Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 700-packet.md (4 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: UNVERIFIABLE
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-624-lst624-pkt-700-packet-md
-
[2]NHHC, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'LST-624' (live page 404; retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20251209184443) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-624 entry (archived copy of live NHHC page; canonical URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lst-624.html returns 404 as of 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry for this hull (verbatim): 'LST-624 was laid down on 22 March 1944 at Seneca, Ill., by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 16 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Agnes Reynolds; and commissioned on 3 July 1944, Lt. R. S. Salzer in command. During World War II, LST-624 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: Lingayen Gulf landing - January 1945; Manila Bay-Bicol operations - January 1945; Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto - April 1945. Following the war, LST-624 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early February 1946. She was decommissioned on 14 February 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 7 February 1947. On 1 June 1947, the ship was sold to the government of South Korea. LST-624 earned three battle stars for World War II service.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Construction trades at Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca (1944); commissioned crew (1944-46); SCAJAP period (1946-47)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history; contains no asbestos or material-content information. Archived copy cited because the live NHHC page returns 404 (standing NHHC link-rot defect, same as BATCH-01). DANFS does not mention the SCAJAP/Q057 interlude that NavSource documents.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-624 (10/16/160624) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 160624.htm header, campaign tables, specifications block, commanding-officer table, awards/ribbons
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for this hull (LST-542 class): laid down 22 March 1944 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL; launched 16 June 1944; commissioned 3 July 1944 with LT. Robert S. Salzer, USNR, in command. Asiatic-Pacific campaign table: Luzon operation - Lingayen Gulf landing, 11 January 1945; Manila Bay-Bicol operations - Nasugbu, 31 January 1945; Okinawa Gunto operation - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 14 April 1945. For Okinawa she was assigned to LST Flotilla Six (CAPT. Laidlaw), LST Group Sixteen (LCDR. J. T. Brugger, USNR), LST Division Thirty-Two. Postwar: occupation service in the Far East 2 September 1945 to 14 February 1946; decommissioned 14 February 1946 and transferred to COMNAVFE Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q057; struck from the Naval Register 7 February 1947; sold to the government of South Korea 1 June 1947; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Three battle stars. Spec block: 1,625 t lt / 4,080 t fl / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; 13 officers/104 enlisted; troops 16 officers/147 enlisted; 2 GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, Falk reduction gears, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, 3 x 100 kW 230 V DC generators. CO list: LT. Salzer (3 Jul 1944 - 9 Dec 1945); LTjg. Henry P. Sullivan, USNR (9 Dec 1945 - 14 Feb 1946). Awards row: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3); WWII Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Medal (Asia clasp); Philippines Presidential Unit Citation; Philippine Liberation Medal (2). International Radio Call Sign NFFT.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Commissioned crew (1944-46); embarked troops; SCAJAP-period custodial crew (1946-47)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track DANFS/NVR but the SCAJAP Q057 detail, occupation-service dates, flotilla/group/division assignment, CO list, and awards array are NavSource contributions not found in the DANFS narrative. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-02
-
[4]National Archives Catalog, NAID 139978567, RG 38 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (P 17) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog item page NAID 139978567 (6-page scan set)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds a digitized ship-generated operational record for this hull: 'USS LST-624 - Rep of ops in the invasion of Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Is 4/1-13/45' (NAID 139978567; RG 38, Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, series 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' P 17; micro serial 117912, serial 004, dated 4/17/1945; 6 images online, unrestricted access). This is the ship's own report of operations for the Okinawa invasion period - hull-level primary documentation in the National Archives catalog.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-04-01 to 1945-04-13 (report coverage); report dated 1945-04-17
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked troops, Okinawa operation (April 1945)
- Limitations
- An operational action report - documents the ship's combat operations, not materials or construction content. Contains no asbestos statement; its evidentiary value is that a hull-level primary record survives and is digitized. Image OCR not reviewed page-by-page this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-03
-
[5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (April 1945), LST design table (NAVSHIPS 250-011; shipscribe.com scan of Google digitization) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 Landing Ships, Tank (LST) design table + roster section
