USS Leo (AKA-60)

Evidence

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

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Leo (AKA-60)', Vol. IV p. 87 - hazegray transcription (losthistory.net mirror); canonical NHHC URL returns 404 (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); no HyperWar transcription exists for this hull (404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS Vol. IV p. 87, Leo entry; mirror https://losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/amphib/aka60.htm ; canonical https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/leo.html 404 on 2026-09-21; HyperWar https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/AKA/aka60.html 404

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Leo (AKA-60), Vol. IV p. 87: 'A northern constellation east of Cancer.' Spec block: dp. 6,556; l. 459'3"; b. 63'; dr. 25'9"; s. 16.4 k.; cpl. 404; a. 1 5", 8 40mm.; cl. Andromeda. 'Leo (AKA-60) was laid down 17 March 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J., under Maritime Commission contract; launched 29 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ogden Mills, wife of the former Secretary of the Treasury; acquired by the Navy 29 August 1944; and commissioned 30 August 1944, Comdr. T. E. Healey in command.' Service narrative: Chesapeake Bay shakedown; departed Norfolk 13 Oct 1944 for Hawaii, Pearl Harbor 4 Nov, Maui training, Port Hueneme cargo run returning to Pearl Harbor Christmas Eve; amphibious training then 27 Jan 1945 sailed for the Iwo Jima assault with Amphibious TF 51 (Vice Admiral Turner) - off the beaches D-Day 19 Feb, debarked troops first hour, nine days offloading trucks/fresh water/ammunition with night retirements while evacuating casualties, departed 28 Feb for Kwajalein; Okinawa - departed Saipan 27 Mar with Rear Admiral Wright's Demonstration Force for simulated landings on the southeastern beaches 1 Apr; ~0550 1 Apr a Japanese suicide plane crashed Hinsdale (APA-120), killing 24 and wounding 21, Leo sent all her LCVPs to pick up survivors; three days of decoy runs drawing shore fire; detached 4 Apr for transport area 'Baker' off the northern beaches; transferred Hinsdale survivors to a hospital ship; starboard 40mm mount splashed a low-flying Japanese aircraft afternoon of 6 Apr; all cargo offloaded by 14 Apr; towed Hinsdale to Ulithi arriving 23 Apr; cargo between the Marianas and Solomons the rest of the war (two voyages Saipan-Guam-Guadalcanal-Tulagi); Guam 26 Aug to Manila 1 Sep, loaded troops/equipment of the 43d Division, 8th Army, Yokosuka 15 Sep; loaded 6th Marine Division troops, rode out a typhoon, Tsingtao China - marines ashore by 18 Oct; Manila 23 Oct; Haiphong French Indochina cargo run; departed the Orient 10 Nov, arrived Puget Sound 15 days later; Naval Transportation Service in the Pacific until Korea. Korea: San Francisco to Sasebo with ammunition for the 7th Fleet, arrived 19 Sep 1950; Korea 9 Nov with ammunition, stores, and mail for the ships besieging Wonsan; Sasebo then San Francisco 19 Dec; again Sasebo 9 Jan 1951 arrived 27 Jan; Korea 10 Mar replenishing Pusan, Pohang, Wonsan; nine months Sasebo-Sea of Japan rendezvous; night underway replenishment perfected ('replenish a fast carrier task force in only 9 hours'); departed Sasebo 25 Jan 1952, San Francisco 9 Feb, overhaul; Alaska cargo run Jul-Aug; Oakland to Eniwetok 7 Oct-5 Dec; as an MSTS unit three more Orient voyages plus an Alaska run over the next two years; Oakland to Long Beach 15 Oct 1954, decommissioned 11 Feb 1955, transferred to the Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego; subsequently transferred to the Maritime Commission, name struck from the Navy list 1 Jul 1960, entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet berthed at Suisun Bay. Two battle stars for WWII service and five for Korean service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1960

   Population

   Ship's crew (complement 404 per DANFS spec block) plus embarked troops and evacuation casualties

