Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet 590-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (secondary fallback)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- qualifier: VERIFIED (secondary fallback)
- Evidence ID
- uss-lsm-556-lsm556-pkt-590-packet-md
-
[2]NARA, RG 38 (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations), series 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (NAID 4697018); file unit 'FLEET ADMIN OFFICE, CHARLESTON - War Diary, 10/1-31/45' (NAID 77574770), micro serial 151023, digitized microfilm, 3 images [other_primary]
- Locator
- File unit NAID 77574770, image 2 of 3 (catalog image A_1963/0646.jpg), 'Arrivals'/'Departures' columns
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Charleston Navy Yard Fleet Administrative Office war diary for October 1945 (Serial 0649, CONFIDENTIAL, signed by W. A. Hall) records under Arrivals: 'U.S.S. LSM 556 - Commissioned 10/12' and under Departures: 'U.S.S. LSM 556 - 10/19'. This primary record independently corroborates NavSource's commissioning date of 12 October 1945 and documents that the ship departed Charleston on 19 October 1945, one week after commissioning.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-10
- Population
- Ship's commissioning crew (LTjg. Carl E. Gainer USNR and complement)
- Limitations
- War diary of the shore activity (Fleet Administrative Office, Charleston Navy Yard), not the ship's own log; records yard-area arrivals/departures only. The 'Commissioned 10/12' line is the district's administrative record of the event; no asbestos, material, or insulation content. Sister hull LSM-557 is listed 'Commissioned 10/22', matching NavSource (22 Oct 1945) - a consistency check.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-01
-
[3]NARA, RG 38, series 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (NAID 4697018); file unit 'FLEET ADMIN OFFICE, NORFOLK - War Diary, 11/1-30/45' (NAID 77595067), digitized microfilm, 16 images [other_primary]
- Locator
- File unit NAID 77595067, image 7 of 16 (catalog image A_1987/0457.jpg), entry for Friday 16 November 1945
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Norfolk Navy Yard Fleet Administrative Office war diary for November 1945 records for Friday 16 November 1945: 'Boarding officer made boarding calls on USS CAPELLA (AK-13), USS LSM 556, USS FOX (AG-85), USS BRECKINRIDGE (AG-112), USS BARNEY (AG-113) and USS NANTICOKE (AOG-66).' - placing LSM-556 in the Norfolk area four weeks after commissioning.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-11-16
- Population
- Ship's crew while in the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area
- Limitations
- The same day's ship-arrivals column logs '1125 - USS LSM (R) 556' - a distinct designation from the plain 'USS LSM 556' in the boarding list; this diary series cleanly distinguishes LSM(R) hulls elsewhere (the companion Dec 1945-Jan 1946 diary, NAID 77609940, logs 'USS LSM(R) 516' and 'USS LSM(R) 517'), so the arrival line most likely denotes the separate rocket-variant hull. The boarding call unambiguously names this hull. Contains no asbestos or material information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-02
-
[4]NARA, RG 38, series 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (NAID 4697018); file unit 'FLEET ADMIN OFFICE NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, PORTSMOUTH VIRGINIA - War Diary, 12/1/45--1/25/46' (NAID 77609940), digitized microfilm, 25 images [other_primary]
- Locator
- File unit NAID 77609940, images 0026.jpg (entries 1-4 Jan 1946) and 0028.jpg (entries 9-12 Jan 1946)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Fleet Administrative Office, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth, Va.) war diary records for Wednesday 2 January 1946: boarding calls on 'USS LST 7, USS LSM 556, USS SCHMITT (APD-76), USS LST 500 and USS WHITLEY (AKA-91)' and under Ship Arrivals '1300 - USS LSM 556'; and for Thursday 10 January 1946 under Ship Departures '0825 - USS LSM 556' (the same day the diary notes a boarding call on sister hull USS LSM 557).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1946-01-02 to 1946-01-10
- Population
- Ship's crew while at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
- Limitations
- Documents presence at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard waterfront in early January 1946; does not state the purpose of the visit (upkeep, availability, or transient berthing are all possible). Contains no asbestos or material information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-03
-
[5]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-556 page (history extract credited to 'LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces,' Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1997); includes Charleston Navy Yard photo no. 1997-45 showing LSM-553 through LSM-558 at the fitting-out pier [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource USS LSM-556 page, awards block, history extract, specifications block; photo caption 'Charleston Navy Yard photo # 1997-45'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource records: LSM-1-class landing ship medium; laid down 23 March 1945 at U.S. Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched 10 April 1945; commissioned USS LSM-556 on 12 October 1945 with LTjg. Carl E. Gainer, USNR, in command; assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater under LSM Flotilla Fourteen (LCDR W. R. McCaleb), LSM Group Forty-Two, LSM Division Eighty-Four; decommissioned 5 August 1946 at Green Cove Springs, FL, and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group; struck from the Naval Register (date unknown); sold January 1959 to Kent Line Ltd., St. John, New Brunswick, Canada; final disposition fate unknown. Ribbons displayed: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal. Specification block: 520 t light / 743 t landing / 1,095 t full; 203'6" x 34'6"; two GM 16-278A reversible diesels with hydraulic clutch, direct drive, 1,440 BHP each at 720 rpm, twin propellers 2,800 shp; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; armament one twin 40mm bow mount and four single 20mm; troop capacity 2 officers + 46 enlisted; endurance 4,900 miles at 12 kts.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1959
