USS Jefferson County (LST-845)

Evidence

15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).

1. [1]research packet 734-packet.md [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-jefferson-county-lst845-pkt-734-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Jefferson County (LST-845) - full narrative entry: construction, commissioning, WWII occupation and China service, two Korean War deployments plus a post-armistice 7th Fleet deployment including Operation Passage to Freedom, 1955 naming, final deployments, decommissioning and 1961 disposal; spec block dp. 1,625 / l. 328' / b. 50' / dr. 14'1" / s. 12 k. / cpl. 226 / a. 8 40mm., 12 20mm. / cl. LST-542 (live NHHC page, verified 2026-10-03; UA-gated to curl, fetched via Firecrawl; entry published 22 Jul 2015) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS Jefferson County entry, full service narrative and spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: 'LST-845 was laid down by American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa., 23 October 1944; launched 7 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. B. F. Fairless; and commissioned at New Orleans, La., 1 January 1945, Lt. C. E. Lowe in command.' After shakedown off Florida she transited the Panama Canal for the West Coast; while beached at Maui 6 April 1945 she broached in heavy surf, sustaining heavy hull damage, and underwent repairs at Pearl Harbor 10 April - 27 July 1945. Departed Pearl Harbor in convoy for Japan 29 August 1945; arrived Sasebo 22 September and supported occupation landings; carried occupation troops from Lingayen Gulf to Japan; supported occupation along the western Kyushu coast into November 1945. Operated out of Pearl Harbor spring 1946; off Shanghai 30 May 1946, then two months on the Yangtze between Nanking and Hankow supporting Chinese Nationalist forces; returned via Tsingtao to San Diego 20 December 1946. Amphibious training out of San Diego 1947-48; cargo to Juneau and Kodiak, Alaska, 10 January - 4 March 1949; mid-Pacific cargo run to Marshalls and Marianas bases May-July 1949. Korean War: departed San Diego 10 August 1950; embarked combat troops at Kobe; stood off Inchon for the 15 September 1950 assault landings and remained a month unloading cargo; carried cargo Pusan-Wonsan-Hungnam; supported the Hungnam evacuation including the 24 December evacuation of remaining forces; reached San Diego 23 May 1951. After overhaul, departed 26 May 1952 for a second Korean deployment; departed the Far East 4 February 1953. Third 7th Fleet deployment January 1954; Operation 'Passage to Freedom' - departed Yokosuka 14 August 1954 for Haiphong, North Vietnam, made four runs to Tourane carrying military cargo and civilian refugees; returned to San Diego 12 December 1954. Named Jefferson County 1 July 1955. Deployed to the western Pacific August 1957 - April 1958 (Yokosuka, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Philippines). Marshall Islands deployment October 1958 - March 1959 supporting establishment of Air Force stations in the Marshalls (Kwajalein). Final Far East deployment October 1959 - May 1960. Decommissioned at San Diego 28 November 1960 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet; struck from the Navy List 1 February 1961; sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., 22 August 1961. 'LST-845 received five battle stars for Korean service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1961

   Population

   American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1944); crew (1945-60); embarked troops and evacuated refugees (1945-54)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. This entry conflicts with the sibling LST-845 DANFS entry (ev-02) on commissioning date (1 vs 9 January 1945), commissioning CO (Lowe vs Wildman), battle stars (five vs six), decommissioning (28 November 1960 vs 'early 1961'), and county count (26 vs 25 states) - all flagged in gaps; this entry is corroborated by NavSource and the NHHC fleet-organization document on the Lowe commissioning and by NavSource's five-campaign table on battle stars.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-01

3. [3]DANFS, LST-845 - short entry: construction, no-WWII-combat note, occupation service, Korean service summary, 1955 renaming 'after counties in 25 states,' decommissioning 'in early 1961,' striking, and sale (live NHHC page, verified 2026-10-03; UA-gated, fetched via Firecrawl) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS LST-845 entry, complete short text

