Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 801-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-pkt-801-packet-md
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[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(R)-1068 ex USS LCI(L)-1068 - construction/milestone timeline, flotilla assignment, campaign record, awards, disposal, specifications, Okinawa photographs [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/151068.htm header block, campaign/award tables, specifications block, photo captions (Okinawa nest; TG 52.20 target chart)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 15 May 1944 at Defoe Shipbuilding Corp., Bay City, MI; launched 24 May 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-1068 on 31 May 1944, LT F. W. Budke Jr., USNR, in command (May 1945); reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Rocket), LCI(R)-1068, 15 March 1945. Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LCI Flotilla Sixteen (CDR Clarence E. Coffin USN), LCI Group Forty-Six (LCDR A. F. Eckelmeyer USNR), LCI Division Ninety-One. Campaign: Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto 26 March - 30 June 1945; one battle star. Post-war: Navy Occupation Service Medal and China Service Medal (extended), 8 September - 16 December 1945. Decommissioned, date unknown; stricken from the Naval Register 12 April 1946; transferred to the Maritime Commission 12 November 1946 at Charleston SC for disposal, PDX-225 dated 27 September 1946; final disposition unknown. Radio call sign NZQE. Awards: China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1), WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp). Photographs document her moored in a nest at Okinawa with LCI(R)-643 and LCI(R)-1070, probably April 1945, and a chart of L-Day rocket targets places her in Task Group 52.20.5 (North Flank) for Operation Iceberg.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (May 1944); crew (1944-46); embarked troops
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS practice; the history is attributed by NavSource to USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry' Vol. II (Turner Publishing, 1995). Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. 'In command (May 1945)' indicates the CO's tenure as of that date, not the full command span. Photo caption dates ('probably April 1945') are contributor estimates.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-01
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[3]Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (Rev. 1953), Part IV Section 2(16), 'List of Ships and Units eligible for Engagement Stars' - LCI(R) 1068 entry (verbatim official-list transcription hosted by HyperWar/ibiblio) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Awards-IV-16.html, Part IV Section 2(16), LCI(R) ship list under P34-1
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official Navy engagement-star eligibility list credits 'LCI(R) 1068' with a single entry: 26 Mar 45 - 30 Jun 45, code P34-1, 'Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto' - consistent with the one battle star NavSource records for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1945 (engagement window); 1953 (manual revision)
- Population
- crew aboard during 26 Mar - 30 Jun 1945 eligibility window
- Limitations
- Official manual text reproduced on the HyperWar mirror (ibiblio), not the issuing agency's site. Confirms theater presence and award eligibility for the named engagement; contains no asbestos content and no operational detail beyond date/code.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-02
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[4]NARA deck-log inventory (batch-provided datum): Navy deck logs exist for 'LCI(L)(R)-1068', coverage 31 May 1944 - 31 December 1945. Corroborating lead: NARA History Hub staff answer locates WWII LCI(R) action reports/war diaries in RG 38 for flotilla sister LCI(R)-643 (Okinawa, 26 Mar - 23 Jun 1945) - https://historyhub.history.gov/military-records/navy-marine-corps-and-coast-guard-records/f/navy-marine-coast-guard-forum/28611/ [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA deck-log inventory line 'LCI(L)(R)-1068 5/31/1944 12/31/1945' (per batch brief); History Hub thread 28611/76707
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds Navy deck logs for this hull covering 31 May 1944 - 31 December 1945 under the designation LCI(L)(R)-1068. These logs are the primary source for daily movements, any repairs, and any battle-damage entries during her entire commissioned service - including the Okinawa period and the ~May 1945 damage event recorded by the LCI National Association (ev-05).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (log coverage)
- Population
- crew (1944-45); any repair parties during logged availabilities
- Limitations
- Archival lead only - log coverage endpoints are not commissioning/decommissioning dates and deck logs do not normally itemize materials. The NARA catalog is JS-rendered and the holding could not be independently re-fetched this session; coverage datum is carried from the batch research brief. Whether an action report or war diary specifically for LCI(R)-1068 exists in RG 38 is unverified - only the sister-ship (643) holding is confirmed by the History Hub answer.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-03
-
[5]HAER No. AK-52, M/V Husky II (USS LCI(L) 653), National Park Service / HABS-HAER-HALS (2012) - written historical and physical documentation of a sister LCI(L)-351-class hull [haer]
- Locator
- HAER AK-52 written data pp. 5-8 (construction, design group footnote 9, propulsion)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Federal HAER documentation of the LCI(L)-351 class (on sister hull LCI(L) 653): welded-steel construction throughout; powered by eight six-cylinder General Motors Series 71 diesel truck engines, four per shaft, twin variable-pitch propellers; designed 'to facilitate rapid construction' with critical materials avoided; splinter protection of 2-inch plastic armor (crushed granite pebbles embedded in bitumen). Footnote 9 explicitly lists hull numbers including '1068-1098' among the late-design craft with centerline gangways - this hull is within the documented design group.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1944 (class design period); documentation 2011-2012
