Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet 735-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-johnson-county-lst849-pkt-735-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Johnson County (LST-849) - construction, WWII Pacific service, occupation duty, reserve-fleet naming, transfer to Korea (live NHHC page, verified this session) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block (NHHC live page, published 2015-07-23)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS): spec block 'LST-849: dp. 1,625; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 11'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 266; a. 8 40mm., 12 20mm.; cl. LST-542' - named for Johnson Counties in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. 'LST-849 was laid down by the American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa., 10 November 1944; launched 20 December; sponsored by Mrs. William B. Hetzel; and commissioned at New Orleans 25 January 1945, Lt. Emil C. Hetzel in command.' Shakedown off Florida; departed New Orleans 2 March for the Pacific via Canal Zone, Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok; reached Guam 6 May; sailed to Saipan 17 May; arrived Okinawa 26 May and three days later opened fire on a diving 'Nate', 'splashing the raider before he found his mark'; remained at Okinawa discharging cargo and shuttling supplies until the island was secured; supported fleet operations between Okinawa and the Philippines for the duration of the war; shuttled occupation troops and cargo to the Yokohama-Tokyo area during September and October 1945; departed Tokyo 28 October (DANFS text prints 'LST-489', a typographical slip for this hull); embarked veterans at Guam; via Pearl Harbor reached San Diego 15 December; steamed to Astoria, Oregon, in mid-January 1946; decommissioned at Vancouver, Wash., 13 June; entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet; 'While berthed in the Columbia River, she was named Johnson County 1 July 1955'; 'transferred to Korea in January 1959, and serves the Korean navy as Wi Bong (LST-812)'; received one battle star for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1959 (entry coverage)
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1944-45); commissioning crew and embarked troops (1945-46); Pacific Reserve Fleet caretakers (1946-59)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS milestone dates conflict with the contemporaneous BuShips roster (launched 20 Dec vs roster 30 Dec; commissioned 25 Jan vs roster 'first commission' 16 Jan - see ev-10 and gaps). DANFS names the commissioning CO 'Lt. Emil C. Hetzel' - the sponsor's surname; NavSource and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas give Lt. Emil C. Farkas, USNR - probable DANFS transcription error, flagged in ev-10. The DANFS entry predates the ROK 2006 decommissioning, so post-1959 milestones come from other rows.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Johnson County (LST-849) ex USS LST-849 - milestone timeline, unit assignments, campaign dates, commanding officers, specifications, disposal and museum disposition (page last updated 5 April 2024) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160849.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officers table, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 10 November 1944 at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA; launched 30 December 1944; commissioned USS LST-849 25 January 1945, LT. Emil C. Farkas, USNR, in command. WWII assignment: LST Flotilla Thirty-Two (CAPT. D.J. Sweeny), LST Group Ninety-Four (CDR. E. Roughton USN), LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Seven; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign - Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 May to 30 June 1945. Occupation service in the Far East 9 to 25 September 1945. Decommissioned 13 June 1946; laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group; named Johnson County (LST-849) 1 July 1955; struck from the Naval Register and transferred to the Republic of Korea in January 1959, renamed ROKS Wi Pong (LST-812), later redesignated (LST-676). One battle star for WWII service. 'Current Disposition, on display at a military museum in Gunsan, South Korea.' Commanding officers: LT. Emil Charles Farkas, USNR (25 Jan 1945-Dec 1945); LTjg. Willard P. Schneible, USNR (Dec 1945-Mar 1946); LTjg. Francis G. Waldrop, USNR (Mar-13 Jun 1946). Specifications: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full load / 2,366 t beaching; 328' o.a. x 50'; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted, troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; armament 2 twin 40mm w/Mk 51 directors + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm; propulsion two General Motors 12-567A 900hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230V D.C. ship's service generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; fuel diesel 4,300 bbls; 2 LCVP. Photo captions document: launching at American Bridge 30 December 1944 (crew photo); tied up along the Ohio River soon after commissioning circa January-February 1945 (NHHC photo 19-N-84616, a Bureau of Ships photo); beached at Okinawa circa 1945 alongside USS LST-842 and either LST-823 or LST-825; ROKS Wi Pong (LST-676) in an unknown South Vietnamese port 4 March 1965 and at Saigon circa 1969-70; ex-Wi Pong on display at Jinpo Maritime Park, Gunsan, 2 June 2018.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-2018
