USS Linn County (LST-900)

Evidence

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

1. [1]research packet 742-packet.md [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-linn-county-lst900-pkt-742-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Linn County (LST-900) - construction, commissioning at New Orleans, WWII service narrative, naming, transfer (live NHHC page verified 2026-10-03) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS Linn County service narrative and spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: laid down by Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa., 1 October 1944; launched 9 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Felix R. Konkle; commissioned at New Orleans, La., 6 January 1945, Lt. Neil A. McClaflin in command. After shakedown off Florida she loaded cargo at New Orleans and sailed for the west coast 9 February 1945; reached San Francisco 6 March, departed 8 March for Pearl Harbor (arrived 17 March) for amphibious landing exercises; cleared Hawaii 24 May via Eniwetok, Guam, and Saipan; reached Okinawa 26 June; for two weeks discharged cargo and ammunition at Okinawa and Kerama Retto, then embarked medical officers and corpsmen and sailed for the Marianas 10 July; Guam 16 July; carried Seabees to the Ryukyus, debarking them at Ie Shima 7 August. Between 3 and 9 September steamed Saipan to Leyte Gulf; reached Batangas, Luzon 19 September; embarked Army engineers and departed for Japan 29 September; reached Tokyo Bay 17 October and discharged occupation troops at Yokohama 18 October; departed 28 October for Guam, then via Pearl Harbor reached Seattle 15 December 1945. Operated along the west coast, then decommissioned 15 May 1946. While berthed in the Columbia River with the Pacific Reserve Fleet she was named Linn County 1 July 1955; transferred to the Republic of Korea 2 December 1958, serving the Korean Navy as Buk Han (LST-815). One battle star for World War II service. Spec block: dp. 1,625; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 14'1"; s. 12 k.; cpl. 119; a. 8 40mm., 12 20mm.; cl. LST-511.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1958 (entry coverage)

   Population

   Dravo Neville Island construction trades (1944); crew (1945-46)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Entry predates the end of Korean service - the narrative closes in 1958 and does not cover the 1974 sale, LST-678 renumbering, or retirement. Spec-block class label 'LST-511' conflicts with the LST-542-class assignment carried by NavSource and secondary references (see gaps); spec-block complement 119 vs NavSource 117 (see gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-01

3. [3]DANFS, LST-900 (short entry) - milestones, transfer, stricken 6 February 1959 (live NHHC page verified 2026-10-03) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS LST-900 short entry

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS short entry for this hull: 'LST-900 was laid down on 1 October 1944 at Pittsburgh, Pa., by the Dravo Corp.; launched on 9 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Felix R. Konkle; and commissioned on 6 January 1945, Lt. Neil A. McClaflin in command.' Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in June 1945; occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945; decommissioned 15 May 1946 and assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet; re-designated Linn County (LST-900) on 1 July 1955 after counties in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Oregon; transferred to the Republic of Korea 2 December 1958 serving as Puk Han (LST-815); 'Linn County was struck from the Navy list on 6 February 1959.' 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)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos content. This entry gives the stricken date as 6 February 1959 - NavSource and secondary references give 8 February 1959 (conflict carried in gaps; 8 February carried in the record). Korean name transliterated 'Puk Han' here vs 'Buk Han' in the DANFS Linn County entry and NavSource (noted in gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Linn County (LST-900) ex USS LST-900 - designation timeline, specifications, flotilla assignment, commanding officer table, NARA-captioned photo (live page verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/16/160900.htm header block, timeline, specifications, CO table, photo caption

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline for this hull: 542-Class Tank Landing Ship; laid down 1 October 1944 at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA; launched 9 December 1944; commissioned USS LST-900, 6 January 1945, LT. Neil A. McClaflin USN in command; WWII assignment to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater - LST Flotilla Thirty-One (CAPT. H. S. Covington USN), LST Group Ninety-Two (CDR. J. G. Winn USN), LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Four; Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation, 26 to 30 June 1945; postwar Occupation service in the Far East 15 October to 10 November 1945; decommissioned 15 May 1946; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group; named USS Linn County (LST-900) 1 July 1955; transferred (leased) to the Republic of Korea 2 December 1958, renamed Buk Han (LST-815), subsequently renumbered (LST-678); struck from the Naval Register 8 February 1959; sold outright to the Republic of Korea 15 November 1974; 'still active in Korean Navy as of May 1999.' Commanding-officer table: LT. McClaflin, 6 Jan 1945 - 15 May 1946 (sole listed CO). Specifications: 1,625 t. light / 4,080 t. full / 2,366 t. beaching; 328' o.a.; 50' beam; 11.6 kts trial; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; two General Motors 12-567A 900hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three 100kW 230V D.C. ship's-service generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; ultimate armament 2 twin 40mm mounts w/Mk.51 directors, 4 single 40mm, 12 single 20mm; one battle star. Page carries one image: US National Archives photo 80-G-241603 captioned 'USS LST-900 moored at Navy Yard Norfolk, Portsmouth, VA., with an unidentified LCT loaded on her main deck, 24 May 1944' (caption inconsistency - see ev-11).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1999

