USS Kirk (DE-1087)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]DANFS, 'USS Kirk (DE/FF-1087) 1972-1993', Naval History and Heritage Command, by Guy J. Nasuti, dated 22 November 2019 (verbatim Wayback capture 2025-02-26; live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Wayback capture 2025-02-26, history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/k/kirk-de-ff-1087.html (Guy J. Nasuti, 2019-11-22)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull (DE/FF-1087, cl. Knox; dp. 4,200; l. 415'; b. 46'9"; dr. 24'9"; 27 knots; cpl. 244): first U.S. naval vessel named for ADM Alan Goodrich Kirk (USN, 1909-1946; Commander U.S. Naval Forces France at Normandy; later Ambassador to Belgium, the Soviet Union, and briefly Nationalist China). Laid down 4 December 1970 at Westwego, Louisiana, by Avondale Shipyards, Inc.; launched 25 September 1971, sponsored by Mrs. Lydia C. Kirk; commissioned 9 September 1972, Cmdr. James P. Kvederis in command. Service: maiden voyage to Vancouver November 1972; first WestPac deployment 23 November 1973 with Kitty Hawk (CV-63), 60 days Indian Ocean, returned San Diego 1 June 1974; second WestPac - Operations EAGLE PULL and FREQUENT WIND (25 March-7 May 1975); during Operation NEW LIFE rendezvoused with units of the Vietnamese Navy near Con Son Island and assisted transporting refugees to Subic Bay - thirteen UH-1 Hueys landed on Kirk's flight deck within 24 hours; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; reclassified frigate (FF-1087) 30 June 1975. Homeport shift San Diego to Yokosuka - departed 17 July 1976, Destroyer Squadron 15; Korean-waters patrol after the August DMZ incident; Typhoon Carol transit 6 September 1976; major overhaul from January 1977, dry dock 5, seven months; Meritorious Unit Citation August 1977 for FREQUENT WIND. 1978 Indian Ocean deployment - first U.S. Navy ship to visit Taichung, Taiwan (25-27 August); READEX 1-79 with Midway (CV-41) battle group. September 1979 Harpoon and AN/SQR-18A TACTAS installed; dry-dock sonar-dome work 1-19 January 1980; Indian Ocean deployments July-November 1980 and February-June 1981 (INDO GONZO 81-3, MULTIPLEX 81-4). Baseline overhaul 18 January-15 November 1982 at Yokosuka. 1983: TEAM SPIRIT 83; Battle Group Coral Sea (CV-43); rescued 23 survivors of Taiwanese merchant Dai Lung during Typhoon Orchid (21 November). 1984: Battle Group Alpha (Midway), North Arabian Sea, 110 consecutive days at sea. 1985: Novorossiysk battle group surveillance; rogue wave departing Subic 24 June injured 7; recovered downed A-7 pilot 13 July. 1987: third U.S. warship to visit Brunei since 1845 (2-6 July). August 1988 shifted to Third Fleet; new homeport Long Beach. 1989 ASWOP 89-1/89-2; overhaul at Todd Shipyards, Seattle, 6 July 1989-2 March 1990. December 1990-January 1991 Panama counter-narcotics - first U.S. naval warship to refuel at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; plane guard Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and Independence (CV-62). August 1992 WestPac with Battle Group Ranger (CV-61); Arabian Gulf exercises NAUTICAL SWIMMER (with Kinkaid DD-965), SAQR AL BAHR (with Taylor FFG-50), EAGER SENTRY 93-1 (with Paul F. Foster DD-964); returned Long Beach early 1993. 'Kirk was decommissioned on 6 August 1993. Leased to the Taiwanese Navy, she was renamed ROCS Fong Yang (FF-934). Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 January 1995, ex-Kirk was sold to Taiwan on 29 September 1999.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1970-1999

   Population

   Crew of record 1972-1993 (DANFS complement figure 244)

