in command. WWII service per DANFS: Mediterranean with 8th Fleet (Oran 1943-06-22); Operation Husky - CENT Force under RADM A. G. Kirk, debarked 45th Infantry Division troops off Scoglitti 1943-07-10; Salerno - RADM J. L. Hall's Southern Attack Force, assault troops debarked mid-watch 1943-09-09, boats assisted mine-damaged HMS Abercrombie, cargo discharged at the Paestum beaches (DANFS spells 'Paestrum'); North Africa-Italy shuttle; departed Oran 1943-11-30 for UK, Belfast 1943-12-09 with ~2,000 troops, New York 1943-12-31. Pacific 1944-45: Saipan assault 1944-06-15 with 4th Marine Division (VADM R. K. Turner's Northern Attack Force); returned to Saipan 6/23-24 after the Battle of the Philippine Sea; Angaur assault 1944-09-17; Leyte Gulf 1944-10-20 - five assault waves off San Ricardo, 476 tons combat cargo; carried Gambier Bay and St. Lo survivors (Battle off Samar) to Guam 10/28-31 (DANFS text spells the carrier 'Gambler Bay'); Lingayen Gulf landings 1945-01-09 with 6th Infantry Division (VADM D. E. Barbey's San Fabian Attack Force); Iwo Jima - off the island from 1945-02-19, reinforcements/casualties, >400 casualties debarked at Guam 1945-03-08; New Caledonia-New Guinea-Philippines transport runs 5/3-7/15; San Francisco 1945-08-04. Post-hostilities: Manila Bay 9/17, occupation troops to Wakayama 10/7, veterans via Tinian to San Francisco 11/17; Magic Carpet run to Saipan 1945-12-22 into February 1946. Decommissioned San Francisco 1946-04-05, transferred to Army same day; four years Army Transportation Corps transport out of Seattle; reacquired by Navy 1950-03-01, reclassified T-AP-179 1950-04-28, assigned to MSTS; 18 deployments to Japan/South Korea Oct 1950-Jul 1954 plus Marshalls/Marianas supply and Alaska rotation runs; arrived Seattle for inactivation 1959-11-30; entered NDRF Puget Sound (Olympia) 1960-01-14; transferred to MARAD 'in November'; name struck from the Navy List 1961-07-01. Seven battle stars WWII; one battle star Korean War service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1941-1961
- Population
- Wartime ship's company ~538 plus embarked troops up to ~2,200 (1943-1946); MSTS civil-service crew (1950-1959)
- Limitations
- Official ship-history narrative; establishes identity, construction, operations, custody chain, and awards. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or health-hazard content; supports no asbestos claim. Two DANFS typographical defects noted and not propagated: 'Gambler Bay' for USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73), and 'Paestrum' for the Paestum beaches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-01
-
[2]Naval Historical Center / NHHC Online Library of Selected Images, 'USS James O'Hara (APA-90), 1943-1968 - Formerly USS James O'Hara (AP-49) and USAT James O'Hara; later USAT James O'Hara and USNS James O'Hara (T-AP-179)' caption page (ibiblio.org mirror of history.navy.mil content) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Photo-caption narrative paragraphs, NH 98763 page head; image catalog NH 98783, NH 98763, NH 98774, NH 98779 et seq.
