Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]research packet xu-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-20-lst20-pkt-xu-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'LST-20' (Naval History and Heritage Command; live page 404 this session - citing archived capture 2025-12-09) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry text, archived NHHC page (live URL 404 verified 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- LST-20 was laid down 5 October 1942 at Pittsburgh, Pa., by the Dravo Corp.; launched 15 February 1943; sponsored by Miss Anne B. Sylvester; and commissioned 14 May 1943. She served in the Asiatic-Pacific theater: Gilbert Islands operation November-December 1943; Leyte landings October 1944; Lingayen landings on Luzon January 1945; assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto April 1945. Postwar she performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945; decommissioned 3 April 1946; struck from the Navy list 19 June 1946; transferred to the Maritime Administration 8 October 1947 'for disposal by scrapping'; earned four battle stars for World War II.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- Ship's company (USCG-manned): ~104-117 enlisted plus officers; embarked troops up to ~163
- Limitations
- DANFS is the Navy's official compiled history - establishes identity, dates, campaigns, and disposal language for this hull. Contains no asbestos, material, or crew-health content; does not mention Coast Guard manning, the Aleutians service, or commissioning location; 'disposal by scrapping' conflicts with the documented resale to a Panama-flag operator (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-01
-
[3]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, ship-history file 'USS LST-20' (compiled from LST files, CG Historian's Office, and 'The Coast Guard At War' Vol. V; live uscg.mil path 403 this session - citing archived capture 2017-05-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PDF pp. 1-3 (spec block, commanding officers, 'Official History' chronology)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Coast Guard-manned LST-20 was commissioned at New Orleans 14 May 1943 under LT Charles W. Smith, USCG, after transport down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers; assigned to LST Flotilla 3, Group 9, Division 17. Movement chronology: Canal Zone transit early July 1943; departed San Francisco 17 July 1943 for Woman's Bay, Kodiak (arrived 25 July); departed 27 July with six other LSTs escorted by USS Oracle (AM-103), Charleston (PG-51), and Hutchins (DD-476) for Adak, Aleutians; Kwajalein 4 April 1944; Pearl Harbor 27 April 1944; Leyte landings D-Day 20 October 1944; Lingayen Gulf D-Day 9 January 1945; Okinawa from 6 April 1945; departed Ulithi 18 May 1945 for a 60-day San Francisco availability; departed San Francisco 26 August 1945 for Iwo Jima via Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Saipan (arrived 30 October); San Diego 23 December 1945; departed 11 January 1946 for Galveston via the Canal Zone (arrived 1 February 1946); decommissioned and Coast Guard crew removed 3 April 1946; struck, then transferred to the Maritime Administration 8 October 1947 'for disposal by scrapping'. Spec block: 2 x General Motors 12-567 diesels, twin shafts/rudders; complement 111; troops 163.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- Ship's company (USCG-manned): complement 111 per file; troops 163
- Limitations
- Official USCG historian's compiled ship file - strongest movement record for this hull, but self-discloses 'no further reports' between the Adak departure (July 1943) and Kwajalein (April 1944), the window covering the Gilbert Islands operation. Flotilla assignment (Flotilla 3/Group 9/Div 17) conflicts with NavSource (Flotilla 14/Group 42/Div 84) - see gaps. Contains no asbestos content. A crewman's son's anecdotal correction to the itinerary is present in the file but is anecdotal, not used for any claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, 'USS LST-20' (page verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Page timeline, campaign table, spec block, photo captions, commanding-officer list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- LST-1 class tank landing ship manned by the U.S. Coast Guard in WWII; laid down 5 October 1942 at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh PA; launched 15 February 1943; commissioned 14 May 1943, LT Charles W. Smith USCG in command. Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LST Flotilla Fourteen (CAPT. E. A. Seay USN), LST Group Forty Two (CDR. G. E. Artz USN), LST Division Eighty-Four; campaigns: Gilbert Islands operation Nov-Dec 1943, Leyte landings October 1944, Lingayen Gulf landings January 1945, Okinawa Gunto April 1945. Occupation service in the Far East 29 October - 12 November 1945; decommissioned 3 April 1946; four battle stars; struck from the Naval Register 19 June 1946; title transferred to the Maritime Commission 8 October 1947; sold 8 October 1947 to Southern Shipwrecking Co.; resold 21 December 1948 to Pan Ore Steamship Co., reflagged Panama; final disposition 'fate unknown'. Photographic record includes NARA-cited Army Signal Corps photo III-SC 182872 (LST-20 and LST-478 unloading at Kiska, 23 August 1943), BUAIR collection photo ASL-PCA-430 (Kiska), and crew/family photos at Treasure Island (August 1945), Guam (1945), and Iwo Jima (November 1945). Commanding officer list: LT Charles W. Smith USCG; LT Edgard Duprey USCGR; LT Raymond F. Garrity USCGR; LTjg Stanley J. Cieslinski USCGR; LT William L. E. Sinkler USCGR; LTjg Warren B. Eib USCGR (8 Jan - 3 Apr 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Ship's company: 13 officers, 104 enlisted (spec block); troop accommodations 16 officers, 147 enlisted
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive drawing on official records - concordant with DANFS/USCG on all shared milestones. Flotilla/group/division assignment differs from the USCG file (see gaps); resale chain (Southern Shipwrecking -> Pan Ore Steamship, Panama flag) is NavSource-only detail not contradicted but not confirmed by DANFS 'scrapping' language or MARAD's 'Sold - No Further Info'. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-03
-
[5]MARAD Vessel History Database, 'LST-20' (Detail 9281; page verified live 2026-10-02) - seven scanned Dravo Corporation progress photographs, October 1942 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Image set LST-20_9281_001 through _007 (marad.dot.gov/images/) + record fields
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The MARAD vessel-history file for LST-20 holds seven Dravo Corporation progress photographs dated 8, 15, and 22 October 1942, captioned 'Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pgh., Pa. - Progress Photo ... East Yard Contract W-1484 Navy Dept. (Bureau of Ships)', showing LST-20 on the ways under construction among sister hulls LST #8, #11, #14, and #17. The database record itself is skeletal: 'Fate: Sold - No Further Info'; no historical narrative; no documents; Year Built field shows the '9999' placeholder.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942
- Population
- Dravo Neville Island East Yard construction workforce, October 1942
- Limitations
- Ship-specific primary construction photographs (builder's own negatives, e.g., Neg. No. 60-P/65-P) under a named Bureau of Ships contract - they document the hull's fabrication, not its materials; nothing in the photos or record addresses asbestos or insulation content. 'Sold - No Further Info' does not resolve the scrapping-vs-resale conflict.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-04
-
[6]U.S. Coast Guard (MyCG official news, Historian's Office feature): 'The Long Blue Line: Joseph Tezanos - wartime lifesaver, Hispanic-American trailblazer and FRC namesake' (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Article body, paragraphs on LST-20 service and the 21 May 1944 West Loch rescue
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official USCG historical feature: Joseph Tezanos reported aboard the Coast Guard-manned LST-20 at New Orleans in May 1943; by July 1943 the ship was in a convoy bound for the Alaska theater; LST-20 participated in landings at Kiska (Alaska), Tarawa Atoll (Gilbert Islands), and Kwajalein Atoll (Marshall Islands). In April-May 1944 LST-20 was moored in West Loch, Pearl Harbor, among shipping assembling for Operation Forager; during the 21 May 1944 West Loch explosion disaster, LST-20's crew conducted rescue operations and Tezanos received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (Nimitz-signed citation) for saving more than 40 victims.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- USCG crew of LST-20 (gunner's mate Tezanos; rescue-boat volunteers)
- Limitations
- Biographical feature, not an operational record - establishes LST-20's presence at Kiska/Tarawa/Kwajalein and at West Loch during the disaster (she survived; she was not among the LSTs lost - the article does not enumerate the lost hulls). No asbestos content; no exposure claim for any individual is made or implied.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-05
-
[7]NARA still-picture holdings for LST-20: U.S. Army Signal Corps photo III-SC 182872 (Kiska unloading, 23 August 1943, transcribed via NavSource caption); US Navy BUAIR photo ASL-PCA-430 / Alaska Digital Archives ASL-P430-33; WWII deck logs (RG 24) not located in digitized form [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource photo captions citing NARA III-SC 182872 (Box 187, US Army Signal Corps) and ASL-PCA-430