- Population
- construction trades at ten LCI yards (1942-44, class context); crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Class-level documentation written on a sister hull (653, built New Jersey Shipbuilding), not this hull (Defoe-built). The report names hull 1068 only in a design-variant footnote - it documents the class, not this specific craft. The HAER text contains NO asbestos information; the only insulation described is post-Navy civilian reefer conversion (1980s spray foam). Does not establish materials aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-04
-
[6]USS LCI National Association, 'Honor, Valor, Sacrifice' casualty-and-damage compilation (revised from Elsie Item #100, March 2018 list) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Honor/Valor/Sacrifice table, ship rows '(R) 1068' and 'Frank W Budke, Jr'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The association's table lists '(R) 1068 - PTO - Okinawa Shima - Damaged', and separately records a Silver Star dated 21 May 1945 for 'Frank W Budke, Jr LT' - the same commanding officer NavSource names for this hull (May 1945). This documents that the ship sustained damage during the Okinawa operation and that her CO received a Silver Star; the table does not state the damage date or circumstances.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- March-June 1945 (Okinawa operation window)
- Population
- crew aboard at Okinawa (1945); repair parties if damaged in theater
- Limitations
- Veterans'-association secondary compilation, not an official damage report - the table notes it is under revision and incomplete. Damage date is not stated (the adjacent 21 May 1945 date is the award date). No material, repair, or asbestos content. Association site is an authoritative lead for LCI community records but not an official source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block for this hull (8x GM 6-71 diesels, 2,320 shp, twin variable-pitch screws; no steam plant); HAER AK-52 LCI(L)-351-class construction documentation (welded steel, GM Series 71 diesels, plastic-armor splinter protection); GAO HRD-80-2 program-level Navy asbestos documentation (ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block (propulsion); HAER AK-52 pp. 5-8; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A small diesel-powered landing craft built May 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era (GAO: substitution did not begin until the early 1970s), but her diesel plant removes the dominant steam-era pathway - no boilers, no steam drums, no turbine lagging. Era-standard asbestos-relevant applications aboard a craft of this type: engine and exhaust lagging, flange and machinery gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings. The confined 158-foot hull concentrates any such materials in a small machinery space.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (May 1944); engine-room crew (1944-45); repair parties at Okinawa-era damage event; disposal handlers at Charleston (1946)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, or work package located for this hull. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; the diesel plant means materially less asbestos than a steam vessel of the era. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-06
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[8]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 construction (1944) and service era (1944-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- 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 2026-09-29) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-07
-
[9]ShipbuildingHistory.com, Defoe Shipbuilding yard list (Bay City MI) - hull 321, LCI(L) 1068 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Defoe yard list, hull 321 row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Defoe yard production list records hull number 321 as 'LCI(L) 1068', US Navy Landing Craft, 236d gross tons, 158 feet, delivered '1-May-44' (month-resolution entry = May 1944), disposition 'Struck 1946' - corroborating builder, build month, size, and stricken year for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Defoe Shipbuilding workforce (1944)
- Limitations
- Secondary yard-history compilation (Tim Colton's ShipbuildingHistory). The 'Delivered' column carries month resolution ('1-May-44' = May 1944); consistent with NavSource's 31 May 1944 commissioning but not a day-level source. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-08
-
[10]Batch-4947 search ledger (this record): NavSource full-text page; NAVPERS 15,790 engagement list via HyperWar; HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945' landing-craft list; NARA deck-log inventory datum (batch-provided); NARA History Hub; HAER AK-52 full text; USS LCI National Association damage table; Defoe yard list; GAO product page; CourtListener opinion index (partial - one query run); secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement record, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming LCI(L)-1068/LCI(R)-1068 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion index returned zero hits for 'LCI(L)-1068', 'LCI(R)-1068', 'LCI-1068', and 'LCI 1068'; docket index returned zero hits for 'LCI(L)-1068'. A final combined docket-variant query could not be completed this session - the authenticated helper reported the fleet-wide pacing budget spent (short-hour wait, not the daily cap) - logged as pending, not as a negative result.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - era inference supports some asbestos use even on diesel landing craft. Deck logs (NARA coverage 31 May 1944 - 31 Dec 1945), any RG 38 action report/war diary, and the MARAD disposal file (PDX-225) are undigitized or unexamined leads. The litigation search is a genuine open gap (partially paced). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1068-lcil1068-09