   Population

   Dravo construction trades (1944); crew (1945-46); ROK Navy crews (1958-2005)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS but the stricken date conflicts with DANFS (8 vs 6 February 1959; see gaps). Contains no asbestos content. 'Still active in Korean Navy as of May 1999' predates the documented 2005 retirement.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-03

5. [5]NARA WWII War Diaries file units for USS LST-900: NAID 101744550 (6/1-30/45), NAID 77492506 (7/1-31/45), NAID 77508323 (8/1-31/45), NAID 77542882 (9/1-30/45), NAID 77592248 (10/1-31/45); microfilm Roll A1751, scanned under the NARA-Fold3 collaboration; page scans verified directly [other_primary]

   Locator

   catalog.archives.gov file units NAID 101744550, 77492506, 77508323, 77542882, 77592248 (WWII_WarDiaries Roll A1751; verified scans images 0899, 0901, 0903)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA holds five digitized file units of this hull's own war diaries, June through October 1945 - the period covering her Okinawa arrival and occupation-era lift work. Page-level verification of the June 1945 unit (NAID 101744550, images 0899-0903+ of Roll A1751): the transmittal letter (LST900/A12-1, Serial 005, dated 10 July 1945) is signed by NEIL A. McCLAFLIN and copies CinCPac, ComLSTFlot31, and ComLSTGrp92 - matching the documented chain of command; diary pages record daily positions, zone descriptions, sailing orders (e.g., 6 June 1945 underway for Guam in obedience to ComTaskUnit 13.12.7 - Captain Shea, ComLSTFlot 36 in USS LST 46 - secret speedletter serial 0015 of 5 June 1945), and firing exercises with ammunition expenditure (9 June 1945: 40MM HEI-T 132 rounds, 20MM HEI 550, 20MM HET 275, 50 Cal. I 40, 50 Cal. AP 40, 50 Cal. tracer 20).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945

   Population

   Crew (June-October 1945)

   Limitations

   Archival lead and ship-generated primary record: verifies operations and chain of command but war diaries record movements and events, not materials - no asbestos content expected or found in the pages reviewed. Only the June unit's opening pages were examined; later-page content (casualty, repair, or materiel entries) was not exhaustively reviewed. The digitized catalog shows no deck-log units for this hull; sister-hull deck logs exist (LST-901/902/905, 1965-70) but those ships, unlike LST-900, recommissioned under the U.S. flag.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-04

6. [6]Republic of Korea, Military Pension Act Enforcement Rules (Gun-in Yeon-geum-beop Si-haeng-gyu-chik), [Byeol-pyo 3] 'Pawol Jeon-tu-bu-dae' (Vietnam-dispatched combat units) - Navy (Hae-gun) section, ship 815 (Buk Han-ham); official Korean legal database (law.go.kr) [other_primary]

   Locator

   law.go.kr attachment [Byeol-pyo 3], Navy (Hae-gun) unit table - five '815 (북한함)' rows

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   ROK statute-level documentation of this hull's Korean-flag combat service: the attached table of Vietnam-dispatched combat units lists '815 (북한함)' - Buk Han, this hull under its first Korean pennant - on five deployments in the Navy section: 17 October 1966 - 20 August 1967; 10 May 1968 - 22 February 1969; 11 November 1969 - 7 August 1970; 14 May 1971 - 23 December 1971; and 2 October 1972 - 23 March 1973. The table governs pension eligibility for dispatched units, so the listing is a formal government acknowledgment of the hull's Vietnam-service status.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1966-1973

   Population

   ROK Navy crews of Buk Han (LST-815/678), five Vietnam deployment windows

   Limitations

   Documents deployments, not shipboard conditions: the pension table establishes that the hull operated as a Vietnam-dispatched ROK Navy unit but says nothing about onboard materials, work performed, or asbestos. Crew populations were ROK Navy, not U.S. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-05

7. [7]U.S. DoD still photo DN-SN-89-05009, PHCS Ron Bayles, USN: 'South Korean Marines offload from the tank landing ship BUK HAN (LST 678) during the amphibious assault portion of the joint US/South Korean Exercise TEAM SPIRIT 87' (metadata preserved on Wikimedia Commons; original dodmedia.osd.mil asset now defunct) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Commons file page, image metadata block (ID DN-SN-89-05009; series TEAM SPIRIT 87)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   U.S. government photography documents this hull still operational under the ROK flag nearly three decades after transfer: ROK Marines conducting an amphibious assault offload from BUK HAN (LST 678) during Exercise Team Spirit 87. Confirms the hull's continued front-line amphibious role and its renumbered LST-678 designation in active use.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1987