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1944-45); commissioning crew and embarked troops (1945-46); reserve-fleet caretakers (1946-59); ROK Navy crews and trainees (1959-2006); museum staff and visitors (2008-present)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation - its milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS but the launch and commissioning dates here conflict with DANFS (30 vs 20 Dec) and partially with the BuShips roster (25 vs 16 Jan commission) - see ev-10 and gaps. Romanizes the ROK name 'Wi Pong' vs DANFS 'Wi Bong'. Contains no asbestos content. No work, maintenance, or material record for the ROK period beyond photographic presence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-02
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, April 1945) - LST design table and construction roster (shipscribe.com scan of the official 1945 publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 (NAVSHIPS 250-011) LST design table (machinery and accommodations rows for LST542-931) and construction roster (American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa. block, LST849 line)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The contemporaneous BuShips roster entry for this hull reads, under 'American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa.': LST849 - keel laid 10 Nov 44; ship launched 30 Dec 44; first commission 16 Jan 45. The LST design table for the LST542-931 block (which includes this hull) lists: 2 x G.M. Diesel 12-567A engines, 1,700 shaft horsepower, trial displacement 3,960 tons, total accommodations 13 officers / 106 enlisted (LST932-979 and LST1060-1080 blocks carried GM 12-278A engines instead; LST1153+ carried steam turbines).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- n/a (design and construction roster)
- Limitations
- Contemporaneous official publication - the strongest milestone source retrieved this session - but its 'first commission' date (16 Jan 45) conflicts with DANFS/NavSource/EOA commissioning date (25 Jan 45 at New Orleans), a conflict that is documented in ev-10 and gaps rather than resolved. The PDF text layer is staggered in places (roster columns interleave); the LST849 row and the LST542-931 design row were read in place. Shipscribe.com is the host scan, not the issuing authority. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-03
-
[5]Encyclopedia of Arkansas (Central Arkansas Library System), 'USS Johnson County (LST-849)', Mark K. Christ, last updated 16 June 2023 [other_primary]
- Locator
- EOA entry 13542 (narrative and source list)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Authoritative state-encyclopedia corroboration for this hull: keel laid down November 10, 1944, by the American Bridge Company of Ambridge, Pennsylvania; 'christened and launched on December 20, 1944'; commissioned at New Orleans January 25, 1945, under Lieutenant Emil C. Farkas; crew of thirteen officers and 104 men plus sixteen officers and 147 soldiers transport capacity; 2 twin 40mm + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm armament; shakedown off Florida, departed New Orleans March 2, 1945, Guam May 6, Saipan May 17, Okinawa convoy May 26; engaged a Japanese torpedo bomber on May 29, shooting it down; occupation troop/cargo runs Okinawa-Philippines to Yokohama-Tokyo; departed Tokyo October 28, Pearl Harbor November 7, San Diego December 15; one battle star; Astoria mid-January 1946, decommissioned Vancouver, Washington, June 13, 1946; Pacific Reserve Fleet; designated USS Johnson County July 1, 1955; struck from the navy list in January 1959 and transferred to the Korean navy as ROKS Wi Pong (LST-812), later LST-676; on display at the Jinpo Maritime Theme Park at Gunsan, South Korea.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-2023 (entry coverage)
- Population
- Commissioning crew (1945-46)
- Limitations
- Peer-reviewed state encyclopedia drawing on DANFS (cited via hazegray mirror) and NavSource - corroborative secondary, not an independent primary source; it adopts DANFS's 20 December launch date while using Farkas (not DANFS's 'Hetzel') for the CO. Resolves the DANFS 'LST-489' slip to this hull. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-04
-
[6]Gunsan Modern History Museum (official), Jinpo Maritime Theme Park page - Wibongham exhibit description and ROK service summary (Korean-language page, live this session) [museum_official]
- Locator
- Gunsan Modern History Museum, Jinpo Maritime Theme Park exhibit page (museum.gunsan.go.kr/content/sub03/03_09.jsp)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The operating museum's official description of the surviving hull: the Wibongham is the park's principal exhibit vessel - built in the United States in 1945 and a participant in allied landing operations in World War II; acquired by Korea from the United States in 1959; deployed to combat in the Vietnam War from 1965 as a member of the Baekgu (seagull) unit; over the following 48 years performed combat missions and supported ROK Naval Academy midshipman and naval personnel training and practical exercises, and was honorably retired 31 December 2006. The vessel's interior houses exhibition galleries (Choi Mu-seon and artillery history, the Battle of Jinpo, famous naval battles, a 3D theater, barracks-life experience, war-artifact and military-history photo displays).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1959-2008 (museum narrative coverage)