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history for identity, dates, and operations. Single transcription source only - the hazegray mirror - with no HyperWar cross-check available for this hull and the canonical NHHC page 404; the transcription was nonetheless consistent with NavSource, shipscribe, and the MARAD cards on every checkable point. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LEO (AKA-60) Detail 2995, incl. digitized status-card images (Suisun Bay fleet card 2995_5575AF.jpg and record-of-ship-sales card 2995_AF.jpg, both read visually) and five document scans (SFNSY photo set, see ev-05) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Detail 2995 (data block, milestones) and cards /cards/2995_5575AF.jpg, /cards/2995_AF.jpg - all read visually

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records (Detail 2995 'LEO (AKA-60)') plus two status-card scans, all read visually. Web data block: year built 1944, Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock, General Type Naval Auxiliary, Specific Type 'AK Cargo Ship', MARAD type C2-S-B1, length 459.20 ft, beam '630.00 ft' (a data-entry artifact - 63.0 ft per every other source; flagged ev-10), gross 6,508 t, net 3,733 t, summer draft 25.75, fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Milestones: Entry 3/29/1960; Acquisition 3/29/1960; Disposition 8/3/1976 'CUST 1960 NDRF 1960'; Withdrawal 8/3/1976. Fleet status card (2995_5575AF.jpg, form MA-383 'RESERVE FLEET - SHIP PARTICULARS'): 'NAME OF SHIP: Leo AKA-60', type C2-S-B1, fleet Suisun Bay, category 'Mil. Aux. Cargo Attack', builder Federal, date built 1944, 'HULL NO.: MC-212', service prior to lay-up 'Navy'; TITLE field 'Navy' with a red 'Temp. Custody Reimbursable' stamp struck through; ENTERED date 'March 29, 1960' time 1145 PST, arrival draft Fwd 16'09" / Aft 18'00"; damages line partially legible ('Prog III ... memo 7-1-60'); 'OTHER DATA': 'Marad preservation: See Navy letter Jan. 11, 1960; Marad reply Jan. 20, 1960'; handwritten 'Title transfer Marad 6-30-60'; WITHDRAWN 8/3/76 1430 PDT, reason 'Sold scrap under PD-X-1009, 7/19/76 to National Metal & Steel Corp. for $235,000'. Ship-sales card (2995_AF.jpg, form MA-20 'RECORD OF SHIP SALES'): 'LEO (AKA-60)' C2-S-B1, PD-X-1009, awarded to 'National Metal & Steel Corp., 691 New Dock St., Terminal Island, Calif.', date 7/19/76, contract no. MA-8429, purchase price 'lump sum for LEO and SAUGUS - $470,000.00', year built 1944, LOA 459'2-1/2" x 63', gross 6508 / net 3733, light ship weight 6049 t, draft 25'9", location 'Suisun Bay, Calif., Resflt.', acquisition 'Built by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.', remarks 'Bid rejected under PD-X-998. Awarded to National Metal & Steel Corp., Terminal Island, Calif. for scrapping in U.S. - Category II type sale (Domestic scrapping)'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1976

   Population

   NDRF Suisun Bay caretakers (1960-1976); disposal-chain workers incl. Terminal Island breakers (1976)

   Limitations

   Primary custody/disposal record read visually from card scans - the strongest source for the post-Navy chain: NDRF entry 29 Mar 1960 under temporary Navy-title custody ('Temp. Custody Reimbursable' struck through), permanent title transfer to MARAD 30 Jun 1960, sale award 19 Jul 1976 under PD-X-1009 (earlier PD-X-998 bid rejected), contract MA-8429, joint $470,000 lump-sum sale of LEO and SAUGUS with $235,000 allocated to this hull, domestic scrapping Category II. Documents the SAUGUS package deal absent from DANFS/NavSource. The 'Prog III ... memo 7-1-60' damages line is partially legible - logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-02

3. [3]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Leo (AKA-60) page 02060 (Gary P. Priolo compilation; contributor Mike Smolinski; Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves CO table) [other_primary]