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The second DANFS entry for this hull states: 'LST-845 was laid down on 23 October 1944 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched on 7 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. B. F. Fairless; and commissioned on 9 January 1945, Lt. Comdr. John Wildman, USNR, in command.' It records that the ship 'participated in no combat operations during World War II but performed Asian occupation service following the war until the summer of 1946,' that she saw 'extensive service during the Korean War' operating out of San Diego, that she was 'redesignated Jefferson County (LST-845) (q.v.) after counties in 25 states' on 1 July 1955, decommissioned 'in early 1961,' struck from the Navy list 1 February 1961, and sold 22 August 1961 to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, Oreg. 'LST-845 earned six battle stars for the Korean War.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1961

   Population

   American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1944); crew (1945-60)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos content. This entry's commissioning date/CO (9 January 1945, Wildman), battle-star count (six), county count (25 states), and 'early 1961' decommissioning all conflict with the detailed Jefferson County DANFS entry and NavSource - intra-DANFS conflicts flagged in gaps; the detailed entry and NavSource are carried where they conflict because each is corroborated by a third source (fleet-organization document for Lowe; five-campaign table for stars).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Jefferson County (LST-845) ex USS LST-845 (10/16/160845.htm, last updated 1 November 2024) - designation, call sign NIGI, unit assignments, campaign tables, medal/occupation periods, specifications, commanding-officer roster, captioned photography (live page, verified 2026-10-03 via Firecrawl) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/16/160845.htm header block, awards/campaign/occupation tables, specifications block, photo captions, commanding-officer roster

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource documents for this hull: LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship; laid down 23 October 1944 at American Bridge Co., Ambridge PA; launched 7 December 1944; commissioned USS LST-845 1 January 1945 at New Orleans, LA, 'LT. Charles E. Lowe, USN, in command.' WWII assignment Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LST Flotilla Thirty-One (CAPT. H. S. Covington USN), LST Group Ninety-Three (CDR. E. R. Sperry USN), LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Four. Navy Occupation Service Medal periods: 6 September - 1 October 1945, 15 October - 1 December 1945, 6 April - 29 May 1946, 10 July - 4 September 1947; China Service Medal (extended): 29 May - 24 July 1946 and 29 September - 31 October 1948. Korean War campaigns (five): Inchon Landing 15-17 September 1950; North Korean Aggression 18 September - 2 November 1950; Communist China Aggression 3 November 1950 - 24 January 1951; First UN Counter Offensive 25 January - 9 April 1951; Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952, 27-30 November 1952. Named USS Jefferson County (LST-845) 1 July 1955; decommissioned 28 November 1960 at San Diego; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego Group; struck 1 February 1961; 'earned five battle stars for Korean War service'; final disposition 'sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, OR., 22 August 1961 for scrapping.' Specifications: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft o.a.; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; 24,000 mi at 9 kt; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; two GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders, three 100-kW 230 V DC diesel-driven ship-service generators; 2 LCVP. Commanding-officer roster: LT. Charles Emory Lowe USN (1 Jan 1945-?), LT. William Raymond Nelson USN (1948 - 18 Feb 1950), LT. John Franklyn Butler USN (18 Feb 1950 - 5 Jul 1951), LT. John Gospodarich (5 Jul 1951-?), LT. Marion V. Reeder (no dates), LT. Bob James McGrath (1953), LCDR. Clinton Wagner Taylor (later RADM; May 1958 - May 1960). Photo captions document the commissioning crew at Ambridge 23 October 1944; the ship at Sasebo October 1945; four LSTs beached at Inchon's Red Beach 16 September 1950 (NavSource attributes LST-845 within the group - see ev-07 for the NARA caption conflict); the ship 'married' to a pontoon causeway in Korean/Japanese waters 26 March 1951 (US National Archives photo 80-G-426659); beached at Hungnam loading refugees (DOD photo USN 424093, per NavSource 'from All Hands magazine October 1950' - see gaps); entering San Francisco Bay c. early 1950s; and underway (USN 1046027).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1961

   Population

   American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1944); ship's company (1945-60); embarked troops and refugees; Zidell shipbreakers (1961-62)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track DANFS but the spec block is unattributed and armament figures are the class's 'ultimate armament design,' not an outfit record for this hull. Its LST GROUP assignment (Ninety-Three) conflicts with the contemporaneous NHHC Pacific Fleet organization document, which places this hull under LST GROUP 92 (ev-04); its CO rank/designation (LT USN) differs from the fleet document's 'Ens. C. E. Lowe (USNR).' Contains no asbestos content. The 1961 scrapping predates modern ACM-handling regulation; no hazmat or material record for the breakup was located.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-03