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC Online Library caption record for this hull: 'a 10,967-ton attack transport' built by the Maritime Commission as a convoy-loaded U.S. Army troop transport to a design designated C3-S1-A3; in September 1941 she was designated AP-49 for eventual Navy use and received some combat-loaded features including triple davits for landing boats; the Navy acquisition was cancelled in August 1942 and she was delivered to the Army in November 1942; loaned to the Navy in mid-April 1943 and 'converted to an attack transport at Brooklyn, N.Y.'; commissioned late April 1943 as USS James O'Hara (APA-90). Postwar: 'Stricken from the Navy List in April 1946,' returned to the Army, joined the Army's Water Transport Service out of Seattle with a civilian crew after removal of armament and landing craft; in March 1950 the Army transferred her to the new MSTS and 'the ship reappeared on the Navy List in April as USNS James O'Hara (T-AP-179)'; 18 deployments 1950-1954 mostly Seattle to Japan/South Korea; inactivation commenced at Seattle November 1959; entered the Maritime Administration reserve fleet at Olympia January 1960; 'transferred to Maritime Administration ownership in November 1960'; stricken from the Navy List July 1961; sold in January 1968 for scrapping.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1941-1968
- Limitations
- NHHC-published caption summary; documents the AP-49 precursor designation (cancelled before Navy delivery), the Brooklyn conversion yard, the 1946 striking and April 1950 re-listing that DANFS omits, and the C3-S1-A3 design designation (conflicts with the DANFS data line's C3-S-A1 - see correction row). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-02
-
[3]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - JAMES O'HARA (AP-179/APA-90), Ship History Detail 2442: milestone table plus three digitized status cards (USMC WSA-era vessel status card; MC status card with full custody chain; MA-383 Reserve Fleet Ship Particulars card, Olympia) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Milestone table; status-card scans /cards/2443_4556AF.jpg (MC custody card), /cards/3EV_01.png and /cards/a3e4b37c-f87b-49b0-a253-a03e494dc819.png (WSA-era card and MA-383 Olympia particulars)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD record for hull MC-168: type C3-S-A3 (record 'MARAD Type'), built by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, Tacoma; year built 1942; completed 11-30-42; LOA 492 ft, breadth 70 ft, gross 11,969 tons, DWT 4,152, speed 16.5 knots, passengers 957, displacement lightweight 8,600. Custody chain per the status cards: basis to WSA 11-30-42; War Dept. title purchase at Tacoma 11-30-42 2:30 AM PWT; Navy Dep't. (MSTS) title 3-1-50; Reserve Fleet custody Olympia 1-14-60 10:30 AM PST; Maritime Administration permanent transfer Olympia 11-1-60 12:01 AM PST (handwritten MA-383 note reads 'Title transfer 10-21-60' - title and custody moves separated); Zidell Explorations, Inc. (Scrap) purchase at Olympia 2/6/68 11:42 AM PST. MA-383 particulars card: category 'Trooper,' fleet Olympia, entered 1-14-60 1030 hrs PST, title 'Reimbursable Navy Temp Custody'; draft on arrival fwd 17'2" aft 21'10"; reimbursable advance funds for basic and cathodic preservation estimated $55,400 incl. $900 custody expenses (Navy letter 1959-10-30, MARAD reply 1959-11-24); withdrawal reason 'Sold Scrap (with return to Govt. of Main Reduction Gear Assembly and certain parts.)' and stamped 'SOLD SCRAP 1-12-68 to Zidell Explorations on PD-X-789 for $128,796'; fate field 'Sold - Scrap.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1942-1968
- Population
- NDRF caretaker personnel (Olympia, 1960-1968); Zidell Explorations disposal workforce (1968)
- Limitations
- Primary government custody and disposal record - controls over secondary sources for dates, custody form, sale price, and scrapping condition. MARAD milestone table shows only Entry 1/14/1960, Acquisition 10/21/1960 'MARAD TITLE,' Withdrawl 2/6/1968; the fuller custody chain is on the card scans. A handwritten damages-area note ('Program II MSTS ships P.S. memo 11-16-59 ... 11298') is only partially legible. No asbestos, materials, or condition content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-03
-