   Limitations

   The entry's 'ROCS Fong Yang (FF-934)' is a naming error: official ROCN records identify ex-Kirk as ROCS Fen Yang (汾陽), FFG-934 - Fong Yang (鳳陽, FFG-933) is the Taiwan successor of adjacent hull USS Brewton (DE-1086). Correction carried in ev-uss-kirk-de1087-05. DANFS contains no asbestos or materials information. Live NHHC page returns 404; the Wayback capture of 2025-02-26 is the citation of record. The January 1977 and 1982 Yokosuka overhauls are dated but the performing facility is not named (Ship Repair Facility Yokosuka is the likely facility - not stated).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-01

2. [2]Naval Vessel Register, KIRK (FF 1087, ex-DE 1087) detail page (Wayback capture 2024-08-22; the live NVR interface no longer serves the disposed-hull record) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR SHIPSDETAIL_FF_1087, vessel status and milestone-dates blocks

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NVR milestone record: class FF 1052; UIC 20058; builder 'Avondale Industries'; award 08/25/1966; keel 12/04/1970; launch 09/25/1971; delivery 08/27/1972; commission 09/09/1972; decommission 08/06/1993; vessel status 'Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, cash sale, ex-US fleet hull foreign military sale case number assigned,' date status changed 09/29/1999.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1966-1999

   Limitations

   Confirms all construction/disposal milestones and the FMS cash-sale pathway; carries no hazmat or material annotation. Stricken date (11 January 1995) is not displayed on the NVR detail block - carried from DANFS and NavSource. The live nvr.navy.mil interface serves only a navigation shell for this hull; the Wayback capture is the citation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-02

3. [3]NavSource Online, Destroyer Escort Photo Archive, USS Kirk (DE 1087) page - specifications, building and operational data, awards display [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource DE-1087 page, 'Specifications' and 'Building and Operational Data' blocks

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Specifications block: class Knox, type SCB No. 199C/1964, 46 in class; displacement 3,020 tons standard / 4,065 full; length 415' wl / 438' oa; beam 46'9"; draft 24'9"; propulsion '2 Combustion Engineering 1200psi boilers; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine; 35,000 shp; 1 shaft'; 27 knots; range 4,500 nm at 20 knots; complement 16/211; armament Mk 16 ASROC launcher, 5"/54 Mk 42 gun, Mk 32 torpedo tubes, NATO Sea Sparrow, Harpoon from modified ASROC launcher; one SH-2 LAMPS helicopter. Chronology: contract awarded Avondale Shipyards Inc. 25 August 1966; keel laid Westwego, La. 4 December 1970; launched/christened 25 September 1971, sponsor Mrs. Alan G. Kirk; commissioned at Long Beach, Cal. 9 September 1972 (Cmdr. Kvederis), assigned Destroyer Squadron 23, San Diego; reclassified FF-1087 30 June 1975; departed San Diego 17 July 1976 reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, Yokosuka; July 1988 reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 9, Long Beach; decommissioned at Naval Station Long Beach 6 August 1993 'after 20 years and 11 months of service' and leased to Taiwan the same day; stricken from the NVR 11 January 1995; sold to Taiwan 29 September 1999. Awards display: Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with 2 stars; Battle 'E' (2); Navy Expeditionary Medal; National Defense Service Medal with 1 star; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal with 1 star; Humanitarian Service Medal; Sea Service Deployment Ribbon; Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1966-1999

   Population

   Crew 1972-1993

   Limitations

   Secondary archival compilation consistent with DANFS and NVR; contains no asbestos information. Repeats the 'Fong Yang' misnomer for the Taiwan successor (correct name Fen Yang - see ev-05). Complement 16/211 is the design figure; DANFS reads 244 and navysite 18/267 - variance logged in gaps. The '.. July 1988' homeport-shift line carries an approximate date.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-03

4. [4]Central News Agency (Taiwan), reporting on Chi Yang-class retirements (2025-01-04); Republic of China Navy official fleet listing (navy.mnd.gov.tw) naming 汾陽 Fen Yang in the 168th Fleet; Liberty Times feature on the class's boiler plant (2025) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   CNA report 2025-01-04; navy.mnd.gov.tw Partner_Info 168th Fleet listing; LTN def.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/4937323