- Population
- ROK Navy crews and trainees (1959-2006); museum staff and visitors (2008-present)
- Limitations
- Korean-language official page (machine-read in translation). The page identifies the ship by build year, transfer year, and service record consistent with this hull but does not print 'LST-849'; identity linkage rests on the consistent Korean-official and US-official record. It gives the Vietnam deployment start (1965) and 48-year service span but no hull numbers, and no asbestos, maintenance, or hazmat content - the museum's material-condition disclosures, if any exist, are not on this page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-05
-
[7]Stars and Stripes, 'Explore naval history and heritage at maritime theme park in South Korea', 27 March 2025 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Stars and Stripes (stripes.com), 27 March 2025 travel piece
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Independent press corroboration of current status: 'the former ROKS Wi Pong, or Wibongham, a tank-landing ship built in the United States in 1944 for use during World War II' is the centerpiece of Jinpo Maritime Theme Park in Gunsan, South Korea (park opened 2008, commemorating the 1380 Battle of Jinpo); the ship 'saw action in the Okinawa campaign and was transferred to the South Korean navy in 1959, later serving during the Vietnam War'; visitors can tour its interior exhibition hall with historical artifacts and naval-operations exhibits (admission 1,000 won adults as of the article).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2025
- Population
- Museum staff and visitors (2008-present)
- Limitations
- Reputable military press corroborating the museum display and service outline; not a primary source for dates or condition. No asbestos, maintenance, or hazmat content - says nothing about the material state of the preserved hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 design table (LST542-931: 2 x GM 12-567A diesels, 1,700 shp - diesel plant, no boilers); NavSource specifications (GM diesels, Falk gear, diesel-drive generators); DANFS spec block (cl. LST-542); GAO HRD-80-2 program finding (see ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST542-931 design row; NavSource specifications block; GAO HRD-80-2 product description
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A WWII mass-production tank landing ship built November 1944-January 1945 at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA, sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era (GAO HRD-80-2). Era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were thermal insulation, machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and deck covering, concentrated in the engine room and auxiliary machinery spaces. As a diesel-powered LST she carried no boilers and no steam propulsion plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply, while the confined-hull-volume exposure dynamic of a small diesel amphibious ship does.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-present
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1944-45); commissioning crew and embarked troops (1945-46); reserve-fleet caretakers (1946-59); ROK Navy crews, trainees, and any ROK maintenance trades (1959-2006); Gunsan museum staff and visitors (2008-present)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, survey, or work package located for LST-849. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity and no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The diesel plant narrows but does not eliminate the exposure picture (exhaust lagging, gaskets, packing, electrical and deck materials).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-07
-
[9]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 the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire US construction (1944-45) and service era (1945-46).
- 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, confirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-08
-
[10]Batch-7392 search ledger (this record): DANFS live page; BuShips SDB-1945 v2 full PDF; NavSource; Encyclopedia of Arkansas; Gunsan museum and city official pages; Stars and Stripes; NVR; CourtListener (blocked); GAO (403); secondary web litigation and asbestos sweeps; Korean-language museum/asbestos sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-johnson-county-lst849-01 through -12
- 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-849 / USS Johnson County was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated helper returned HTTP 429 (daily quota exhausted, ~9.3 h to reset); logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case: hits for 'LST-849'/'Johnson County' + asbestos are law-firm marketing content (mesothelioma.net, asbestos.com ship listicles asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy) and name collisions (County of Johnson v. United States Gypsum Co., 580 F. Supp. 284 (E.D. Tenn. 1984) - asbestos in a school building, unrelated to the vessel; mesothelioma.net's USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) page - a hull-number collision, not this ship). No Korean-language asbestos or hazmat disclosure for the surviving Gunsan museum hull was located.
