Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet he-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERDICT: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-pkt-he-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, John Paul Jones I (DD-932) (builder, dates, specifications block, service narrative through DDG conversion; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + service narrative (1954-1967)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down 18 January 1954 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 7 May 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Robert B. Carney, wife of Admiral Carney; commissioned at Boston 5 April 1956, Cmdr. R. W. Hayler, Jr., in command; 'second of the initial class destroyers of post-war design' (Forrest Sherman class). Specifications block: displacement 3,907 tons; length 418'5"; beam 45'2"; draft 14'; speed 30 knots; complement 324; armament 3 5-inch, 4 3-inch, 6 12.75-inch torpedo tubes, 4 21-inch torpedo tubes, 2 hedgehog ASW mortars. Service narrative: shakedown Guantanamo Bay; Northern Europe/British Isles cruise (Kirkcudbright emblem ceremony); homeport Newport (1956); Sixth Fleet deployments 1957 (Jordan crisis), 1959, 1963, 1964, 1965; NATO North Atlantic maneuvers Oct 1957; Operation Unitas circumnavigation of South America Aug-Dec 1960; fleet review for President Kennedy Apr 1962; Atlantic Recovery Forces station for Schirra orbital flight Oct 1962; Cuban Missile Crisis quarantine duty; Gemini 3 recovery station March 1965 (Grissom/Young); entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 2 December 1965, decommissioned 20 December for conversion to guided missile destroyer; reclassified DDG-32; recommissioned fall 1967.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1954-1967
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1954-56; crew across 1956-65 Atlantic Fleet career (design complement 324)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. The published entry ends at the 1967 recommissioning - post-1967 history is covered by the NHHC command history (ev-03) and secondary records (ev-04). Mirror transcription cited because the live NHHC page (history.navy.mil/.../john-paul-jones.html) returns 404; the same verbatim text is carried at globalsecurity.org and indexed in Wayback captures of the NHHC URL (Feb 2020-Dec 2025).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-01
-
[3]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 0839651, Docket No. 04-00 812 (St. Petersburg RO; decided 2008-11-18) - service connection DENIED for bilateral interstitial fibrosis due to asbestos exposure [court_record]
- Locator
- BVA decision 0839651, 'II. Analysis' paragraphs (service ships list; April 1980 surveillance report; examiner findings); Finding of Fact and Conclusion of Law
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- VA adjudication naming this hull in an asbestos-exposure claim, resolved against the claimant on the merits. The veteran served on active duty June 1956-June 1960 and February 1961-July 1986 aboard six named ships: USS Boxer, USS Daniel A. Joy, USS John Paul Jones, USS Courtney, USS McCloy, and USS Nimitz (during that window the only commissioned USS John Paul Jones was DD-932/DDG-32). The decision records his claimed exposure mechanisms - sleeping in berths under asbestos-covered pipes, shipyard/dry-dock lagging removal, asbestos tile work, boiler-room asbestos removal/replacement, fire watch on asbestos-clad boilers, bagging raw asbestos and sweeping debris, shipfitter work - and also records an April 1980 Navy asbestos medical surveillance program report in which the veteran stated he had NOT been exposed to asbestos during rip-out operations and had NOT worked regularly with asbestos or asbestos products before or during his Navy career. Conflicting medical opinions (private physicians diagnosing asbestos-related pleural disease/interstitial fibrosis vs. an April 2008 VA examiner finding the PFTs and imaging did not support those diagnoses) were resolved against the claim; the Board found bilateral interstitial fibrosis, including as due to asbestos exposure, not shown in service or thereafter, and denied service connection.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1956-1986 (service window); 2002-2008 (claim); 1980 (surveillance statement)
- Population
- One Navy veteran (1956-1986; six ships incl. this hull)
- Limitations
- Merits-level NEGATIVE for the claimant, not exposure evidence: the Board denied the claim because no qualifying current asbestos-related diagnosis was established - it never reached ship-by-ship exposure allocation, and the hull is one of six named, with no exposure mechanism attributed to this hull specifically. The veteran's own 1980 surveillance statement denied regular asbestos work. A denied claim does not establish that asbestos was or was not aboard this hull, does not quantify any material, and establishes no legal eligibility for anyone else.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-02
-
[4]USS John Paul Jones (DDG-32), Annual Command History 1 January - 31 December 1972 (CO submission to Director of Naval History under OPNAVINST 5750.12B; NHHC Command Operation Reports collection) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC COR PDF, letter of transmittal + Sections I-III (organization, chronology, narrative)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous command-authored record for this hull: DDG-32 served 1972 as flagship of Destroyer Squadron NINE (homeport Long Beach); departed Long Beach 7 January 1972 in company with Hancock (CVA-19), Higbee (DD-806), and Francis Hammond (DE-1067) for a Western Pacific deployment; SEATO exercise Seahawk (Manila Bay, February); plane guard for Coral Sea (CVA-43) and Constellation (CVA-64) on Yankee Station; naval gunfire support and Operation Freedom Train off Vietnam, expending more than 5,400 rounds of 5-inch/54 ammunition; North and South SAR stations in the Gulf of Tonkin; returned to Long Beach 5 August 1972; restricted availability at Long Beach November-December 1972. Enclosures include officer and enlisted rosters as of 31 December 1972.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1972-01-01 to 1972-12-31