   Population

   ROK Navy crew and embarked ROK Marines (1987)

   Limitations

   Photographic caption-level documentation of presence and role only - no material, maintenance, or asbestos content. Original DoD media URL (dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/1989/Navy/DN-SN-89-05009.JPEG) is defunct; the preserved Commons file carries the DoD ID, photographer, and caption text.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-06

8. [8]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table + roster (shipscribe.com scan) - consolidated with NavSource per-hull specifications [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v2 LST design table (hull <932 carries GM 12-567A diesels, matching NavSource specs for this hull)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for this diesel-powered LST-542-class hull: built 1944-45 inside the U.S. Navy's documented asbestos-use era. The LST design carried no boilers - the asbestos-relevant applications for the type were diesel engine and exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, valve packing, deck coverings and tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. Prolonged Korean-flag service (1958-2005, 47 years) is consistent with long retention of original-era materials, but no ROK-era material record was located.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-2005

   Population

   Dravo construction trades (1944-45); U.S. crew (1945-46); ROK crews and ROK yard workers (1958-2005)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for LST-900. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; establishes no quantity and no exposure for any individual. The 47-year Korean service extension is an unverified-materials inference, not a finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-07

9. [9]NIOSH walk-through survey report, Dravo Corporation Engineering Works Division, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA, 30 January 1979 (Billings & Lazar, June 1980; OSTI biblio 6587634, abstract verified) [other_primary]

   Locator

   OSTI biblio 6587634 abstract (full text unavailable - 'OSTI does not have a digital full text copy')

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   Government industrial-hygiene record for this hull's builder yard: NIOSH conducted a walk-through survey 30 January 1979 at Dravo's Engineering Works Division shipyard, Neville Island, Pittsburgh - the same yard that built LST-900 - screening it for the in-depth survey of health hazards to painters in the shipbuilding-industry segment. The abstract documents 1,200 production personnel, 26 painters plus 10 assistants, personnel records dating to World War I, and a recommendation for inclusion in the final study.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1979-1980

   Population

   Dravo Neville Island workforce (1979 survey; ~1,200 production personnel)

   Limitations

   Yard-level record 35 years after this hull's construction, in the yard's barge/towboat era: the survey targeted painters' hazards generally and the abstract does not mention asbestos - it establishes the yard's industrial-hygiene profile and NIOSH's interest, not asbestos conditions during WWII LST production. Full text not digitized at OSTI. No hull-specific content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-08

10. [10]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 (1944) and U.S. service era; standing policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, so original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless disturbed.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    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) - content via product-page description.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-09

11. [11]Batch-7443 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (two live entries); NavSource (live); NARA catalog + verified war-diary scans; law.go.kr pension table; Commons/DoD photo metadata; OSTI NIOSH record; GAO product page; NVR (no page); CourtListener (blocked); secondary web litigation and disposal sweeps [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-linn-county-lst900-01 through -11

    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-900 / USS Linn County / ROKS Buk Han was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - API returned HTTP 429 via the authenticated helper ('server asked to wait 29970s', ~8.3h, daily quota exhausted); logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; 'Linn County' asbestos content on the open web concerns Linn County, Iowa, workplace sites and veteran statistics - a name collision, not this hull - and law-firm marketing material (gpwlaw.com on Dravo generally) asserting era asbestos use without primary sourcing, excluded by source policy.

    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 - era-consistent inference applies, and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run). ROK-era maintenance and disposal records were not located (language-access limitation). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-10

12. [12]Caption defect cross-check: NavSource photo caption (US National Archives photo 80-G-241603, 'Navy Yard Norfolk, Portsmouth, VA., 24 May 1944') vs DANFS-documented build timeline (laid down 1 October 1944, Pittsburgh) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NavSource 10/16/160900.htm photo table, image 1016090001

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    CORRECTION: NavSource carries NARA photo 80-G-241603 captioned 'USS LST-900 moored at Navy Yard Norfolk, Portsmouth, VA., with an unidentified LCT loaded on her main deck, 24 May 1944' - a date more than four months before this hull's keel was laid (1 October 1944) and incompatible with her documented location at every later date (Pacific from March 1945 onward; never documented at Norfolk). The caption is internally inconsistent: the image is mis-dated, mis-located, or depicts another hull. The hull-identification of photo 80-G-241603 should not be relied on as documentation of this vessel.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1944 (caption date)

    Limitations

    Corrects an archival caption defect, not a material or asbestos claim. The NARA catalog entry for 80-G-241603 was not independently retrieved (catalog search surfaced the war diaries instead); the inconsistency stands on the caption as republished by NavSource.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-linn-county-lst900-11