Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-302 (10/14/14302) - timeline, specifications, commanding officers, awards; history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II (Turner Publishing, 1997, ISBN 1-56311-389-9) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14302.htm history block, specifications block, awards ribbon display, commanding-officer table (page verified live 2026-10-01)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 8 October 1944 at U.S. Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched 14 November 1944; commissioned USS LSM-302 on 6 January 1945, LTjg. Albert S. Lachiotte USNR in command; during WWII assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater - LSM Flotilla Sixteen, LSM Group Forty-Six, LSM Division Ninety-Two; decommissioned 30 September 1946 at Charleston, S.C.; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; final disposition - sold 1 December 1947 to Thomas Jordan and Harry B. Jordan, New Orleans, LA, fate unknown. Awards displayed: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal; no battle stars listed. Specifications: 520 t. light / 1,095 t. full; 203'6" ovl; two General Motors 16-278A diesels, direct drive, twin screws, 2,800 shp; 13.2 kts max; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted. Page hosts a 1945 commissioning crew photo (US Navy photo). Commanding officers listed: LT. Albert Springs Lachicotte Jr. (6 Jan 1945 - June 1946); LTjg. Dave Mills Pearce (June 1946 - 30 Sep 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1944); crew (1945-46); civilian purchasers/scrappers (1947-forward)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation; its history extract is credited to a published unit-history volume (Turner 1997). Contains no asbestos or material content. Internal inconsistency: history text gives 'LTjg. Albert S. Lachiotte USNR' while the CO table gives 'LT. Albert Springs Lachicotte Jr., USN' - spelling/grade/service-component conflict (see gaps). Struck date listed as unknown. Does not establish any exposure or material fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-01
-
[2]NARA (archives.gov/atlanta), 'RG 181 - Naval Districts and Shore Establishments, Ship Commissioning Files - Sixth Naval District at Charleston, South Carolina' finding aid [other_primary]
- Locator
- Finding-aid table, Box 8, row 'Landing Ship, Medium LSM-302, 11/14/1944' (page verified live 2026-10-01)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The published NARA finding aid for Sixth Naval District (Charleston) ship commissioning files lists a file for 'Landing Ship, Medium | LSM-302' in Box 8, dated 11/14/1944 (the hull's launch date) - i.e., a hull-specific commissioning file exists in RG 181 at NARA Atlanta.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Commissioning crew (January 1945); Sixth Naval District staff
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the finding aid establishes that a commissioning file exists; its contents were not examined (paper records at NARA Atlanta, undigitized). Contents may include commissioning ceremony records, not necessarily material or insulation documentation. No asbestos content established.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-02
-
[3]NARA catalog, file unit 'LSM-302' (NAID 2760830), RG 38 Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Series: Material Inspection Reports and Related Documentation (1940-1978), creator Department of the Navy Board of Inspection and Survey [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/2760830 (RG 38, series NAID 2092723, Container 86)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A hull-named INSURV (Board of Inspection and Survey) file unit titled 'LSM-302' exists at NARA - textual records, access unrestricted, paper copy in Container 86, 'Not Yet Available Online'. Material inspection reports are the strongest located open lead for original material-condition documentation aboard this specific hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-1946 (presumed inspection window; file undated on catalog page)
- Population
- Crew and INSURV inspection parties (during commissioned service 1945-46)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: existence and series placement verified on the live catalog page (2026-10-01); the file is undigitized and its contents were not examined. An INSURV file's existence does not establish that it addresses asbestos, insulation materials, or any specific substance; no asbestos content established.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-03
-
[4]NARA catalog, file unit 'USS LSM-144 to USS LST-1005' (NAID 118967604), RG 24 Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Series: Index to Muster Rolls - digitized, 2,968 images [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/118967604; catalog search results for "LSM-302" (57 file units, 2026-10-01)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A digitized NARA muster-roll index file unit covers the hull-number range that includes LSM-302 ('USS LSM-144 to USS LST-1005', RG 24 Index to Muster Rolls, 2,968 digitized images) - the index cards tying named individuals to this hull are available online. A broader catalog full-text search returns 57 file units mentioning 'LSM-302', mostly RG 38 war diaries (e.g., Fleet Administrative Office Charleston and COM 6 war diaries for January 1945 - the hull's commissioning month and district; COM 14 and COM Guam Island diaries for late 1945) and RG 24 personnel records.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Crew of LSM-302 (1945-46), indexed by name
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the index establishes that muster-roll references for this hull are digitized and that war diaries mentioning the hull exist; individual logbooks in the Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations series (NAID 594258) are cataloged per month for other LSMs but were not located for LSM-302 in this session. Personnel/muster material is crew documentation, not material or asbestos documentation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-04
-
[5]Library of Congress Veterans History Project, 'Natie Allen, Jr. Collection' (AFC/2001/001/33041) - service summary naming USS LSM-302 (Landing Ship Medium) [other_primary]
- Locator
- LOC Veterans History Project service summary, collection AFC/2001/001/33041
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A named veteran's papers document service aboard this hull: Natie Allen Jr., U.S. Navy, service 1942-1945, service unit/ship 'USS LSM-302 (Landing Ship Medium)', locations of service 'Little Creek, Virginia; Atlantic Ocean; Pacific Theater', highest rank Lieutenant Junior Grade. Confirms Pacific-theater service for the hull and a documented individual crew member.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- LTJG Natie Allen Jr.; LSM-302 crew
- Limitations
- Vessel-history record only: establishes that a named individual served aboard during WWII and the ship's documented service areas. NOT an exposure record - makes no asbestos claim for Allen or any individual; no material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-05
-