[4]NavSource Online, Amphibious Photo Archive - USNS James O'Hara (T-AP-179) / USS James O'Hara (APA-90) page (call sign NIXR; specifications; campaign and award tables; commanding officers; photo catalog; disposition line) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Specifications block; campaign/awards tables; disposition line; commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource compiles: laid down 1941-06-16 as Maritime Commission type C3-S1-A3 (MC hull 168) at Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Tacoma; launched 1941-12-30; delivered to the US Army Transportation Service 1942-11-30; commissioned USAT James O'Hara; acquired by the Navy 1943-04-15; commissioned USS James O'Hara (APA-90) 1943-04-26, CDR Charles Allen. Pacific assignment TransRon Eleven (COMO D. W. Loomis), TransDiv Thirty-Three (CAPT S. M. Haight); campaign credits: Sicilian occupation 1943-07-10; Salerno landings 1943-09-09; Marianas - Saipan 1944-06-15 to 17 and 23-24; Western Carolines - Angaur 1944-09-17 to 23; Leyte landings San Ricardo 1944-10-20; Luzon - Lingayen Gulf 1945-01-09; Iwo Jima 1945-02-17 to 03-05; occupation and China service 1945-09-24 to 11-02; decommissioned 1946-04-05, returned to ATS; struck from the Naval Register 1946-04-17; reacquired 1950-03-01, placed in service as USNS James O'Hara (T-AP-179) 1950-04-28; Korean War campaign Second Korean Winter 1950-11-07 to 18; inactivated 1959-11-30; transferred to MARAD 1960-01-14 for lay up NDRF Olympia; struck 1961-07-01; seven WWII battle stars and one Korean War battle star. Final disposition: sold for scrapping 1968-01-12 to Zidell Explorations Inc. Portland OR (PD-X-789) for $128,796.00, withdrawn from the Olympia reserve fleet 1968-02-06, scrapping completed 1968-12-06. Specifications: displacement 10,067 t lt / 14,700 t fl; 492 ft x 69'6"; draft 27'3" max; 18.6 kt trial; complement 58 officers / 480 enlisted; troop accommodations 150 officers / 2,050 enlisted; armament one 5"/38, two 3"/50, three twin 40mm, sixteen 20mm; largest boom 30 t; fuel NSFO 11,935 bbl + diesel 375 bbl; propulsion one Allis-Chalmers steam turbine, two Foster-Wheeler 'D' type boilers 520 psi/765 deg F, double Falk main reduction gears, four 300 kW 240 V DC ship's service generators, single propeller 8,500 shp. Commanding officers: LCDR Charles Vern Allen 1943-04-26 to 1944-01-03; CDR Elijah Warriner Irish USN to 1945-05-10; CDR Carson Rial Miller USN to decommissioning.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1941-1968
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled secondary archive, not a primary document; carried because its campaign table reconciles with DANFS dates, its disposition line reproduces the MARAD cards exactly (PD-X-789, $128,796, 1-12-68, withdrawn 2-6-68, completed 12-6-68), and its struck dates reconcile with the NHC caption ('April 1946' + July 1961). Its Allis-Chalmers turbine attribution conflicts with the Woo v. GE litigation record (GE turbines) - unresolved, see gaps. Spec-block displacement (10,067 lt) differs from DANFS and MARAD (8,600 lt). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-04
-
[5]MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2442 status cards (MC custody card; MA-383 Olympia particulars) vs. DANFS data line, NHHC Online Library caption, and NavSource spec block [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MC status card custody rows; MA-383 title-transfer note and particulars; milestone table; DANFS data line and narrative; NHC caption paragraphs; NavSource spec block and disposition line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Reconciles record-level discrepancies against the primary card record. (a) Hull-type designation: DANFS data line reads 'T. C3-S-A1' while the MC status card, MARAD 'MARAD Type' field, and NHC caption all read C3-S1-A3 / C3-S-A3 - the card controls for this hull (sister APA-89 is documented C3-S-A1; near-sister subtype difference or DANFS transcription error, unresolved). (b) MARAD transfer date: DANFS and the NHC caption say 'in November' 1960; the cards separate title transfer 10-21-60 (MA-383 handwritten note + milestone table) from permanent custody transfer 11-1-60 12:01 AM PST (MC card) - both carried; the narratives' 'November' matches the custody move. (c) First striking: DANFS is silent on the 1946 striking; NavSource reads 1946-04-17 and the NHC caption reads 'April 1946' - carried as the April 1946 striking, with re-listing April 1950 (NHC) and final striking 1961-07-01 (DANFS). (d) Displacement: DANFS 8,600 and MARAD lightweight 8,600 agree; NHC caption reads '10,967-ton' and NavSource reads 10,067 lt / 14,700 fl - DANFS/MARAD light displacement controls; variants carried, not merged. (e) DANFS text spells the escort carrier 'Gambler Bay' - the correct name is Gambier Bay (CVE-73), per the NHC caption; DANFS 'Paestrum' reads for the Paestum beaches.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1941-1968