   Locator

   02060.htm - chronology, spec block, award/campaign tables, CO list, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive page for USS Leo (AKA-60, page 02060): radio call sign NHHP; 'Andromeda Class Attack Cargo Ship' header; chronology (laid down 17 Mar 1944 as MC type C2-S-B1 'MC hull 212' at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co, Kearny; launched 29 Jul 1944; acquired by the Navy 29 Aug 1944; commissioned 30 Aug 1944 'CDR. Thomas E. Healey in command'; TransRon Fifteen CAPT W. S. Popham USN; TransDiv Forty-Five CAPT A.C.J. Sabalot USN; 'Assigned to the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) in 1946'; 'Reassigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 1 October 1949 and redesignated (T-AKA-60)'; 'Decommissioned, 11 February 1955, at Long Beach, CA'; 'Returned to the Maritime Administration, 29 March 1960' for NDRF Suisun Bay; 'Permanent custody transferred to the Maritime Administration, 30 June 1960'; 'Struck from the Naval Register 1 July 1960'; 'sold for scrapping, 13 July 1976, to National Metal & Steel Corp., delivered 3 August 1976'); WWII Asiatic-Pacific campaign table (Iwo Jima operation 19-28 Feb 1945; Okinawa Gunto operation 1-14 Apr 1945); Navy Occupation Service Medal periods (13-19 Sep 1945; 4 Apr-1 May 1946; 7-18 Sep 1946); China Service Medal extended periods (11-17 Oct 1945; 2-20 Nov 1945; 4-25 May 1946; 16 Aug-2 Sep 1946; 5-24 Feb 1949); Korean War campaign table (First UN Counteroffensive 10-20 Mar and 6, 10-17 Apr 1951; Communist China Spring Offensive 28 Apr-1 May and 20-25 May 1951; UN Summer-Fall Offensive - six periods Jun-Nov 1951; Second Korean Winter - three periods Dec 1951-Jan 1952; Third Korean Winter 10-19 Jan 1953); spec block (6,556 t lt / '14,200 t.(lt)'; 459'2" x 63' x 26'4" lim; 16.5 kts trial; 48 officers + 351 enlisted; largest boom 30 t; cargo 4,900 DWT / 444,000 cu ft non-refrigerated; one 5"/38, four twin 40mm, eighteen single 20mm; 8 LCMs, 1 LCP(L), 15 LCVPs; NSFO 10,990 bbl; 'one General Electric steam turbine, two Foster Wheeler D-type boilers 465psi 765 deg, double General Electric Main Reduction Gears, three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators, single propeller, 6,000shp'); commanding-officer list of 8 entries (CDR Healy, Thomas Edward, USNR 30 Aug 44-1 Jun 45; LCDR Mead Jr., Charles Hamden to 19 Sep 47; CAPT Duryea, Harold E. to 21 Jan 49; CAPT Lawver, Rowland Clifford to 15 Dec 50; CDR Nolan Jr., Rathel Linwood, USN to 11 Mar 52 and again 21 Apr-10 Aug 52; LCDR Malboeuf, Paul David, USNR acting 11 Mar-21 Apr 52; CAPT Walker, Robert Power, USN from 10 Aug 52); photo captions (launching 29 Jul 1944 at Federal Kearny; aerial underway outside New York harbor 10 Sep 1944 - 'U.S. Navy BUSHIPS photo # 19-N-71003'; loading supplies destined for China at Nabu Wharf, Lorengau, Admiralty Islands, Jul 1947 - Australian War Memorial photos 304358/304360; underway post-WWII - NHHC NH83251; moored on the Willamette River, Portland OR, circa 1954 'transitioning to the Pacific Reserve Fleet').

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1976

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary archive; used for corroboration and for detail absent from DANFS (call sign, machinery spec incl. Foster Wheeler boilers, campaign/medal periods, TransRon/TransDiv assignments, CO list, disposal line, photo captions). Its 'sold for scrapping, 13 July 1976' conflicts with the MARAD sales card's 19 July award (ev-02, ev-10); its 48+351=399 complement conflicts with DANFS's 404 (ev-10); its unqualified 'reassigned to MSTS 1 Oct 1949' masks shipscribe's two-interval MSTS subordination (ev-04). Boiler manufacturer is single-sourced to this spec block. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-03