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Post-transfer record for this hull: leased to the Republic of China Navy on decommissioning day (6 August 1993) and commissioned as ROCS Fen Yang (汾陽), FFG-934, on 6 October 1993 (zh-language Chi Yang-class fleet table); assigned to the ROCN 168th Fleet, homeported at Suao - the official ROCN fleet page continues to list 汾陽. CNA reporting (January 2025) confirms the Chi Yang class was reduced to five ships after Lan Yang (FFG-935) was decommissioned mid-January 2025, with Fen Yang among the five remaining and no decommissioning announced. A 2025 Liberty Times feature documents that the Chi Yang class remains the ROCN's only steam-boiler combatant type, still operating its two original-era 1,200-psi D-type boilers (Combustion Engineering or Babcock & Wilcox per the report).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1993-2025

   Population

   ROCN crew and Taiwan shipyard trades, 1993-present

   Limitations

   Documents continued ROCN service and the surviving original steam plant aboard this hull's successor - the LTN boiler-room feature is class-level (filmed aboard a Chi Yang-class ship, not stated which). No asbestos survey, abatement record, or hazmat disclosure for Fen Yang or the class was located in Taiwan-side reporting. The 1993-10-06 ROCN commissioning date rests on secondary zh-language fleet tables; the ROCN official site confirms the ship and fleet assignment but not the ceremony date.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-04

5. [5]Republic of China Navy official site (navy.mnd.gov.tw), 168th Fleet ship listing - 汾陽 Fen Yang, FFG-934 [other_primary]

   Locator

   navy.mnd.gov.tw Partner_Info fleet table; Chi Yang-class fleet table (zh.wikipedia) for the Kirk/Brewton name mapping

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The Taiwan successor to this hull is ROCS Fen Yang (汾陽), FFG-934 - not 'Fong Yang' as printed in the NHHC DANFS entry ('renamed ROCS Fong Yang (FF-934)') and repeated by NavSource. 鳳陽 Fong Yang is FFG-933, the Taiwan successor of the adjacent hull USS Brewton (DE-1086). The official ROCN 168th Fleet listing carries 汾陽, and zh-language Chi Yang-class fleet tables map 柯爾克號 (Kirk) FF-1087 to 汾陽號 FFG-934 while mapping 布魯頓號 (Brewton) FF-1086 to 鳳陽號 FFG-933.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1993-2025

   Limitations

   Two authoritative-adjacent compilations (DANFS, NavSource) share the same romanization error for this hull; the ROCN operator's own listing is the controlling source. The 'FF-934' pennant in DANFS/NavSource renders as 'FFG-934' in ROCN and zh-language fleet tables - same hull number, guided-missile designation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-05

6. [6]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (18 October 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   HRD-80-2, summary and digest sections (1975/1979 policy; OPNAVINST 6260.1; $2B estimate)

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   GAO review of Navy asbestos efforts (fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards): 'although all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables, most ships delivered in the last several years or now under construction have little or no asbestos as thermal insulation.' The Navy's October 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs; a January 1979 modification added selective replacement of asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas ahead of expected repairs. The Navy declined a one-time removal program (estimated $2 billion). OPNAVINST 6260.1 (April 1974, revised August 1978) established the asbestos control program.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1974-1979

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers (Long Beach and Norfolk fieldwork)

   Limitations

   Program-level document; does not name this hull or the Knox class. This hull was delivered August 1972 - inside the asbestos-era construction window GAO describes, so its thermal-insulation asbestos content cannot be resolved from this source either way. GAO's Long Beach fieldwork (1978-79) postdates this hull's Long Beach commissioning and predates its 1988-1993 Long Beach homeport tenure; the report documents shipyard practice, not this hull's material condition.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-06

7. [7]NAVSEA Manufacturing Technology Project DNS-686, 'Removal of Pre-Formed Asbestos Insulation' (final report, Southwest Research Institute, October 1982; DTIC AD-A122 347) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DNS-686 executive summary and sections I/IV-D (PHNSY initiation; YR-85/YR-35 field tests; $280,000/ship estimate)

