Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(G)-81 ex USS LCI(L)-81 - construction, commissioning, reclassification, campaign list, awards, specifications, photo record (page states its history is from USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry' Vol. II, Turner Publishing 1995, ISBN 1-56311-262-0) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150081.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Timeline documented for this hull: laid down 5 October 1942 at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX; launched 6 December 1942; commissioned USS LCI(L)-81, 18 January 1943, LTjg. D. A. Parsons USNR in command (marked '(May 1945)'); reclassified LCI(G)-81 15 June 1944. Asiatic-Pacific Theater service with LCI(G) Flotilla Three (CDR Micheal J. Malanaphy; from 14 May 1945 CDR R. Eikel USNR), LCI Group One (LCDR J. F. McFadden USN), LCI Division Fourteen. Campaigns: invasion of Kiska 15 Aug 1943; occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro 31 Jan-8 Feb 1944; capture and occupation of Saipan 15 Jun-28 Jul 1944; Tinian 24-28 Jul 1944; southern Palau Islands 6 Sep-10 Oct 1944; Okinawa Gunto 25 Mar-14 Jun 1945. Decommissioned (date unknown); struck from the Naval Register 8 Jan 1946; transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 21 Jan 1948; final disposition 'fate unknown.' Six battle stars plus Navy Unit Commendation as a member of LCI(G) Flotilla 3 (31 Jan-28 Jul 1944). Spec block: 216 t. light / 234 t. landing / 389 t. loaded; 158'5.5" x 23'3"; 16 kts max; LCI(L) complement 3+21, LCI(G) 5+65; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; two sets of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, 1,600 BHP, twin variable-pitch propellers; armor '2-inch plastic splinter protection' on gun turrets, conning tower, pilot house. Photographs place her at Amchitka Harbor, AK for the Kiska invasion (Aug 1943) and at San Diego, mid-Oct 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Consolidated Steel Orange construction trades (1942-43); wartime crew (LCI(L) 3+21, LCI(G) 5+65, class spec); embarked troops (up to 6+182)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestones are consistent with the shipbuildinghistory contract record and uboat.net but the page itself compiles Turner Publishing's LCI volume. '(May 1945)' after the CO's name is unexplained (likely the date of a later command entry or source citation) - carried verbatim, flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-01
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[2]NavSource-hosted transcription of the Navy Unit Commendation to LCI(G) Flotilla Three, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, signed James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/15000031.htm, LCI(G) Flotilla Three citation page (quoted text and ship list)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Secretary of the Navy's commendation to LCI(G) FLOTILLA THREE 'for outstanding heroism in action in support of amphibious landings on enemy Japanese-held Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls in the Marshall Islands, and on Saipan, Guam and Tinian in the Marianas, from January 31 to July 28, 1944' - close-in rocket and gunfire against beach defenses in unswept channels, with casualties. The citation's ship list names LCI(G)-81: 'LCI(G)'s 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 345, 346, 347, 348, 365, 366, 371, 372, 373, 437, 438, 439, 440, 441, 442, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 470, 725, and 726.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-01-31 to 1944-07-28 (citation period)
- Population
- LCI(G) complement (~5 officers + 65 enlisted, class spec) during the citation period
- Limitations
- Ship-specific primary text (SecNav citation) hosted on a secondary site - the citation document names this hull and fixes her unit and citation period, but establishes combat service only; no asbestos or material content. The flotilla-wide award covers 31 Jan-28 Jul 1944.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-02
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[3]U.S. Third Fleet, Western Attack Force TG 32.3.6 / ComTransGroup 3, 5thPhib - Attack Landing Order (Peleliu operation), ComTransGrp3 SRP ALE No. 1-44, Pavuvu, Russell Is., 23 August 1944 (scanned original hosted by NavSource; OCR-verified this session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/18/pdf/180782a.pdf, p. 1, task-organization entries 32.13.7-32.13.10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The operation plan's task organization lists this hull by name: '32.13.7 Gunboat Support Unit - Lieut-Comdr. Eikel, USNR / 32.13.8 Gunboat Support Unit ONE - Lieut-Comdr. McFadden / LCI(G)'s 77 (F), 78, 79, 81, 82, 347, 454, 725, 726.' (A second unit, 32.13.9 under Eikel, lists LCI(G)'s 452-470 series; 32.13.10 is the LCI(M) unit.) This documents LCI(G)-81's assignment to the Peleliu gunboat support organization dated 23 August 1944, consistent with the NavSource 'southern Palau Islands' campaign entry (6 Sep-10 Oct 1944).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-08-23 (plan date); operation window Sep-Oct 1944
- Population
- Gunboat Support Unit ONE crews (LCI(G)s 77, 78, 79, 81, 82, 347, 454, 725, 726), Aug-Oct 1944
- Limitations
- Primary document (operation plan) naming the hull - confirms unit assignment for the Peleliu operation, nothing about materials or asbestos. The PDF is an image scan with no text layer; the hull list was OCR-verified visually this session. A companion NavSource PDF (160243b.pdf, Appendix 4 to Annex 'D', Beach White) is beach-intelligence graphics only, no ship names.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-03
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[4]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation of USMC/Navy construction records), 'Consolidated Steel, Orange' yard table and yard history [other_primary]
- Locator
- Consolidated Orange yard table, LCI(L) block, hull 81 row; yard history paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard construction table row for this hull: 'U.S. Navy | Landing Craft | LCI(L) | 81 | 260 | 3-Jun-42 | | | Jan-43 | | | | Struck 1946' - i.e., contract/order 3 June 1942, delivered January 1943, struck 1946 - consistent with NavSource dates. Yard history: Consolidated Steel Corp. developed the Orange TX shipyard for the war effort adjacent to an existing small yard (former Orange Car & Steel Co., successor to Southern Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co.); after the war the yard became a fabricator, for many years a U.S. Steel division, later a Signal International division, now Westport Orange Shipyard, LLC.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1948 (build and disposal record)
- Population