4. [4]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Andromeda (AKA-15) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AKA-15 class page: characteristics block, construction table (AKA-60 row), disposition table, later-armament rows, ship note (MC 212), class notes

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the Andromeda (AKA-15) class tables and ship notes: construction row - LEO acquired 29 Aug 44, Federal SB & DD Kearny, keel 17 Mar 44, launch '29 Jun 44' (conflicts with DANFS/NavSource/launch photo 29 Jul 1944 - flagged ev-10), commiss. 30 Aug 44. Disposition row - decomm. 11 Feb 55, strike 1 Jul 60, disposal 30 Jun 60 'MA/T', MA sale 19 Jul 76. Later-armament rows naming this hull: '1-5"/38 4-40mmT 6<12-20mmS (1946-55: AKA 53-55, 60-61, 88-90)' and '1-5"/38 4-40mmT 4<14-20mmT (1946-57: AKA-15, 54-61, 88-98, 100)'. Ship note for MC hull 212: 'Served in MSTS as a commissioned naval vessel from 1 Oct 49 to mid-1950 and from 19 May 52 to 1955. In USN reserve 1955-60. To NDRF 29 Mar 60, to buyer 3 Aug 76.' Class notes: AKA 53-63 acquired under the 9 Jul 43 CominCh/16 Jul 43 Auxiliary Vessels Board program (8 from Federal incl. Leo, 3 from Moore); the quadruped-mast design innovation of the class; 'All but AKA 54, 56-57, and 109-111 were completed under the Maritime Commission Military Program' - Leo thus completed under the MC Military Program; twelve AKAs (incl. ten AKA-15-class units) were on commissioned NTS duty when MSTS inherited them 1 Oct 49.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1976

   Population

   Federal Shipbuilding Kearny construction workforce (1944); MSTS-era crews; NDRF caretakers; disposal-chain workers

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records, not the registers themselves; figures used only where consistent with DANFS/NavSource/MARAD cards. Supplies the MC-212 ship note with the two-interval MSTS subordination (1 Oct 49-mid-1950 and 19 May 52-1955) that NavSource's flat 'reassigned 1 Oct 1949' masks, the '19 Jul 76' MA-sale date concurring with the MARAD card, and the '29 Jun 44' launch cell that conflicts with every other source. Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-04

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LEO Detail 2995, document scans Leo_2995_001.jpg - _005.jpg (U.S. Navy San Francisco Naval Shipyard antenna-arrangement photographs, 4 March 1954) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Detail 2995 'Images' tab scans Leo_2995_001-005 (NY1-500 through NY1-504 caption blocks read visually)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory document scans (Detail 2995, images Leo_2995_001 through _005, all read visually): five official U.S. Navy antenna-arrangement photographs of USS LEO (T-AKA-60) photographed at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, 4 March 1954 - caption blocks read 'NY1-500-(G-S)-3-4-54 USS LEO T-AKA-60 ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT, PORT VIEW 20 deg SAN FRANCISCO NAVAL SHIPYARD', 'NY1-501 ... PORT VIEW 90 deg', 'NY1-502 ... PORT VIEW 45 deg', 'NY1-503 ... PORT VIEW 135 deg', 'NY1-504 ... FORWARD LOOKING AFT', with hand-annotated antenna-position callouts across mast and topside details (SG-1B, SC-3, AN/UPX-1, AN/UPX-5, AN/URR-35, AS-177/UPX (TEST), TBS, TDZ/RDZ, TCS, TCP, TAJ, TDE, TBK, TED, RBH, DAS-4, SCR-608, REC.). The set documents a San Francisco Naval Shipyard (Hunters Point) availability in March 1954 - during her MSTS Orient-voyages period, seven months before she steamed to Long Beach for decommissioning.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1954

   Population

   San Francisco Naval Shipyard (Hunters Point) workforce (March 1954 availability)

   Limitations

   Official Navy yard photographs establish presence at San Francisco Naval Shipyard (Hunters Point) on 4 March 1954 for an antenna-identification survey series; they document the availability, not its work scope. The 'T-AKA-60' caption is consistent with her MSTS designation. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-05

6. [6]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr 25001803, Docket No. 19-01 293 (6 Feb 2025), quoting January 2000 and August 2018 DTRA Operation IVY memoranda for USS Leo [court_record]