- Population
- Ship's wartime/postwar complement (5 officers, 54 enlisted per class spec); embarked troops (2 officers, 46 enlisted capacity)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-compiled archive, not an official Navy source; the history text is credited to the Turner Publishing LSM/LSMR unit-history volume. The 'During World War II ... Asiatic-Pacific Theater' line is NavSource's template phrasing and is uncorroborated by any located primary record for this hull - see the correction row (ev-uss-lsm-556-11). Specification block is class-standard data presented on the hull page, not a hull-measured survey. The struck date is stated as unknown. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-04
-
[6]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); NavSource LSM-1-class specification block (propulsion data) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373, DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311 (article abstract); NavSource specifications block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference built on: NavSource LSM-1-class spec block (diesel direct-drive plant - two GM 16-278A diesels and diesel-driven generators; no steam plant aboard) plus peer-reviewed scholarship documenting that U.S. WWII shipbuilding used asbestos extensively for insulation and fireproofing. For a 1945 diesel-powered naval auxiliary of this size, era-consistent asbestos applications were: diesel engine and exhaust-line insulation; machinery-space thermal/acoustic insulation; piping gaskets and valve/pump packing; electrical insulation; fire-resistant joiner and bulkhead panels in accommodation spaces; brake linings on windlass and ramp-winch machinery. The diesel plant means the boiler/turbine-lagging pathway documented on steam vessels does not apply here.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945 construction; 1940s-era shipbuilding documented
- Population
- Construction workers, U.S. Navy Yard Charleston (1945); ship's crew (1945-46); Atlantic Reserve Fleet lay-up personnel (1946); disposal personnel (1959)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference, not a hull record: no construction drawing, material list, or insulation schedule for LSM-556 was located; asbestos presence aboard this specific hull is a reasonable era-consistent inference, not ship-proven. The Corn & Starr article documents WWII shipbuilding asbestos policy and use generally and does not name this vessel. Does not establish quantity, location, present-day presence, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-05
-
[7]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure,' HRD-80-2 (published 18 Oct 1979; publicly released 22 Oct 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page, 'Highlights'/'Full Report' summary text
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure, including the use of asbestos in Navy ships and the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships; fieldwork covered the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards. The report documents Navy-wide recognition that ships carried asbestos insulation requiring managed removal/replacement policies (1975 policy: remove only damaged or repair-required insulation; modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- Report 1979; Navy policies described 1975-79
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level context: the study describes Navy asbestos management for the active fleet of the 1970s - three decades after this hull left service (sold commercial 1959). The Norfolk Naval Shipyard fieldwork site is the same yard whose war diary records LSM-556's January 1946 visit, but the study period does not overlap the ship's service. Establishes no condition aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-06
-
[8]Christine P. Pace v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. et al., No. 14-2416 (4th Cir., unpublished opinion filed 30 Mar 2016, appeal from D.S.C. Charleston, No. 2:11-cv-02688-BM), affirming summary judgment for defendants [court_record]
- Locator
- Justia mirror of the unpublished opinion (CA4 No. 14-2416, 2016-03-30); underlying district court D.S.C. 2:11-cv-02688-BM
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The estate of William L. Pace, a Charleston Naval Shipyard worker, brought an asbestos personal-injury suit against pump, valve, and equipment manufacturers over exposure during yard work (machine shops and shipboard work, principally 1970s-1980s per the litigation record); the district court granted summary judgment and the Fourth Circuit affirmed by unpublished opinion. This documents, at merits-litigation level, that asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and thermal insulation were worked with at the yard that built this hull in 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- Exposure alleged c. 1971-1980s; opinion 2016
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard workers (litigation-period trades)
- Limitations