- Population
- Crew of DDG-32 during the 1972 WestPac deployment (flagship, DESRON NINE)
- Limitations
- Operational history only - the command history does not address materials, insulation, or asbestos aboard. It documents crew presence and operations during one deployment year; the enclosed rosters (not extracted in-session) are a crew-population lead, not an exposure record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-03
-
[5]USS John Paul Jones Association ship's history page, DDG-32 (ussjohnpauljones.org); corroborating detail indexed at NavSource (navsource.org/archives/05/932.htm, direct fetch unreachable in-session) [museum_official]
- Locator
- ussjohnpauljones.org/ShipsHistoryDDG32.htm (full page); navsource.org/archives/05/932.htm operational/building-data and fate blocks (index excerpts)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Association-maintained history for this hull covering the DDG-32 era and disposal: conversion at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard December 1965-fall 1967 replaced 90% of the superstructure, added the Tartar SAM system and ASROC, and completely overhauled engineering equipment (specs given: 4 1200-psi boilers, 70,000 shp, 2 geared steam turbines, 2 screws, 33 kt, crew 364); transferred to Pacific Fleet, homeport Long Beach, fall 1967; three Vietnam combat tours October 1968-1972; April 1969 at-sea rescue of a USS Porterfield sailor; spring 1971 yard overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard; fourth WestPac deployment May-November 1973 (Tonkin picket, Haiphong minesweeping operations, Exercise Greenlight); San Diego 1974; Operations Eagle Pull and Frequent Wind (1975 evacuations); 1976 yard overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard; fifth WestPac as DESRON TWENTY THREE flagship April 1978; sixth East Asian tour April-October 1979; decommissioned 15 December 1982; stricken from the Navy list (association gives 30 April 1986); disposed of as a target off southern California at 032deg00'06" N, 121deg36'23" W in a SINKEX on 31 January 2001. NavSource index data corroborate: towed to NISMF Bremerton December 1982; Mare Island 1984; SBRF 1986; withdrawn 7 December 2000 for Point Mugu target preparation; towed to target area by T-ATF 171 on 27 January 2001; sunk 31 January 2001 in MISSILEEX at 32deg00' N x 121deg36' W in 1,988 fathoms.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1965-2001
- Population
- Crew 1967-1982 (Pacific Fleet, Vietnam deployments); yard workers Philadelphia NSY 1965-67 and Long Beach NSY 1971/1976
- Limitations
- Association/volunteer-history compilation, not an official record: post-1967 operational detail rests on it because the DANFS entry ends at the 1967 recommissioning. The association's stricken date (30 April 1986) conflicts with NVR-derived compilations (30 November 1985) - carried in gaps. Nothing in this source addresses asbestos content aboard. NavSource text was verified only through search-index excerpts (direct fetch failed in-session).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-04
-
[6]DANFS specifications block (Forrest Sherman class; steam plant era) + Atlas shipyard dataset records for Bath Iron Works (tier 2), Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (tier 3), and Long Beach Naval Shipyard (tier 1) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS specifications block; shipyards.json records 'bath-iron-works', 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard', 'long-beach-naval-shipyard'; ussjohnpauljones.org spec block (4 1200-psi boilers, 70,000 shp)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer built 1954-56 with a four-boiler 70,000-shp geared-steam-turbine plant would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation, lagging, gaskets, packing, fireproofing, and deck coverings; builder Bath Iron Works is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (tier 2); the guided-missile conversion yard, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (tier 3), and overhaul yard, Long Beach Naval Shipyard (tier 1), are likewise documented at yard level - placing this hull's construction, a major machinery/superstructure conversion, and two documented yard overhauls inside documented asbestos-use-era facilities.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1954-2001
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1954-56; Philadelphia NSY conversion workers 1965-67; Long Beach NSY overhaul workers 1971/1976; crew 1956-82
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - NOT a hull-level finding. No ship-specific asbestos finding exists for DD-932/DDG-32 (see ev-02 for the denied VA claim and ev-09 for the negative sweep). Establishes no individual exposure, no product identity, and no quantity; the hull was sunk in 2001 with whatever material remained aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-05
-
[7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships, did not begin substituting alternative insulation until the early 1970s, and removed asbestos insulation under standing policy only when damaged or required for repairs (1975 policy, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas) - placing this hull's construction (1954-56), its DDG conversion (1965-67), and its entire service career (1956-1982) inside the documented asbestos-use era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1979 (report); 1954-2001 (this hull's era)