[6]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (GM 16-278A diesels, no steam plant); shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product list for charleston-naval-shipyard; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos era (ev-uss-lsm-302-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14302.htm specifications block; shipyards.json charleston-naval-shipyard product list; GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- An LSM-1-class diesel landing ship built 1944 at a U.S. Navy yard sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were thermal insulation, machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation in the confined hull volume. As a diesel-powered amphibious she carried no boilers or steam propulsion - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply, but the compact-hull confined-space exposure dynamic applies.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1944); crew (1945-46); decommissioning trades at Charleston (1946); civilian buyers/yard workers post-1947
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, INSURV report extract, or work package located for LSM-302. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-06
-
[7]Pace v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. 14-2416 (4th Cir., decided March 30, 2016) - opinion text via Justia (verified live 2026-10-01); plus OSHA Inspection 100361849, Commander Charleston Naval Shipyard Code 106 (osha.gov) [court_record]
- Locator
- Pace opinion Section I (facts) and III.A (Crane) via Justia; OSHA IMIS inspection detail id=100361849
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The builder yard is litigation-documented as an asbestos-using yard: in Pace, the Fourth Circuit records that William L. Pace worked at Charleston Naval Shipyard 1972-1995 as apprentice then marine machinist, and that 'in the shipyard, both asbestos-containing and non-asbestos-containing gaskets, insulation, and packing materials were used with the pumps and valves'; Pace attested he 'regularly worked with or in the vicinity of asbestos containing products' producing visible dust. OSHA's 1988 health-complaint inspection of Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard (Code 106) lists a citation under the asbestos standard 29 CFR 1910.1001 D07 I (case closed May 2, 1990).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1972-1995 (Pace); 1988-1990 (OSHA)
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard trades (1972-1995 documented window)
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation in a later era: the Pace window is 1972-1995 and the OSHA inspection is 1988 - decades after this hull's 1944 construction and 1946 decommissioning; nothing in these records names LSM-302 or 1944-era conditions. Pace itself is an affirmed summary judgment for defendants on insufficient product-identification proof - a merits-level negative for that plaintiff, not affirmative exposure evidence for any hull. Establishes the yard used asbestos materials; does not establish materials aboard this ship, individual exposure, quantity, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-07
-
[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 to automated fetch)
- 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 (1945-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1979 (report); construction era 1944
- 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, standing defect confirmed in prior batches) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-08
-
[9]NHHC, 'The Navy's Happy Medium' (Naval Amphibious Operations from WWII art exhibit) - official description of the LSM type's origin and role [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC exhibit page (verified live 2026-10-01); DANFS URL check: /research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lsm-302.html returned Page Not Found
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC describes the LSM (Landing Ship, Medium) as the Navy's answer to needing a landing ship 'somewhere between the size and displacement of an LCI (Landing Craft, Infantry) and an LST (Landing Ship, Tank)' - a compact and maneuverable type (shown in South Pacific jungle camouflage in the exhibited 1944 Reginald Marsh watercolor). This is the official Navy characterization of the class to which this hull belongs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944 (painting); type in service 1944-45
- Limitations
- Class-level context only: describes the LSM type, not this hull specifically; contains no material or asbestos content. No DANFS entry exists for LSM-302 (numbered amphibious ships of this type were not individually covered; standard URL slug 404s, and the NHHC DANFS 'L' index lists no LSM entries).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-09
-
[10]Batch-6110 search ledger (this record): NavSource LSM-302 page; NHHC DANFS (no entry); NVR (no entry - pre-1987 disposal); NARA RG 181 finding aid, NAID 2760830, NAID 118967604, war-diary hits; LOC VHP; uboat.net; uswarships.jounin.jp; shipbuildinghistory.com; GAO product page; CourtListener authenticated searches (0 hits); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-302-01 through sl-uss-lsm-302-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, INSURV extract, or docketed case naming USS LSM-302 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener searched by exact hull number and full ship name in both the opinion (type=o) and RECAP docket (type=r) indexes on 2026-10-01 via the authenticated fleet helper - zero hits on all four queries. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material naming this hull class is reference-list content without primary sourcing.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 2026-10-01
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the hull was built at a Navy yard in the documented asbestos-use era and its INSURV file (NAID 2760830) is undigitized and unexamined. Zero-hit CourtListener results cover only docketed/indexed litigation; state-court filings, settled claims, and unindexed PACER matters are outside its scope. Deck logs and any post-sale merchant/yard records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-10
-
[11]Corroborating secondary compilations: uboat.net Allied Warships entry for USS LSM 302 (ordered 5 Nov 1943; milestones matching NavSource); uswarships.jounin.jp LSM index (struck 1947/6/10); shipbuildinghistory.com Charleston Naval Shipyard production list ('LSM 302 ... 6-Jan-45, Sold to T. & H. Jordan 1947') [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/12901; uswarships.jounin.jp/lsm2.htm row LSM-302; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/public/charleston.htm LSM rows
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary compilations corroborate the milestone chain and add: ordered 5 November 1943 (uboat.net); struck from the Naval Register 10 June 1947 (uswarships.jounin.jp - the same compilation's struck dates match NavSource where NavSource has them, e.g., LSM-301 struck 22 December 1952); sale to 'T. & H. Jordan' 1947 confirmed by the Charleston yard production list. NavSource lists the struck date as unknown; the 10 June 1947 date rests on this secondary compilation alone.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Limitations
- Secondary sources only; the struck date could not be verified against a primary register (NVR has no entry - hull disposed before 1987; no DANFS entry exists). Carried as partial verification; see gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-302-11