   Finding type

   abatement_record

   Finding

   Navy technical report: 'Removal of asbestos thermal insulation from Naval vessels has become one of the most critical elements in the ship repair process.' The impregnation/entrapment removal program was initiated by Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard under Navy contract N00604-80-C-A265; shipboard field tests were conducted on barges YR-85 and YR-35 at Long Beach, and the prototype was shipped to PHNSY for production testing. The report computes a nominal $280,000 per ship for insulation removal using Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard historic data.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1978-1982

   Population

   Naval shipyard trades (insulators, shipfitters), late 1970s-early 1980s

   Limitations

   Documents that shipboard asbestos thermal-insulation removal was formalized, routine Navy work in 1978-1982 - the era of this hull's Yokosuka overhauls (1977 dry dock; 1982 baseline overhaul) - but the test beds were yard barges, the initiating yard (PHNSY) was never this hull's overhaul yard, and the report names no combatant ship. Does not establish that Kirk's insulation was or was not disturbed in any availability.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-07

8. [8]Cortez v. Lamorak Ins. Co., No. 2:20-cv-02389 (E.D. La.), Order and Reasons, Doc. 1069 (filed 8 July 2022, Judge Sarah S. Vance) [court_record]

   Locator

   Order and Reasons, Doc. 1069, Background section and Part II.B (asbestos gaskets), pp. 2-4, 8-24

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Published federal order in the Avondale asbestos docket documents conditions at the yard that built this hull: decedent Callen Cortez worked at Avondale's Westwego Yard from March 1969 through May 1974 (encompassing Kirk's December 1970-August 1972 construction there) as welder/tacker helper and pipefitter; his brother Daniel worked as an insulator at Avondale from August 1967 insulating vessels - including vessels equipped with Westinghouse turbines - with asbestos cloth; a second brother similarly insulated ships with Westinghouse turbines. The order grants partial summary judgment to Westinghouse on insulation-related product claims and denies it as to asbestos gaskets supplied or specified by Westinghouse.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1967-1974 (exposure); 2022 (order)

   Population

   Avondale Westwego yard trades (insulators, welders, pipefitters), 1967-1974

   Limitations

   Yard-level documentation, not hull-level: the order names no vessel, including this one. Establishes that asbestos insulation and gasket work on Westinghouse-turbine ships was performed at the Westwego yard during this hull's construction window - overlapping place, period, and equipment type - but does not establish exposure aboard Kirk itself. Partial summary-judgment posture (insulation claims dismissed; gasket claims survived).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-08

9. [9]Danos v. Avondale Industries, Inc., 989 So. 2d 160 (La. App. 4th Cir. 2008) - on rehearing, summary judgment for Foster Wheeler vacated and remanded [court_record]

   Locator

   989 So. 2d 160 at *162-163 (employment history; 'destroyer escorts' boiler work)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Published Louisiana appellate opinion documents asbestos insulation work on the very vessel type at the yard that built this hull: Golzie Danos worked at Avondale c. 1964-1977 (electrician's helper/electrician/foreman) on new construction and repair of 'destroyer escorts, Coast Guard cutters and high endurance ships, Exxon tankers, LASH vessels, and various cargo vessels'; he worked around boilermen insulating boilers, and 'his work around boilers was limited to the destroyer escorts.' Avondale's destroyer-escort production in that window was the Knox class (DE/FF-1052 series). The court found a genuine issue of fact as to whether the manufacturer's boilers were aboard the destroyer escorts where the decedent worked, vacated summary judgment, and remanded.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-28

   Study period

   1964-1977 (exposure); 2008 (opinion)

   Population

   Avondale construction trades on destroyer escorts, c. 1964-1977

   Limitations

   Yard- and vessel-type-level documentation; does not name Kirk or hull 1087. Demonstrates asbestos-bearing insulating work aboard Avondale-built destroyer escorts in the era, including Kirk's 1970-72 construction window - era/context, not a ship-specific finding. Procedural posture: summary judgment vacated and remanded on rehearing; no merits finding on exposure.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-kirk-de1087-09