5. [5]NHHC, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' - wartime administrative-organization tabulation (live NHHC page, verified 2026-10-03 via Firecrawl) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC online reading room, Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945, LST FLOTILLA THIRTY-ONE > LST GROUP 92 > LST DIVISION 184 table

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   CORRECTION + corroboration from a contemporaneous administrative document: the official Pacific Fleet organization tabulation for 1 May 1945 places 'LST 845' in LST DIVISION 184 under LST GROUP 92 (Comdr. J. G. Winn), within LST FLOTILLA THIRTY-ONE (Capt. H. S. Covington) - alongside LSTs 857 (F), 868, 878, 899, and 900 - with 'Ens. C. E. Lowe (USNR)' shown as commanding officer. This corrects NavSource's 'LST Group Ninety-Three (CDR. E. R. Sperry USN)' assignment: Group 93 in the same document comprises Divisions 185-186 (LSTs 846, 847, 859, 869, 870, 879, 880, 881, 901, 968, 969, 970) and does not contain this hull. The document also corroborates the Lowe commissioning CO (as Ens. C. E. Lowe, USNR - rank/designation variant from NavSource's 'LT. ... USN,' see gaps) against the conflicting 'Lt. Comdr. John Wildman' of the LST-845 DANFS entry.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945-05-01

   Population

   LST Group 92 / Division 184 staffs and unit crews (1945)

   Limitations

   Administrative unit listing at a single date (1 May 1945) - establishes the formation assignment and CO on that date, not materials, manning detail, or operations; unit assignments could shift. Lowe's 'Ens.' rank and 'USNR' designation here differ from NavSource's 'LT. ... USN' - the May 1945 document may reflect his rank at that date (promotion plausible) but USNR-vs-USN is unexplained. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-04

6. [6]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr 1540188, Decision Date 09/18/15, Docket No. 14-06 904 (Veterans Law Judge Bradley W. Hennings; appeal from VA Regional Office, Columbia, SC) - full decision text (live document, verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]

   Locator

   BVA Citation Nr 1540188 (vetapp15/Files5/1540188.txt), Issues section; Reasons and Bases paragraphs 4-6 (asbestos grant); Order ('is granted'); Remand section (hearing loss)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   ADJUDICATED asbestos claim naming this hull - granted on equipoise. A Navy veteran (active duty October 1955 - September 1959; boatswain's mate, MOS BM-0100) claimed entitlement to service connection 'for a lung disease, to include asbestosis, claimed as a result of asbestos exposure,' averring exposure 'while serving in two shipyards and aboard the USS JEFFERSON COUNTY (LST 845) while the ship was being overhauled.' The Board stated: 'As his DD 214 and service personnel records confirm that he served for more than three years aboard the USS JEFFERSON COUNTY, his exposure to asbestos is presumed.' A private radiologist and physician diagnosed bilateral interstitial fibrosis causally related to asbestos exposure; a July 2012 VA examiner opined it 'at least as likely as not' caused by military asbestos exposure, then in an August 2012 addendum said he could 'only resort to speculation' in apportioning between the three-year Navy service and the veteran's 30-year post-service career as a mechanic at Owens Corning fiberglass. 'Resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran,' the Board GRANTED service connection for a lung disease, to include asbestosis (38 C.F.R. 3.102). A companion claim for bilateral hearing loss was reopened on new and material evidence and remanded for an addendum opinion (engine-room and 40 mm cannon noise aboard the USS JEFFERSON COUNTY).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1955-1959 (service); 2011-2015 (claim and decision)

   Population

   Single veteran claimant - boatswain's mate, USS Jefferson County, ~1955-1959, including a ship overhaul period

   Limitations

   Merits-level administrative disposition for one claimant under VA's benefit-of-the-doubt standard - NOT a judicial finding of fact about the ship, and NOT a materials record. The Board's 'exposure ... is presumed' applies VA's adjudicative presumption flowing from confirmed service aboard plus duties; it documents that VA presumed exposure aboard this hull, not that asbestos products were identified aboard by any survey or inventory. The grant rested on equipoise (38 C.F.R. 3.102) with a documented competing cause (30-year Owens Corning fiberglass employment) that the VA examiner called impossible to apportion without speculation. Single-veteran, single-judge, nonprecedential BVA decision; does not establish what asbestos products were aboard, their quantity, the exposure of any other crewmember, or the eligibility of any other claimant. Alleged exposure pathway included two shipyards in addition to the shipboard overhaul period.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-05