- Consolidated Steel Orange construction trades (1942-43)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of Maritime Commission/Navy construction records - corroborates contract date, delivery month, and striking year but is not itself a primary registry. The '260' column is the design displacement class figure. No asbestos content; the yard succession note is context for record-custody only (U.S. Steel -> Signal International -> Westport Orange).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-04
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[5]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 9828426, Docket No. 94-15 783 (decided 23 Sep 1998; appeal from VA RO Houston, TX) [court_record]
- Locator
- BVA Citation 9828426: Findings of Fact 1-2; Factual Background (SSA earnings record; Sept. 1996 co-worker letters; hearing testimony)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Adjudicated asbestos-exposure record for this hull's builder in the build window: the veteran worked for Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX, 1942-1946 (SSA earnings record: spring 1942-spring 1944 and first half 1946) as a 'Driller (IV)' in the boilermaker department, drilling holes in ship hull sides for rivets - outside the ships only. Two Sept. 1996 co-worker letters (a boilermaker, 1942-44; a shipfitter/leaderman, 1941-45) corroborated the drilling work and stated 'there was no asbestos in the area where they worked in that stage of construction.' The Board found the veteran was NOT exposed to asbestos during his Consolidated Steel Orange employment but WAS exposed aboard Navy vessels (asbestos-coated pipes; bunks directly under pipes), and granted service connection for asbestos-related lung disease.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1946 (employment); 1998 (decision)
- Population
- Consolidated Steel Orange boilermaker-department drilling trades (1942-46 window)
- Limitations
- Does NOT name LCI(L)-81 or any LCI - yard-level context for the builder during this hull's construction window (laid down Oct 1942). Merits finding is limited to one claimant and one trade (hull-shell drilling outside the ships); the 'no asbestos in that stage of construction' statements are claimant-side lay evidence about the drilling area specifically - they do not establish the yard was asbestos-free for insulation/outfitting trades, nor does the negative yard finding generalize. The vessels credited with exposure (USS Prince William CVE-31; AN-37 Teakwood; a '1918 destroyer') are other hulls, not this craft.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-05
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[6]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block (diesel LCI-1 class: two sets of 4 GM diesels, no steam plant); GAO HRD-80-2 (Navy-wide asbestos insulation use through the early 1970s); period shipbuilding practice for diesel-powered amphibious craft [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; GAO HRD-80-2 product page (full text blocked, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-09-30)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered landing craft built at a wartime Texas yard in late 1942 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era (GAO HRD-80-2: extensive asbestos insulation aboard Navy ships; substitution did not begin until the early 1970s). Era-standard asbestos applications aboard a diesel vessel of this type and period were engine and exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and accommodation-space insulation in the confined hull. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Consolidated Steel Orange construction trades (1942-43); wartime crew (1943-45); disposal/shipbreaking trades post-1948 (unknown)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, construction drawings, or work package located for LCI(L)-81. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The small combatant's austere outfitting likely meant less insulation scope than larger combatants - direction and amount both unverified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-06
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[7]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 construction (1942-43) and entire service era (1943-c.1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- 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 2026-09-30) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-07
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[8]NARA, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941-1978' series (NAID 594258, RG 24 / Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel); NARA History Hub staff answer confirming NARA College Park holds WWII action reports and war diaries for LCI-type vessels (RG 38-era holdings) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/594258 (series page); historyhub.history.gov Q&A 'Navy records other than deck logs' (LCI(R)-643 example)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The digitized deck-log series (NAID 594258; ~235,000 file units) is the repository of this hull's WWII deck logs, and NARA College Park holds ship-level action reports and war diaries for LCI-type vessels (History Hub staff response cites holdings for USS LCI(R)-643 covering Okinawa, March-June 1945, as an example of LCI-level coverage). These records - plus LCI(G) Flotilla 3 / Group 1 war diaries - are the candidate primary path for this hull's movements and any recorded material or casualty detail.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1946 (expected log coverage)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: item-level digitization for LCI(L)-81's own logs was NOT verified this session - the NARA catalog is a JS application and its API was unreachable without a key (HTTP 200 HTML shell only; no JSON). No document content reviewed; nothing establishes asbestos-relevant entries exist.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-08
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[9]Batch-5543 search ledger (this record): NavSource page + NUC citation + operation-plan PDFs (OCR'd); shipbuildinghistory; uboat.net; DANFS/NHHC canonical URL checks (404); NVR (no record); VA BVA 9828426; NARA logbook series page; CourtListener (partial - see ledger); usslci.org; Wikipedia LCI list; law-firm/secondary sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-01 through -15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LCI(L)-81 or USS LCI(G)-81 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener coverage was PARTIAL under fleet pacing: the completed opinion search on 'LCI(L)-81' returned 476 hits - all name collisions in the top-ranked results (LCI International / LCI Telecom / LCI Communications / LCI Holdings corporate-name matches and 'LCI' as a Louisiana insurers-fund acronym); a completed '"Landing Craft Infantry" asbestos' query returned 0; quoted-designation variants ('LCI(G)-81', 'USS LCI-81') and the docket index could not be run before the session ended - logged as blocked, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (partially blocked by fleet pacing, not exhaustive). Deck logs, action reports, and any Maritime Commission disposal contract for this hull are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-81-lcil81-09