   Locator

   va.gov/vetapp25/Files2/25001803.txt - 'Reasons and Bases' section quoting the DTRA dose-reconstruction memoranda

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Board of Veterans' Appeals decision, Citation Nr 25001803, Docket No. 19-01 293 (decided February 6, 2025): entitlement to service connection for prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone, claimed as due to exposure to ionizing radiation, DENIED. The decision quotes a January 2000 Defense Threat Reduction Agency memorandum documenting this hull's Operation IVY service in detail: the Veteran was assigned to the USS Leo on 11 September 1952 and arrived at Enewetak aboard that ship on 20 October 1952; at the Shot MIKE detonation (1 November 1952) the ship was approximately 35 nautical miles southeast of surface zero; USS Leo reentered Enewetak Lagoon and anchored off Parry Island about 18 nautical miles southeast of the MIKE crater on the morning of 2 November 1952; fallout from Shot MIKE descended over that area 3-4 November and again 7-8 November 1952; estimated average topside intensity on USS Leo peaked about 0.46 mR/hr early 4 November, diminishing to ~0.2 mR/hr by the evening of 7 November, the second fallout wave adding ~0.05 mR/hr (based on samples collected from nearby USS Estes); USS Leo did not receive Shot KING fallout (out of the area 16-17 November); she returned to Enewetak 21 November 1952 and departed for Pearl Harbor 5 days later; the Veteran reported witnessing a detonation on deck, the ship receiving fallout, and participation in decontamination activities. Dose reconstruction aboard the ship: 0.023 rem for 1-18 November 1952; 0.051 rem gamma total for 1 November 1952-28 October 1953; skin dose up to 0.6 rem. An August 2018 DTRA memorandum reevaluated the dose under an updated regulation (bounding external gamma 18 rem, neutron 0.5 rem, committed prostate alpha 4.5 rem, beta+gamma 2 rem); a September 2018 administrative decision and a January 2022 VA opinion found the prostate cancer unlikely to have resulted from service radiation exposure.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1952 (event); 2000/2018 (DTRA memoranda); 2025 (BVA order)

   Population

   USS Leo crew present at Operation IVY (Oct-Nov 1952); the claimant veteran (assigned 11 Sep 1952)

   Limitations

   Adjudicated VA record naming this hull - a NON-ASBESTOS claim (ionizing radiation, Operation IVY, Pacific Proving Ground). Documents ship-specific radiological events: fallout deposition aboard, crew decontamination work, and reconstructed topside intensities - corroborating DANFS's Oakland-Eniwetok cargo run 7 Oct-5 Dec 1952 and adding Operation IVY detail DANFS omits. A merits-level negative for that claimant's radiation theory; contains no asbestos information and establishes or defeats nothing about asbestos exposure or eligibility. Classified at the decision stage (final BVA order, not a pleading allegation).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-06

7. [7]Consolidated era/design inference - NavSource spec block machinery data for this hull (ev-03) + documented construction/yard/custody timeline (ev-01, ev-02, ev-04, ev-05) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource spec block (machinery); DANFS (Feb 1952 overhaul, decommissioning); MARAD images (SFNSY Mar 1954) and cards (NDRF, disposal); shipscribe ship note MC 212

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw GE geared-turbine steam plant (two Foster Wheeler D-type boilers at 465 psi / 765 deg F, double GE main reduction gears, three 300 kW DC ship's-service generators per NavSource) built under the Maritime Commission military construction program at Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, March-August 1944. The machinery configuration is the configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine and reduction-gear lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, accommodation joiner insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Documented disturbance-phase touchpoints for this hull: construction and fitting-out at Federal Kearny Mar-Aug 1944, overlapping the yard's Owens-Illinois industrial-health survey of 30 Aug-2 Sep 1944 (ev-08); a February 1952 overhaul at San Francisco (yard unnamed in DANFS); a San Francisco Naval Shipyard (Hunters Point) antenna-survey availability 4 Mar 1954 (official photo set, ev-05); decommissioning at Long Beach 11 Feb 1955; Pacific Reserve Fleet lay-up 1955-1960; NDRF Suisun Bay 29 Mar 1960-3 Aug 1976; domestic scrapping at National Metal & Steel, Terminal Island, from Aug 1976.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1976