7. [7]NARA catalog records: four ship-level WWII war diaries for USS LST-845 (NAID 633447245, 1/1-5/31/45; NAID 101726934, 6/1-30/45; NAID 83571169, 7/1-31/45; NAID 140084330, 8/1-10/31/45) in RG 38 'World War II War Diaries' (Fold3-digitized microfilm); COM LST FLOT 31 War History (NAID 77706647); and dozens of digitized monthly deck logs, 'Jefferson County (LST-845),' 1956-1960, in RG 24 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations' (live catalog, verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]

   Locator

   catalog.archives.gov/id/633447245, /id/101726934, /id/83571169, /id/140084330, /id/77706647; RG 24 'Jefferson County (LST-845)' monthly file units (e.g., NAIDs 216789402, 216787770, 203636708)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Digitized ship-level primary records covering essentially this hull's entire commissioned life exist in the NARA catalog: (1) four USS LST-845 war diaries covering January - October 1945 as continuous file units (commissioning through occupation duty - 1/1-5/31/45, 6/45, 7/45, 8/1-10/31/45); (2) the COM LST FLOT 31 war history, her parent flotilla per the fleet-organization document; and (3) monthly RG 24 deck-log file units titled 'Jefferson County (LST-845)' spanning at least June 1956 - August 1960 (June 1956, July 1956, August 1956, September 1956, October 1956, November 1956, December 1956, June 1957, July 1957, August 1957, September 1957, October 1957, November 1957, December 1957, January 1958, March 1958, April 1958, June 1958, August 1958, September 1958, March 1959, May 1959, June 1959, July 1959, October 1959, March 1960, April 1960, August 1960 observed among 743 fuzzy 'LST-845' catalog hits). The 1956-1960 deck-log coverage directly overlaps the service window (Oct 1955 - Sep 1959) of the veteran in the BVA adjudication (ev-05), whose claim included exposure 'while the ship was being overhauled' - the logs are the primary record for any such yard period.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945-1960

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked personnel (1945-60)

   Limitations

   Archival lead only: catalog metadata and file-unit titles verified; diary and log contents not read this session. War diaries are ship-level documents; deck logs document movements, personnel, and muster entries, not material inventories - no asbestos content expected. No digitized deck logs for the pre-renaming period 1945-1955 (including the Korean War deployments) surfaced in the catalog queries - coverage gap noted in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-06

8. [8]NARA still-picture catalog record NAID 520772 (local ID 80-G-420027, RG 80-G General Photographic File of the Department of the Navy), 'Invasion of Inchon, Korea. Four LST's unload men and equipment on beach' (live catalog page, verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]

   Locator

   catalog.archives.gov/id/520772, caption text; NavSource 160845.htm photo table for the LST-845 attribution

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Digitized U.S. Navy combat photograph documenting the Inchon operation in which this hull participated: four LSTs unloading men and equipment 'high and dry' at low tide on Inchon's Red Beach, 16 September 1950. NARA's catalog caption identifies 'Three of the LST's shown' as LST-611, LST-745, and LST-715 - the fourth hull is unidentified in the NARA record. NavSource's caption for the same image (1016061101) identifies the group as LST-715, LST-611, LST-845, and one other - naming this hull where NARA's caption names LST-745.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1950-09-16

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked troops during the Inchon landing (September 1950)

   Limitations

   Ship attribution is UNRESOLVED and rests on secondary captioning: NARA's own caption does not name LST-845 (it names LST-745), while NavSource names LST-845 - a 745-vs-845 transposition or identification conflict between the captions. DANFS confirms this hull stood off Inchon for the assault and remained a month unloading cargo, so presence at Inchon is documented independently of the photo. Operational/photographic context only; no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-07

9. [9]Wolsko v. American Bridge Co. et al., 158 Pa. Super. 339, 44 A.2d 873 (1945) - Pennsylvania Superior Court, workmen's-compensation 'premises' appeal (full opinion verified live on Justia 2026-10-03 via Firecrawl) [court_record]

