Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
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[1]research packet 735-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-jerome-county-lst848-pkt-735-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Jerome County (LST-848) and LST-848 entries (verbatim transcription at ibiblio HyperWar; live NHHC pages returned 404 on 2026-10-03 - archived NHHC capture verified at Wayback) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narratives (Jerome County and LST-848 entries) and spec block; ibiblio HyperWar transcription; archived NHHC capture web.archive.org/web/20251212164042
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS spec block: dp. 1,625; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 11'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 266; a. 8 40mm., 12 20mm.; cl. LST-542): laid down by American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa., 6 November 1944; launched 21 December 1944, sponsored by Mrs. F.D. Porter; commissioned 20 January 1945, Lt. R.P. Bentley in command. After shakedown off Florida she departed New Orleans 24 February 1945 for the Pacific; arrived Kalua Harbor, Hawaii, 9 April; six weeks of amphibious exercises, then Marianas - Guam 11 June - and shuttle of troops and equipment from the Marianas to Okinawa for the remainder of WWII. Postwar: occupation-force transport between the Philippines and Japan; departed Japan early December 1945; arrived San Francisco 11 February 1946; decommissioned at Vancouver, Wash., 10 August 1946; berthed with the Columbia River group, Pacific Reserve Fleet; named Jerome County 1 July 1955. Recommissioned 7 December 1959, Lt. Kenneth H. Ruecker in command; 14 May 1960 departed San Pedro for mid-Pacific missile operations out of Midway Island (5 months supporting the U.S. missile program); 12 January 1962 sailed for the mid-Pacific, assigned to Operation Dominic performing weather studies, charting, and communications during the 1962 nuclear tests; returned San Diego 18 August 1962. Sailed for Southeast Asia 10 August 1965; arrived Chu Lai 11 September; supported U.S. operations ~3 months; returned San Diego 22 December. Sailed again for the Far East 3 March 1966; arrived Da Nang 8 April; shuttled supplies, ammunition, and equipment in and out of the war zone until departing Subic Bay 1 September; arrived San Diego 13 October 1966. Second DANFS entry (LST-848): decommissioned 1 April 1970 and turned over, via lease, to the Republic of Vietnam Navy that same month; earned one Presidential Unit Citation, one Meritorious Unit Commendation, and five battle stars for the Vietnam War.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1970
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1944); ship's company (1945-46, 1959-70)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content anywhere in the entry. The DANFS narrative ends at early 1967 - the 1967-1970 period is covered only by the brief second entry and NavSource. Live NHHC pages returned 404 on 2026-10-03 (standing NHHC link-rot defect); verbatim ibiblio transcription cited; archived NHHC capture verified 2026-10-03 at web.archive.org/web/20251212164042/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/jerome-county.html. Transcription carries an obvious typographical truncation in the LST-848 sub-entry ('decommissioned on 10 August 196') - the correct date 10 August 1946 is established by the main entry and NavSource.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-jerome-county-lst848-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Jerome County (LST-848) ex USS LST-848 - specifications, unit assignments, Vietnam campaign table, commanding officers, foreign transfer and disposal chain (live page verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160848.htm - header block, awards, LST-542 class timeline, Vietnam campaign table, commanding-officer list, specifications block, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: LST-542 class tank landing ship; laid down 6 November 1944 at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA; launched 21 December 1944; commissioned USS LST-848 20 January 1945 at New Orleans, LA, LT. Robert P. Bentley, USNR, in command. WWII Asiatic-Pacific assignment: LST Flotilla Thirty-Two (CAPT. D.J. Sweeny), LST Group Ninety-Four (CDR. E. Roughton), LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Seven. Occupation service in the Far East 2 September - 8 December 1945. Decommissioned 10 August 1946 at Vancouver, WA; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet; named USS Jerome County (LST-848) 1 July 1955; recommissioned 7 December 1959. Vietnam Service Medal campaign table (served continuously in country and contiguous waters, except overhaul periods, late 1965 to early 1968): Vietnam Defense (1-12 Sep 1965; 25 Sep-7 Oct 1965); Vietnam Counteroffensive (7-9 Apr 1966; 27 Apr-2 Jun 1966); Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase III (20 Dec 1967-29 Jan 1968); Phase IV (30 Jan-20 Feb, 6-23 Mar, 28 Mar-29 Apr 1968). Decommissioned 1 April 1970; 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown.' Awards listed: Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), National Defense Service Medal (2), Vietnam Service Medal (4 campaign periods), RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (4), RVN Campaign Medal - page text summarizes 'one battle star for World War II service and four campaign stars for the Vietnam War.' Transferred to South Vietnam April 1970, renamed RVNS Nha Trang (HQ-505); custody assumed by the Philippines in 1975, renamed BRP Agusan del Sur (LT-54); 'Final Disposition, disposed of by the Philippines government in 1992.' Photo caption documents the ex-hull at anchor 27 June 1986 'when she was being offered for sale.' Specifications block: two GM 12-567A 900hp diesels; single Falk main reduction gear; three diesel-drive 100kW 230V D.C. ship's service generators; two propellers, 1,700 shp; twin rudders; complement 13 officers/104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers/147 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1992