10. [10]Batch-4020 CourtListener sweep (this record): opinion and docket searches for the vessel name and hull numbers, via the authenticated fleet helper [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-kirk-de1087-05 through -10

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweeps returned no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull: '"USS Kirk" asbestos' (type=opinion) returned 0 results; '"USS Kirk"' unqualified (type=opinion) returned 0; '"DE-1087"' (type=opinion) returned 3 hits, all reporter-page/name collisions (e.g., '1087' appearing as reporter pagination), none referencing the vessel. The docket-index (type=docket) sweep for '"USS Kirk"' returned 1 hit: Jackson v. 3M Company, No. 2:23-cv-03064 (D.S.C., filed 2023-06-28) - a PFAS/AFFF product-liability removal whose attached complaint alleges plaintiff Paul Eichholtz 'was formerly stationed at NS Great Lakes, USS Kirk, Norfolk NB, Newport NS, NAS Sigonella, NAS Maine, USS John Paul ... from 1982-2004.' Classified: other litigation (PFAS, not asbestos), pleading-allegation stage; the ship appears as one of several claimed duty stations, and the alleged window extends past this hull's August 1993 U.S. decommissioning. '"FF-1087"' opinion and further docket sweeps were attempted but blocked by the fleet-wide request budget - logged as blocked in the search ledger, not verified-clean.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    2026-09-28

    Limitations

    Absence of indexed hits does not prove absence of litigation - PACER/RECAP coverage of older state-court removals and unindexed dockets is incomplete, and 'Kirk' is a common surname requiring exact-phrase discipline. The 'FF-1087' opinion sweep and the broader docket-level sweep are incomplete (pacing limit); treat as an open lead, not a negative finding of record strength. The Jackson hit is a non-asbestos pleading allegation and is carried for completeness, not as exposure evidence.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-kirk-de1087-10

11. [11]Siegfried v. 3M Co., No. 2:18-cv-01575-FMO-E (C.D. Cal.), Owens-Illinois joinder ECF No. 50 - plaintiff vessel-assignment pleading (multi-ship asbestos complaint list) [court_record]

    Locator

    Siegfried ECF 50 vessel list; local extraction siegfried-ecf50.pdf via pdftotext

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    The Siegfried vessel list - which names Knox-class sisters Roark (FF-1053), Gray (FF-1054), Hepburn (FF-1055), Meyerkord (FF-1058), Lockwood (FF-1064), Marvin Shields (FF-1066), Francis Hammond (FF-1067), Downes (FF-1070), Cook (FF-1083), and Barbey (FF-1088) among dozens of ships - does NOT name FF-1087 / USS Kirk; the sequence runs Cook (FF-1083) to Barbey (FF-1088) across the hull's number. Verified by full-text extraction of the filing (downloaded PDF, pdftotext).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-28

    Study period

    2026-09-28

    Limitations

    A pleading's vessel list is an allegation regardless of direction: this is a verified non-hit within one pleading - evidence that this complaint did not claim the hull - not evidence about the ship itself or its materials. Other pleadings in the same docket or other districts were not exhaustively swept (CourtListener pacing limits).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-kirk-de1087-11

12. [12]Batch-4020 search ledger (this record): DANFS (live + Wayback), NVR (live + Wayback), NavSource, navysite.de, ROCN official fleet page, Taiwan CNA/LTN reporting, VA BVA decisions, NHHC command-history index, CourtListener [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-kirk-de1087-01 through -15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, Board of Veterans' Appeals decision, command-history asbestos mention, or court case naming USS Kirk (DE-1087/FF-1087) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The strongest proximity evidence is yard-level: documented asbestos insulation and gasket work on vessels including destroyer escorts at Avondale's Westwego yard during this hull's 1970-72 construction window (ev-08, ev-09).

    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 1970-72 1,200 psi steam plant is era-consistent with substantial asbestos insulation, and the hull remains in foreign service so no U.S. disposal/abatement record should be expected. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-kirk-de1087-12