   Locator

   158 Pa. Super. 339, 44 A.2d 873 (1945), Justia full text - Board's findings of fact as recited in the opinion

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   OTHER litigation (non-asbestos): published appellate opinion whose findings of fact document this hull's builder constructing landing ship tanks at the Ambridge yard - the decedent, a 'tester of landing ship tanks,' was killed 28 September 1943 in a 35-foot fall from the bow of landing ship tank No. 286 on the southways of defendant's shipyard, after working the prior night on LST No. 282 on the northways; the yard is described as American Bridge's shipyard 'at Pittsburgh, Pa.' with its employment office in Ambridge a mile away. Contemporaneous court documentation of the same yard building the same ship type about thirteen months before LST-845 was laid down there.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   American Bridge Ambridge-area shipyard trades (1943)

   Limitations

   Classified DOWN per litigation-stage discipline: this is not asbestos litigation - a workmen's-compensation coverage dispute with no asbestos, exposure, or product content; it does not name LST-845 (hulls 282 and 286 were earlier Ambridge LSTs). Establishes only builder/yard/product context. Opinion text read in full this session.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-08

10. [10]Era inference built on: DANFS construction record (American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Oct-Dec 1944); NavSource specifications (LST-542 class, GM 12-567A diesel plant); Fleischer et al. 1946 PHS survey (ev-10); GAO HRD-80-2 (ev-11) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Fleischer et al. 1946 (PMID 21016030); GAO HRD-80-2 product page; DANFS/NavSource construction and spec records

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    A tank landing ship built Oct-Dec 1944 in a Navy-contract yard sits inside the documented wartime asbestos-construction era: the PHS industrial-hygiene survey of pipe covering in naval-vessel construction found amosite asbestos was 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels,' with asbestos cloth and asbestos cement also used; GAO documented asbestos thermal insulation as the Navy's major shipboard asbestos use through the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction and service era. Era-standard applications aboard a diesel landing ship of this type and period were pipe and machinery insulation/lagging, diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical cable insulation, winch/windlass brake linings, and interior finish materials in quarters and mess spaces. Diesel plant - no boilers aboard.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1944-1961

    Population

    American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1944); ship's company (1945-60); yard trades during overhauls incl. the mid-1950s overhaul referenced in ev-05; Zidell shipbreakers (1961-62)

    Limitations

    Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LST-845. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The BVA adjudication (ev-05) is a legal presumption of exposure aboard, not confirmation of specific materials.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-09

11. [11]Fleischer WE, Viles FJ Jr, Gade RL, Drinker P, 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1946 Jan;28:9-16 (PMID 21016030) - U.S. Public Health Service industrial-hygiene survey of two Government Navy yards and two Navy contract yards [other_primary]

    Locator

    PubMed record PMID 21016030 (verified via NCBI E-utilities); article text pp. 9-16 (pipe-covering materials section; X-ray results)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    Wartime government survey documenting the asbestos regime inside naval-vessel construction: amosite asbestos was 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels,' valued for low thermal conductivity, light weight, and refractoriness; asbestos cloth and asbestos cement were likewise used. X-ray examination of 1,074 pipe coverers across four yards found three asbestosis cases, each with 20+ years in the trade. Surveyed operations (layout and cutting, band-saw cutting, cement mixing, installing, sewing asbestos cloth, stuffing with amosite) generated the era's principal insulation-trade dust exposure.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1944-1946 (survey era)

    Population

    Navy yard and contract-yard pipe coverers/insulators (wartime)

    Limitations

    Era-level occupational survey, not a hull record: the four yards are anonymized (Navy Yards A-B, Contract Yards C-D), and Ambridge and LSTs are not named - pipe covering was principally a steam-plant application, so the asbestos cloth/cement and general-insulation findings carry the weight for a diesel hull. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, individual exposure, or quantity. Citation metadata re-verified 2026-10-03 via NCBI E-utilities (esummary 21016030); the pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov page itself is reCAPTCHA-gated to automated fetch.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-10

12. [12]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 blocked, HTTP 403)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    GAO documented that all Navy ships contained some asbestos in components such as clutches and electric cables, and that asbestos thermal insulation was the Navy's major asbestos use aboard ships; the Navy did not substitute alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s and adopted removal policies only in 1975/1979 - postdating most of this hull's service era (built 1944, decommissioned 1960, sold for scrapping 1961).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1979