- Limitations
- Corrects public-record timeline and identifier fields only. The cards document custody and disposal, not materials. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-05
-
[6]Woo v. General Electric Co., 198 Wash. App. 496, 393 P.3d 869 (Wash. Ct. App. Div. I 2017) - CourtListener opinion 4380294 (opinion text 4157547) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion paras. 1-7 and analysis sections (duty to warn; causation), 198 Wash. App. 496
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published appellate opinion naming this hull: the estate of Yuen Wing Woo (d. mesothelioma 2009) sued GE; Woo served in the U.S. Navy 1943-1946 (aboard USS George K. MacKenzie), joined MSTS, and 'worked aboard the USNS James O'Hara from March 1951 until January 1952' as a third assistant engineer. The opinion recites evidence that 'GE designed, manufactured, and supplied the steam turbines' aboard USS MacKenzie, USNS Towle, and USNS O'Hara; that in the 1940s-1950s GE steam turbines 'required the use of thermal heat insulation, gaskets, and packing to properly function' and 'GE knew only asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and packing were available'; that GE's own 1989 Technical Information Letter admitted asbestos-containing insulation, packing, and gaskets were necessary for turbine operation before the 1970s; that expert Cooper testified MSTS-ship turbine work was 'in close proximity' to deteriorating insulation, that maintenance required dismantling the turbine and removing 'the asbestos insulation covering the top half,' and that GE 'provided extra sets of specially precut asbestos-containing gaskets along with their new turbines'; and that expert Heyer testified work around GE turbines on MSTS ships 'resulted in exposures to asbestos that were substantially above ambient levels.' The trial court granted GE summary judgment (no duty to warn for others' asbestos products under Simonetta/Braaten). The Court of Appeals REVERSED and REMANDED for trial: the record supports reasonable inferences that the turbines required asbestos products to function (the Macias exception), and that Woo was exposed 'to asbestos-containing insulation and packing but also gaskets originally supplied by GE.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1951-1952 exposure period; opinion 2017
- Population
- MSTS engineering-department crew aboard USNS James O'Hara (1951-1952 exposure window litigated); WWII-era crew inference only
- Limitations
- Summary-judgment-stage record: the appellate court held the evidence could support a finding of exposure; it did NOT adjudicate that exposure occurred, and no jury verdict, trial finding, or post-remand opinion is located in the indexed record. The opinion's recital that GE supplied turbines aboard this hull derives from the Estate's proffered evidence and conflicts with the NavSource spec block (Allis-Chalmers turbine) - unresolved, logged in gaps. Washington state-court record; applies Washington duty-to-warn doctrine. Woo's O'Hara service window (1951-03 to 1952-01) is the MSTS civilian-crew era, not the Navy commission. Establishes no quantity, fiber type, condition, or medical causation adjudication.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-06
-
[7]Era/design inference for this hull anchored on the NavSource per-hull machinery spec block (APA-90) corroborated by the sister-ship APA-89 spec block (identical plant) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource APA-90 specifications block (propulsion section); NavSource APA-89 page for class cross-check
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for this hull: James O'Hara is a wartime C3-type transport built 1941-42 (laid down June 1941, peak-period U.S. shipbuilding) with a single-screw geared-steam plant - two superheated Foster-Wheeler 'D'-type boilers at 520 psi/765 deg F feeding an 8,500-shp turbine with double Falk main reduction gears (per the NavSource per-hull spec block; sister APA-89's block is identical). Vessels of this plant type and construction era were built with asbestos-containing boiler and fireroom insulation, steam-line and turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, accommodation-space insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings; conversion to attack transport at the New York Navy Yard (April 1943) and troop-carrying outfitting added interior insulation scope. The hull's disturbance pathways run through the 1943-46 commission, the 1946-50 Army transport period, 1950-59 MSTS operation (the litigated exposure window), eight years of NDRF lay-up (1960-68), and the 1968 Zidell dismantling.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1941-1968