   Population

   Federal Shipbuilding Kearny construction trades (1944); wartime and career crews plus embarked troops; San Francisco Naval Shipyard workforce (1954) and unnamed 1952 overhaul yard; Long Beach decommissioning workforce (1955); NDRF caretakers (1960-76); Terminal Island breakers (1976)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction program, and yard/custody timeline - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, work package, or material schedule naming AKA-60/T-AKA-60/MC 212 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. Yard presence is documented where noted; the asbestos scope of each event is inference only.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-07

8. [8]Owens-Illinois, Inc., Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 1944); Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX (1990) - scan via Toxic Documents archive [other_primary]

   Locator

   Survey document (toxicdocs.org scan); Atlas shipyards.json entry federal-shipbuilding-kearny flagship evidence ev-federal-kearny-ihs-1944 (verified 2026-09-21)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Owens-Illinois conducted an Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ, August 30-September 2, 1944 - the same days this hull was acquired by the Navy (29 Aug 1944) and commissioned (30 Aug 1944) at that yard, closing out her fitting-out period. The survey documented insulator work with asbestos pipe covering (Johns-Manville Superex) and boiler insulation in confined shipyard spaces, with dust counts measured during cutting and fitting operations. The survey was later introduced as Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in asbestos litigation (Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX, 1990).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944 (survey conducted Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 1944)

   Population

   Shipyard insulators and pipefitters at Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (1944)

   Limitations

   Builder-yard documentation, not a hull record - documents asbestos products in active use at the Kearny yard on the precise days this hull was delivered and commissioned there, but does not name this vessel, does not establish that these products went aboard this specific hull, and establishes nothing about quantity, location, or exposure. Survey conducted by Owens-Illinois, a manufacturer with commercial interest in the findings.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-08

9. [9]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII, the era and Maritime Commission military construction program under which this 1944 hull was built.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship on WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or the Federal Kearny yard specifically and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-leo-aka60-09

10. [10]MARAD status cards 2995_5575AF and 2995_AF (ev-02) and launch photo caption (ev-03) vs. shipscribe construction table, NavSource 02060, DANFS mirror, Wikipedia USS Leo [other_primary]

    Locator

    Fleet card 'Sold scrap under PD-X-1009, 7/19/76' + sales card '7/19/76'; NavSource launch caption 29 Jul 1944, strike/sale lines, spec block, CO table, Portland photo caption; shipscribe construction/disposition tables and MC-212 ship note; DANFS spec block and closing paragraph

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies resolved against primary records: (1) Launch date - the shipscribe construction table gives '29 Jun 44'; DANFS, NavSource, the launch photograph caption, and Wikipedia all give 29 July 1944 - 29 July adopted; shipscribe's June cell carried as a one-month transcription defect. (2) Sale award date - NavSource 'sold for scrapping, 13 July 1976' conflicts with the MARAD MA-20 sales card 'awarded ... 7/19/76' and fleet card 'Sold scrap under PD-X-1009, 7/19/76' (Wikipedia concurs: 19 July) - 19 July adopted per the primary custody cards; '13 July' carried as a NavSource defect. (3) Complement - DANFS 'cpl. 404' (Wikipedia concurring) vs NavSource '48 officers + 351 enlisted' (=399) - 404 adopted per DANFS; the five-man discrepancy logged. (4) MARAD data block 'Beam 630.00 feet' - data-entry artifact (63.0 ft per DANFS, NavSource, and the MA-20 card itself) - flagged, not adopted. (5) Commanding-officer surname - DANFS 'Comdr. T. E. Healey' vs NavSource CO table 'CDR. Healy, Thomas Edward, USNR' - spelling discrepancy logged, not resolved; both carried. (6) MSTS subordination - NavSource's unqualified 'Reassigned to MSTS, 1 October 1949' vs shipscribe ship note 'MSTS ... from 1 Oct 49 to mid-1950 and from 19 May 52 to 1955' - shipscribe's two-interval record implies reversion to regular naval service during the mid-1950-May 1952 Korean amphibious surge; shipscribe adopted as the more precise administrative record, discrepancy flagged. (7) Reserve-fleet location - DANFS 'Pacific Reserve Fleet San Diego' vs NavSource photo caption 'Willamette River in Portland Oregon ... transitioning to the Pacific Reserve Fleet' (circa 1954) - reserve-group discrepancy logged. (8) NavSource spec block '14,200 t.(lt)' - the second 'lt' is a full-load labeling slip (shipscribe class data 7,132 t light / 14,200 t limiting). (9) Light displacement - DANFS 6,556 t vs shipscribe class table 7,132 t light - logged.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1976