    Population

    Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

    Limitations

    Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, reconfirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description and report abstract.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-11

13. [13]American Bridge Company, 'History' corporate page (live page verified 2026-10-03 via Firecrawl; curl blocked by mod_security, HTTP 406) [other_primary]

    Locator

    americanbridge.net/about/history, 1940s section

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Builder documentation from the company's own published history: '100% of American Bridge's capacity was utilized for National Defense projects from 1941-1945. American Bridge manufactured 199 LST's' along with aviation repair vessels, carrier components, cargo ships, tankers, and barges. The Ambridge plant was the company's original 1903 fabricating facility and company town ('Ambridge' = 'American' + 'Bridge'). LST-845 is one of the yard's documented 199 wartime LSTs.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1941-1945

    Population

    American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1941-45)

    Limitations

    Corporate-published history (builder's own source) - primary for the company's own production claims, secondary for anything else. Yard-level production total; does not document materials or conditions aboard any single hull, and contains no asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-12

14. [14]U.S. EPA, 'District-Scale Green Infrastructure Scenarios for the Zidell Yards' (site-history report for the 33-acre former Zidell industrial property on the Willamette River, Portland) - live document, verified 2026-10-03 [other_primary]

    Locator

    portland_zidell_report.pdf, site-history section (industrial uses; DEQ Voluntary Cleanup Program; remedial-investigation pollutant list)

    Finding type

    environmental_record

    Finding

    Government site documentation for this hull's documented breaking yard: DANFS and NavSource record the 22 August 1961 sale of this hull to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, OR ('for scrapping' per NavSource). EPA's Zidell Yards report documents that 'many industrial businesses have occupied this site since the 1920s, most of which were related to ship building and dismantling,' that resulting contamination entered the site into Oregon DEQ's Voluntary Cleanup Program, and that 'the pollutants found during the remedial investigation were asbestos materials, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), metals, polycy[clic aromatic hydrocarbons]' - i.e., asbestos materials are among the documented contaminants at the dismantling facility that bought this hull.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1961 (sale); site use 1920s-forward; EPA report 2015

    Population

    Zidell Yards ship-dismantling and site-remediation trades (through the breaking era and later cleanup)

    Limitations

    Site-level documentation, not a hull record: the EPA report does not name LST-845 and covers a site that hosted many shipbuilding/dismantling businesses across decades - the asbestos materials in the pollutant inventory cannot be attributed to this or any single hull. It establishes only that this hull was sold for breaking to a documented ship-dismantling operation whose site remediation found asbestos materials. Does not establish exposure of any individual or the asbestos content of this hull at sale.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-13

15. [15]Batch-7388 search ledger (this record): two live NHHC DANFS entries; NavSource; NHHC Pacific Fleet organization document; NARA catalog (war diaries, deck logs, fleet-organization photo record, flotilla war history); MARAD vessel-history search; BVA decisions index (7 hull-specific hits, 1 qualifying asbestos decision + 6 non-asbestos); GAO product page; PubMed/NCBI E-utilities; EPA Zidell document; Justia opinion; CourtListener (blocked); HyperWar mirror check; NHC photo-page check; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-01 through -21

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No ship-specific asbestos MATERIALS record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or material schedule naming LST-845/Jefferson County was found in the public sources searched. The only ship-specific asbestos record is administrative - the granted BVA adjudication at ev-05 (a legal presumption of exposure, not a materials finding). Six additional BVA decisions name the hull in non-asbestos claims (PTSD, back/shoulder injury, ionizing radiation, hearing loss). CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated API reported the shared daily quota exhausted (server-requested wait ~9.4 h); logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying civil litigation; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (mesotheliomasymptoms.com vessel page) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy; a grokipedia.com LST page also surfaced (excluded, AI-generated).

    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 - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (quota-blocked, not run). The BVA presumption documents a legal finding of presumed exposure for one claimant, not materials aboard. War diaries (Jan-Oct 1945), RG 24 deck logs (1956-60), pre-1956 logs (undigitized or unlocated), American Bridge work packages, and any 1961-62 scrapping records are open leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-jefferson-county-lst845-14