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead, not a finding: NARA and Alaska-state photographic records place LST-20 at Kiska, Aleutians, on 23 August 1943 (occupation-phase unloading). NARA deck logs for this hull (RG 24) are the next documentary tier but were not located in digitized collections this session; the NARA catalog interface is JS-rendered and local identifiers were transcribed from NavSource captions rather than verified in the catalog.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943
- Limitations
- Lead only - photo identifiers are transcribed from NavSource captioning, not verified against catalog.archives.gov; deck-log existence/digitization status for LST-20 unconfirmed. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-06
-
[8]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST machinery table (shipscribe.com scan; verified live 2026-10-02 at this URL - prior styles/usnaux path dead) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945 v2, Landing Ship, Tank (LST) design/machinery table (p. 168-169 of scan): 'LST1-490 ... 2 G.M. Diesel, 12-567A ... 1,700'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for diesel-powered LSTs: the BuShips 1945 data table shows the LST1-490 block (which includes LST-20) with 2 x GM Diesel 12-567A at 1,700 shp and boiler/steam columns empty - no steam plant aboard. Asbestos-relevant applications for the type therefore concentrate in diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings, bulkhead/accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings; insulation, gasket, and deck-material products of 1942-43 naval construction commonly contained asbestos.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Construction trades (Dravo Neville Island, 1942-43); USCG ship's company
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the SDB table names the design block, not this vessel's materials manifest; asbestos content aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven. Establishes no quantities, no remaining material, no exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-07
-
[9]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure', HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) - product page (full text blocked to automated fetch, HTTP 403; standing defect since Batch 01) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era asbestos insulation typically remained in place aboard ships of this generation unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not hull- or class-specific; postdates this ship's 1947 disposal anyway - LST-20 left Navy custody before the program window, so the row frames era practice only and implies nothing about this hull's residual material.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-08
-
[10]NIOSH industrial-hygiene survey, Dravo Corporation Engineering Works Division, Neville Island, Pittsburgh (survey July 1981; report 1 July 1985; OSTI biblio 6065127) + NIOSH walk-through survey, same site, 30 January 1979 (OSTI biblio 6587634) - both verified live via OSTI abstracts [other_primary]
- Locator
- OSTI bibliographic records 6065127 and 6587634 (abstracts)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The builder yard that constructed LST-20 was surveyed by NIOSH in 1979 (walk-through) and 1981 (industrial-hygiene survey of painting/coating during barge and towboat construction): located abstracts document organic solvent, lead, and nuisance-dust hazards and do not address asbestos.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979-1981
- Population
- Dravo Engineering Works painters/production personnel, 1979-1981
- Limitations
- Yard-level, postwar records (36-39 years after this hull's construction) covering the later barge/towboat program, not LST construction; absence of asbestos discussion in the abstracts is not evidence about WWII-era materials. Full reports not digitized at OSTI - abstract-only verification.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-09
-
[11]Batch-6747 search ledger (this record): DANFS (archived); USCG Historian's Office ship file (archived); NavSource; MARAD vessel-history file; MyCG/USCG Tezanos feature; CourtListener opinion + RECAP docket sweeps; NARA/Alaska photo leads; NIOSH/OSTI yard surveys; NVR scope check [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-20-01 through sl-uss-lst-20-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming LST-20 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion index returned zero results for "LST-20" (2026-10-02); the 49 RECAP docket hits for the same string are all incidental name collisions (e.g., 'LST Group, LLC', document tokens) in unrelated civil matters - no case concerns this 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 - 1942-43 naval construction is era-consistent with asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and deck materials; the hull was disposed of in 1947-48 so no modern survey was ever expected. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-20-10