- Unpublished opinion (not citable as precedent); affirmed summary judgment is a defense merits win - it establishes that the litigation occurred and that exposure claims were tested, not that any plaintiff proved exposure. Documented yard work period (c. 1971-mid-1980s) postdates this hull's 1945 construction and its 1946 departure from Navy service; establishes yard asbestos usage generally, not materials installed aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-07
-
[9]NARA, RG 38, series 'Material Inspection Reports and Related Documentation' 1940-1978 (NAID 2092723), creator Board of Inspection and Survey; file unit 'LSM-556' (NAID 2761021), textual records, unrestricted, not yet available online - National Archives at College Park (Textual Reference) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Catalog entry NAID 2761021; Copy 1 paper, Container ID 119, National Archives at College Park
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A ship-specific Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) material-inspection file exists for LSM-556 in NARA's catalog: paper file unit at College Park, unrestricted access. INSURV material-inspection reports document a hull's as-built material condition and survey findings; if examined, this file is the most promising located primary source for any actual material/insulation documentation aboard this specific ship.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- c. 1945-1959 (hull's Navy custody period); series span 1940-1978
- Limitations
- Not digitized - contents unknown until pulled at College Park. The catalog entry proves the file exists but establishes nothing about what it contains; no asbestos statement can be drawn from it at this time.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-08
-
[10]NARA, RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), series 'Index to Muster Rolls' (NAID 27023012); file unit 'USS LSM-144 to USS LST-1005' (NAID 118967604), 2,968 digitized images; also file unit 'Amphibious Training Base, Little Creek, VA. 10/1/45 to 1/1/49 (1 of 2)' (NAID 127288048), 2,000 images, muster rolls [other_primary]
- Locator
- Catalog entries NAID 118967604 (range index) and NAID 127288048 (Little Creek rolls, OCR index match on 'LSM-556')
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's digitized Index to Muster Rolls includes a file unit spanning USS LSM-144 to USS LST-1005 that encompasses this hull, and the Amphibious Training Base Little Creek muster-roll file full-text-matches 'LSM-556' - consistent with the ship's documented Hampton Roads-area service (Norfolk, Nov 1945-Jan 1946) at the Navy's East Coast amphibious base. These are the digitized personnel-documentation pathway for this hull's complement.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1946
- Population
- Ship's crew, Oct 1945-Aug 1946 (5 officers, 54 enlisted per class spec)
- Limitations
- Index/muster-roll documentation establishes personnel accountability only; roster images were not page-verified for this hull this session. No individual's exposure can be established or inferred from these records; no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-09
-
[11]Batch-6343 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS lsm-556.html (HTTP 404 verified); NVR ship-detail page (register scope excludes ships disposed before 1987); Wikipedia (article does not exist); MARAD ShipHistory search (no hit); CourtListener API v4 type=o 'LSM-556' (12 hits, all name collisions) and type=r 'LSM-556' (549 hits, all docket-number collisions) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-556-01 through sl-uss-lsm-556-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record or litigation was located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or case naming LSM-556 found in the sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion hits were collisions (L.S.M. General Contractors, statute/docket-number tokens); all 549 docket hits are RECAP docket-number token collisions ('LSM' magistrate-judge initials), none naming the vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the hull's undigitized INSURV file (NAID 2761021) and undigitized deck logs remain unexamined. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-10
-
[12]NavSource LSM-556 history extract (WWII Asiatic-Pacific assignment claim and ribbon display) vs. NARA war-diary primary record (Charleston FAO Oct 1945; Norfolk FAO Nov 1945; Norfolk Naval Shipyard FAO Dec 1945-Jan 1946) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource LSM-556 page (theater-assignment line, ribbon block); war diaries NAID 77574770 / 77595067 / 77609940
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's template line 'During World War II USS LSM-556 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater' is uncorroborated and in tension with the primary record: the ship commissioned 12 October 1945 - six weeks after the 2 September 1945 surrender - and digitized war diaries place her at Charleston (departed 19 Oct), in the Norfolk area (16 Nov 1945), and at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (arrived 2 Jan 1946, departed 10 Jan 1946), before decommissioning at Green Cove Springs, FL, 5 August 1946 into the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. No located source documents any Pacific transit. The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon NavSource displays could reflect only a hypothetical post-January-1946 deployment; none was located.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-10-12 to 1946-08-05
- Limitations
- Cannot be fully disproved: a February-July 1946 Pacific deployment would fit the calendar (departed Norfolk 10 Jan; decommissioned Florida 5 Aug). The Flotilla 14/Group 42/Division 84 organizational listing may be a paper assignment. Classified as unresolved discrepancy - NavSource claim carried with this caveat, not asserted as fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-556-11