- Population
- Construction trades at Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Tacoma (1941-42); New York Navy Yard conversion workforce (1943); wartime ship's company and embarked troops (1943-46); ATS/MSTS crews (1946-59); NDRF caretakers (1960-68); Zidell dismantling workforce (1968)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - the NavSource spec block documents machinery, not materials, and no source itemizes insulation aboard this hull. The Woo litigation evidence (ev-06) independently describes asbestos-containing insulation/gaskets/packing associated with the turbines aboard, but that litigation record does not survey the rest of the ship. Establishes no quantity, location, condition, or causation beyond what the litigation record states.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-07
-
[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
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- historical_record
- 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 program under which this C3-type hull was built under Maritime Commission contract for the Army - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- 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 and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-08
-
[9]Oregon DEQ, 'Zidell Waterfront Property Cleanup' community advisory-group briefing (Portland, 2012; site ECSI No. 689); corroborating USCG Regulated Navigation Area rule, 77 Fed. Reg. 19544 (Apr. 3, 2012) (Docket USCG-2012-7784) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Oregon DEQ Zidell CAG briefing PDF; FR RNA rule 77 FR 19544 (2012-04-03); site ECSI 689
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The disposal yard is a documented contaminated site: the Zidell waterfront property at 3121 SW Moody Ave., Portland (Willamette River miles ~13.5-14.2) was used for building, dismantling, converting, repairing, and salvaging ships - Zidell purchased it in 1946 and dismantled 336 ships over ~30 years. DEQ/EPA joint site assessment 1987; RI complete 2003; ROD 2005 (upland hot-spot removal/capping, in-water limited dredging and capping); consent decree 2006; certification of completion 2018. Documented contaminants include metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, PAHs, PCBs, tributyltin - and asbestos; a dedicated asbestos-abatement project used certified workers, air monitoring, and bulk ACM disposal. The USCG RNA protects the engineered sediment cap. This hull was sold to Zidell Explorations 1968-01-12 and scrapping completed 1968-12-06 - the hull-dismantling pathway at this site.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1946-2018 site history; this hull's dismantling 1968
- Population
- Zidell Explorations ship-dismantling workforce, Portland (1946-mid-1970s window incl. 1968)
- Limitations
- Yard-level environmental record only - documents the dismantling site's contamination profile and remediation history, not the materials carried aboard this particular hull. Establishes no shipboard asbestos, no quantity, and no individual exposure. The 2012-era record postdates the 1968 scrapping by decades; site conditions at dismantling are documented only generally (336 ships dismantled 1946-mid-1970s).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-09
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 sweeps, 2026-09-25 (authenticated via fleet helper): q='"James O'Hara" ship' type=o (6 opinions: 1 qualifying - Woo v. GE; 5 collisions - federal magistrate judge James O'Hara in Watco v. Campbell, Cook County Judge James O'Hara in Brooks v. Daley, Michigan attorney James O'Hara in Flood v. Butzbach 1897 and Phiscator v. Rice 1907, and Kennedy v. United States Ct. Cl. 1963 with no locatable ship/O'Hara context in opinion text); q='"James O'Hara" asbestos' type=o (2 opinions: Woo v. GE + Brooks v. Daley collision); q='"APA-90" OR "T-AP-179"' type=o (8 opinions, all citation-fragment collisions - no ship-related opinion); q='"James O'Hara" asbestos OR mesothelioma' type=r (150 dockets: sampled results all personal-bankruptcy/person-name dockets, no qualifying hull docket located) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-05 through sl-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-08