- 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). ROK Navy records (1959-2006), any Korean work/maintenance packages, and the Gunsan museum's material-condition disclosures are undigitized or undisclosed leads; NARA RG 24 deck logs (1945-46) are undigitized. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-09
-
[11]Milestone cross-check: BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 roster (launched 30 Dec 44; first commission 16 Jan 45); DANFS (launched 20 December; commissioned New Orleans 25 January 1945, 'Lt. Emil C. Hetzel'); NavSource (launched 30 December; commissioned 25 January 1945, LT. Emil C. Farkas USNR); Wikipedia infobox (launched 30 December; commissioned 16 January 1945; Korea acquired 22 December 1958); Encyclopedia of Arkansas (launched Dec 20; commissioned Jan 25, Lt. Emil C. Farkas); Gunsan city tour page (built 16 Jan 1945; acquired 13 Jan 1959); Jeonbuk provincial tour page (handed over 19 May 1959) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 roster line; DANFS narrative; NavSource header + CO table + launch-photo caption; Wikipedia infobox; EOA entry 13542; gunsan.go.kr tour page; tour.jb.go.kr page
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION / CONFLICT RECORD: (a) Launch - contemporaneous BuShips roster, NavSource, the NavSource launch-photo caption, and Wikipedia all give 30 December 1944; DANFS and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas give 20 December. This record carries 30 December (BuShips roster + launch photograph) with the DANFS variant logged. (b) Commissioning - BuShips roster gives 'first commission' 16 January 1945 (matching Wikipedia and the Gunsan museum's 'built 16 January 1945' placard date); DANFS, NavSource, and EOA give 25 January 1945 at New Orleans - plausibly a delivery-commission vs full-commission distinction, unverified; this record carries both. (c) Commissioning CO - DANFS prints 'Lt. Emil C. Hetzel' (the sponsor's surname, Mrs. William B. Hetzel); NavSource's commanding-officers table and EOA give LT. Emil C. Farkas, USNR - DANFS's 'Hetzel' is a probable transcription error. (d) Korea transfer - 'January 1959' (DANFS, NavSource, struck + transferred); 'acquired 22 December 1958' (Wikipedia); 13 January 1959 (Gunsan city official page); 19 May 1959 handover (Jeonbuk provincial page) - consistent with a January 1959 US transfer and a May 1959 ROK commissioning, unverified. (e) DANFS prints 'LST-489 departed Tokyo 28 October' - typographical slip for this hull, confirmed by EOA. (f) A visitor report (DeviantArt photo caption) claims the Gunsan museum placard attributes construction to Bethlehem Steel Quincy - conflicts with every official source (American Bridge, Ambridge); unverified, logged not adopted.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1959 (milestone window)
- Limitations
- Documents conflicts among authoritative sources; resolves only where a contemporaneous primary source (BuShips roster, launch photograph) outweighs later narrative sources. The 16 vs 25 January commissioning distinction and the Korea handover date remain unresolved variants - all carried in gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-10
-
[12]Archival leads: NHHC photo 19-N-84616 (Bureau of Ships photo - LST-849 along the Ohio River, circa January-February 1945, captioned via NavSource); NARA RG 24 deck logs for LST-849 (1945-46); ROK Navy service records for Wi Bong (1959-2006); Gunsan museum material-condition/disclosure files [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource photo caption block (19-N-84616); NARA RG 24 series (undigitized); ROK Navy records (not located); Gunsan museum disclosures (not located)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads bearing on this hull's physical record: (1) Bureau of Ships photograph 19-N-84616 (NHHC collection) showing LST-849 tied up along the Ohio River soon after commissioning - construction-era documentation of this specific hull. (2) NARA RG 24 deck logs for the 1945-46 commissioned period - not digitized; would document movements, availabilities, and maintenance references. (3) ROK Navy records for Wi Bong/Wi Pong (LST-812/676), 1959-2006 - including any refits that could have disturbed or removed original insulation; not located in public sources. (4) Any Gunsan city / museum hazmat or material-condition assessment for the displayed hull - no public disclosure located.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-present
- Population
- Commissioning crew (1945-46); ROK crews/trainees (1959-2006); museum staff/visitors (2008-present)
- Limitations
- Leads only - none of these records was examined this session. Photo 19-N-84616's catalog number and caption are transcribed from NavSource, not pulled directly from NHHC or NARA. ROK-era documentation may exist only in Korean defense archives. No asbestos content established by any of these leads.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-johnson-county-lst849-11