- Population
- Ship's company (1945-46, 1959-70); RVN crew (1970-75); Philippine Navy crew (1975-c.1986); 1992 disposal/breaking workforce unidentified
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track DANFS/NVR but the stricken date is recorded as unknown (open gap). Photo captions document NHHC photo numbers (NH 79571, NH 98368, NH 98369, NH 98370, NH 68717, NH 68713) - archival leads, not work records. Contains no asbestos content; no hazmat or material record for the 1992 disposal located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-jerome-county-lst848-02
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[4]Era/design inference built on: Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan) - LST-542 group machinery data; NavSource specifications for this hull; consolidated era practice per Atlas class profile lst-1-class (CLASS-F) [other_primary]
- Locator
- BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST design table (per CLASS-F class profile); NavSource specifications block; class_notes/exposure fields of lst-1-class.class.json
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- An LST-542-class diesel-powered tank landing ship built November-December 1944 sits inside WWII shipbuilding's documented asbestos era. For the type, the asbestos-relevant applications are not boiler/turbine steam lagging (the class has no boilers - 2 x GM 12-567A diesels) but: diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation-space insulation, valve packing, and winch/crane brake linings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1992
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1944); ship's company and embarked troops (1945-46, 1959-70); foreign-service crews (1970-86); disposal workforce (1992)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, work package, or survey located for LST-848. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The diesel plant narrows but does not eliminate the exposure pathway.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-jerome-county-lst848-03
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[5]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 program under which this LST-542-class hull was mass-produced at an inland 'cornfield' yard (American Bridge, Ambridge, PA).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- 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 or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remained aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-jerome-county-lst848-04
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[6]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 the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or when required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - i.e., original-era insulation typically remained in place through the period. Documents that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1975-1979 (policy window documented); report 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. The documented 1975/1979 policy window postdates this hull's departure from U.S. custody (April 1970) - it bounds what the Navy did with era insulation generally, not what happened aboard this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch); content via product-page description, consistent with prior batches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-jerome-county-lst848-05
-
[7]Batch-7391 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live + archived + ibiblio transcription; NavSource live; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; hazegray mirror; Wayback captures; secondary-web litigation sweep (firecrawl); CourtListener (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-jerome-county-lst848-01 through -10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LST-848 / USS Jerome County (LST-848) / RVNS Nha Trang (HQ-505) / BRP Agusan del Sur (LT-54) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated helper reported the fleet daily quota exhausted (~9.3 h to reset); logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing pages (asbestos-ships.com, mesotheliomatreatmentcenters.org, gorilaw.com and similar) asserting asbestos aboard without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- 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 (blocked by quota, not run). The hull's post-1970 foreign-service records (RVN, Philippine Navy) and 1992 disposal record are not digitized in U.S. public sources; deck logs (NARA RG 24) and any American Bridge build records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-jerome-county-lst848-06