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full report text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 - standing); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-06
-
[8]CourtListener API v4 sweep for 'USS John Paul Jones' / 'DD-932' / 'DDG-32' / 'John Paul Jones' asbestos (opinions and RECAP dockets) via authenticated fleet-paced helper (cl-auth-search.py) [court_record]
- Locator
- cl-auth-search.py stderr diagnostics and JSON output; courtlistener.com/opinion/4283013 (Hensley); NRDC cite 857 F. Supp. 734 (CV 94-2337 SVW, C.D. Cal.)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Partial CourtListener sweep completed via authenticated fleet-paced helper (cl-auth-search.py). Completed results: '"USS John Paul Jones"' (type=o, opinions) = 1 hit - United States v. Hensley, 52 M.J. 391 (C.A.A.F. 2000), a court-martial convened by the commanding officer of USS John Paul Jones out of San Diego; in 1998-2000 the only commissioned ship of the name was DDG-53 (Arleigh Burke class), so this is a NAME COLLISION on the later hull, not this record's ship, and it is not asbestos litigation. '"DDG-32"' (type=o) = 0 results. '"DD-932"' (type=o) = 0 results. Queries paced out and NOT completed (fleet budget spent, exit 2): '"John Paul Jones" asbestos' (type=o), '"USS John Paul Jones"' (type=r), '"DD-932"' and '"DDG-32"' (type=r). Out-of-band collisions also documented: Natural Resources Defense Council v. U.S. Dep't of the Navy, 857 F. Supp. 734 (C.D. Cal. 1994) - the 'ship-shock trial of the U.S.S. John Paul Jones' is the DDG-51-class shock platform DDG-53, not this stricken hull; 66 Fed. Reg. 22538 (2001-05-04) repeats the same 1994 DDG-53 reference; MSPB/Fed. Cir. 'Jones v. HHS' is a person named John Paul Jones III; BVA 1130116 references 'John Paul Jones Circle' (street address). No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull located.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- sweep attempted 2026-09-28
- Population
- n/a
- Limitations
- Sweep is PARTIAL: the exact-name opinion query and both hull-number opinion queries completed; the asbestos-conjoined name query and all RECAP docket queries paced out (fleet budget; not retried into a ban). Private-civil-asbestos dockets naming this hull may still exist unlocated - re-run the queued queries when the budget clears. The denied VA claim (ev-02) was located via va.gov, not CourtListener, and is unaffected. Hensley and NRDC are affirmative name collisions documented to prevent mis-attribution to this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-07
-
[9]Archival leads not retrieved: NARA RG 24 deck logs (USS John Paul Jones DD-932/DDG-32, 1956-1982); NARA RG 19 BuShips General Information Book / per-vessel material specifications; NHHC Command Operation Reports for 1968-1982 beyond the retrieved 1972 volume; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard DDG-conversion work packages; Naval Inactive Ships Program / MARAD custody records for the SBRF period (1986-2000) and the 2000-01 target-ship preparation; old-format NVR index page for the stricken/disposal entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov; history.navy.mil command-operation-reports collection; navsource.org fate notes; nvr.navy.mil (pre-1987 disposals absent from modern app)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Hull-level material documentation may exist in archives: RG 24 deck logs for this hull (1956-1982), RG 19 BuShips General Information Books (per-vessel material specs), additional NHHC command-operation reports for the DDG-32 years beyond the retrieved 1972 volume, Philadelphia NSY conversion work packages (the most asbestos-relevant potential record: a 1965-67 yard period replacing 90% of the superstructure and overhauling the engineering plant), and inactive-ship custody/disposal files for the 1986-2001 reserve-fleet and target-prep period. None was retrieved; the Internet Archive was intermittently offline in-session, blocking the old-format NVR index check.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1956-2001 records; leads identified 2026-09-28
- Population
- n/a
- Limitations
- Leads only - retrieval not performed; these holdings may or may not contain asbestos-relevant material specifications or yard work packages for this hull. The stricken-date conflict might also be resolvable from the era NVR index once reachable.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-08
-
[10]Batch-3861 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (404, verbatim mirror used); NHHC 1972 command history PDF (retrieved); ussjohnpauljones.org association history; NavSource index excerpts; VA BVA decisions archive; CourtListener API v4 (partial, fleet-paced); GAO HRD-80-2 product page; shipyards.json yard records [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-01 through sl-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, ACM inventory, product identification, museum hazmat disclosure, pre-sinking hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated exposure finding naming this hull was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger). The only asbestos-related record naming the hull is a VA service-connection claim that was DENIED on the merits (ev-02).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1954-56 steam-plant destroyer with a major 1965-67 yard conversion sits squarely in the documented asbestos-use era (ev-05, ev-06). Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-john-paul-jones-dd932-09