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Litigation sweep classification: ONE qualifying hit located - Woo v. General Electric Co. (Wash. App. 2017), carried at ev-06. All other opinion-index hits are name collisions (a federal magistrate judge, a Cook County circuit judge, a 19th-20th-century Michigan attorney, an unexplained Court of Claims reference) or citation-fragment matches on 'APA-90'/'T-AP-179'. The RECAP docket sweep returned 150 hits dominated by personal bankruptcies for individuals named James O'Hara; sampled top 20 all non-qualifying person-name collisions - no docket naming the vessel located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Opinion and RECAP indexes under-cover unreported state-court filings, settled claims, and MDL-875 matters; 'James O'Hara' is a common personal name, so filings naming only the ship's name without 'USS'/'USNS'/hull number are not retrievable by name sweep without manual docket-level review - coverage is limited to indexed text containing a qualifying string. Absence of additional located cases does not prove no claim was ever filed; it establishes only that no other indexed opinion or sampled docket naming the hull was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-10
-
[11]Batch-2390 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live 404; Wayback capture 2025-12-09); NHHC Online Library caption page (ibiblio mirror); NavSource APA-90 page + APA-89 sister cross-check; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2442 + three status-card scans (read); CourtListener opinion and docket sweeps; NVR (no entry expected); Oregon DEQ Zidell site record; USCG FR RNA rule; Commencement Bay CB/NT Superfund profile [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-01 through sl-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or industrial-hygiene file naming the James O'Hara hull was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, the NHC caption page, the MARAD record and status cards, and the NavSource page contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement; the only ship-specific asbestos evidence located is the Woo v. GE litigation record (ev-06). The hull was scrapped in 1968, before asbestos documentation practices modernized (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located survey/abatement record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1941-42 geared-steam combat transport is era-consistent with installed asbestos-containing materials, and the Woo record's exposure evidence concerns the engineering plant specifically. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim beyond what the litigation record itself states.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-11
-
[12]NARA record-group path for this hull: RG 24 deck logs (the 1943-1946 commission falls in the series held by Textual Reference, College Park); RG 38 war diaries and action reports; BuShips general plans for stricken vessels; RG 178 US Maritime Commission contract files for MC hull 168 outfitting specifications; plus two NavSource-hosted scanned documents - 'USS James O'Hara General Instructions - Exercise 4AP, 17 May 1943' and the James O'Hara chapter of Roland W. Charles, 'Troopships of World War II' (U.S. Army Transportation Association, 1947) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA RG 24/RG 38/RG 178 guides; NavSource PDF links 03090a.pdf and 03090b.pdf (verified downloadable, image-only scans)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads not retrieved (no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs 1943-04 to 1946-04 - machinery-maintenance entries could document insulation work aboard; (b) RG 38 war diaries/action reports for the seven starred operations (Sicily, Salerno, Saipan, Angaur, Leyte, Lingayen, Iwo Jima) incl. yard-availability and repair records; (c) BuShips Booklet of General Plans/drawings for APA-90; (d) RG 178 contract files for MC hull 168 outfitting specifications; (e) Army Transport Service (1946-50) and MSTS (1950-59) period maintenance records - the Woo-litigated exposure window falls in the MSTS era; (f) the two NavSource-hosted scans are image-only PDFs verified extant but not text-retrieved this session - the Exercise 4AP instructions are a ship-authored primary document and the Charles chapter is a contemporary official Army transport history.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1941-1968 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping and artifact existence only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-james-o-hara-apa90-12