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/class inference built on official design data: the Bureau of Ships 'Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels' 1945 Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011) LST design table specifies the class as 328 ft oa, 50 ft beam, ~2,366 t light, 11.6 kt, powered by 2 General Motors 12-567A diesels ~1,700 shp, accommodations 13 officers/106 enlisted - a diesel plant with no boilers or steam propulsion. For a mass-produced 1944 LST of this design, era-standard applications aboard were engine-room and diesel-exhaust lagging, machinery and pipe gaskets, valve packing, deck coverings/insulation in accommodation and working spaces, and electrical insulation. The diesel plant narrows the classic steam-vessel lagging pathway but does not eliminate thermal-insulation and gasket/packing applications.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (design table); construction era 1944
- Population
- Construction trades at Seneca (1944); engine-room and maintenance crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the BuShips table does not name LST-624 and contains no materials schedule. Application list is era inference for the type, not confirmed installed materials aboard this hull. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. URL updated from the class profile's /styles/ path (404 as of 2026-10-02) to the live /pubs/ path.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-04
-
[6]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, confirmed 2026-10-02)
- 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 U.S. service era (1944-1947).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- 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 (403); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-05
-
[7]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), PMID 3555021 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed record and abstract, PMID 3555021 (AJIM 11(3):359-373)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- 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 emergency mass-production program under which this hull was built at an inland 'cornfield' yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel 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-lst-624-lst624-06
-
[8]Tim Colton, Shipbuilding History - Chicago Bridge & Iron yard page and LST production table [other_primary]
- Locator
- Chicago Bridge yard narrative + production table row for LST-624
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Yard context (independent reference compilation): the Navy requisitioned Chicago Bridge & Iron's Seneca, IL facility in 1942 and invested $6M in improvements; known as the 'Prairie Shipyard,' the 200-acre emergency yard on the east side of Seneca mass-produced LSTs including this hull (the yard's production table carries 'LST 624 | Landing Ship, Tank | 3/22/44 | 6/16/44 | 7/3/44 | To Korea 1947,' matching DANFS milestones). Post-war the yard was used for multiple purposes until sold to Union Mechling in 1949.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1949
- Population
- Prairie Shipyard construction workforce, Seneca, IL (1942-45)
- Limitations
- Independent secondary reference compilation (Colton's Shipbuilding History), not a government record - used for yard context and corroboration of DANFS milestones only. Contains no asbestos or material statement; establishes the emergency-yard construction setting, not materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-07
-
[9]Batch-7144 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (Wayback); NavSource 160624; NARA catalog + NAID 139978567; MARAD ShipHistory (0); NVR; CourtListener 'LST-624' opinion (0) + remaining variants (blocked); shipscribe SDB-1945 v2; PubMed 3555021; GAO HRD-80-2 (403); shipyards.json; shipbuildinghistory.com; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-624-lst624-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming the LST-624 hull was found in the public sources searched - DANFS and NavSource histories contain none; the digitized NARA action report is an operational document; MARAD ShipHistory returned zero records (the hull never entered MARAD/NDRF custody - sold direct to South Korea 1947); NVR has no entry (disposed pre-1987); CourtListener exact-hull opinion search '"LST-624"' returned 0 results. Remaining CourtListener variants ('USS LST-624' opinion, 'LST-624' docket, 'LST 624' unhyphenated) could not be completed - the fleet pacing budget was spent; logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result.
- 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 - a 1944 wartime LST is era-consistent with retained asbestos-containing materials, and the hull's post-1947 Korean service and fate are undocumented. The litigation picture is partial: the highest-precision opinion query ran empty, but docket search and name variants were not run. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-08
-
[10]NARA catalog search results for 'LST-624' (163 archival descriptions) + RG 24 deck-log holdings guidance [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search 'LST-624' result set; NAID 139978567 is the only hull-titled digitized item on first results pages
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for this hull - the catalog's deck-log digitization covers later eras; WWII LST deck logs exist at NARA College Park but no digitized LST-624 file unit was located. (b) The NARA catalog returns 162 additional file units mentioning 'LST-624' - mostly other units' war diaries (COM LST GR 62, COMTASK-UNIT 55.3.8 Okinawa reports, morning-report microfilm rolls) that could contain operational references to this hull. (c) SCAJAP/Foreign Liquidation Commission transfer files (RG 38/RG 331-series Allied occupation records) would document the Q057 custody period and the 1947 sale to South Korea. (d) Republic of Korea Navy disposition and fate of the ex-LST-624 is undocumented in the sources searched - Korean-service name and scrap/abatement history unverified.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947 records
- Limitations
- Record-group and catalog-search mapping only - mention-records were not pulled or reviewed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-624-lst624-09