    Limitations

    Resolves transcription/data-entry defects against primary custody cards and the launch photo; does not affect the service or disposal timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-leo-aka60-10

11. [11]Batch-1041 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via hazegray mirror; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2995 incl. two status-card scans and five document scans; shipscribe Andromeda-class page; NavSource; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated, throttled) + site-index sweep; VA BVA index; NVR; Wikipedia; NARA record-group guides; shipyards.json cross-check [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-leo-aka60-01 through sl-uss-leo-aka60-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Leo / AKA-60 / T-AKA-60 / MC hull 212 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener API v4 (authenticated) was rate-limited all session (HTTP 429, shared 2,800/day quota); the indexed-web sweep surfaced only name collisions (Pope Leo, Leo surnames, Leo-county local litigation - none naming this hull). One adjudicated VA record names the hull for a non-asbestos claim (BVA 25001803, Operation IVY radiation - ev-06). Law-firm marketing pages do exist: navyshipexposure.com carries a dedicated USS Leo hull page asserting a litigation-sourced 'equipment manifest' (Foster Wheeler, General Electric, GM/Delco) and claiming the manifest was 'assembled from depositions, expert reports' without producing them; asbestos-ships.com carries a dedicated hull page asserting era-typical asbestos incl. 'Everyone who served on the USS Leo (AKA-60) inhaled the asbestos fibers' without primary support; simmonsfirm.com lists her in a navy-ships roster - all excluded as sources per the no-law-firm-sources rule and logged in the batch report.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    2026-09-21

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 geared-turbine steam auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her Federal Kearny fitting-out, the unnamed 1952 overhaul yard, the 1954 Hunters Point availability, reserve-fleet lay-ups, and 1976 scrapping are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener API was throttled the entire session (authenticated 2,800/day shared quota); litigation coverage rests on the indexed-web sweep - see ledger sl-08/sl-09.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-leo-aka60-11

12. [12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24, RG 19, RG 178, RG 181, RG 357 record-group pages; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2995 card annotations (preservation correspondence, PD-X-998, PD-X-1009/MA-8429); BVA 25001803 (DTRA memoranda references) [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/181.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/2995 ; https://www.va.gov/vetapp25/Files2/25001803.txt

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Leo 1944-1955 (RG 24, NARA - no war-diary or logbook scan located online; NavSource hosts no diary PDF for this hull); USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 212 at Federal Shipbuilding (RG 178); BuShips records incl. C2-S-B1 contract plans and machinery data (RG 19 - navyshipexposure.com claims a BuShips-derived equipment manifest for this hull naming Foster Wheeler, General Electric, and GM/Delco; the underlying document, if genuine, should sit in RG 19); naval-shipyard records for the documented San Francisco Naval Shipyard availability of March 1954 and the unnamed February 1952 San Francisco overhaul yard (RG 181 and yard finding aids); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the Suisun Bay lay-up 1960-76, the January 1960 Navy/MARAD preservation correspondence noted on the fleet card, the PD-X-998 rejected-bid file, and the PD-X-1009/MA-8429 disposal file incl. the LEO+SAUGUS package sale (RG 357); the DTRA Operation IVY ship dose-reconstruction reports (January 2000 and August 2018 memoranda quoted in BVA 25001803) - the full DTRA report series for USS Leo is the prime hull-specific contamination-environment lead (radiological, not asbestos).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1976 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and repository mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-leo-aka60-12