Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]research packet 703-packet.md (3 sources cited) [museum_official]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-639-lst639-pkt-703-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, LST-639 (NHHC ship-history entry; archived copy because the live NHHC page returned 404). [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-639 entry, first and second paragraphs; archived 2024-05-27 capture.
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS records that LST-639 was laid down 26 May 1944 at Seneca, Illinois, by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; launched 28 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Isabel C. Christofferson; and commissioned 14 September 1944. It records Asiatic-Pacific operations at Palawan and Visayan Island landings in March 1945 and Balikpapan in June-July 1945; occupation and China service until mid-May 1946; decommissioning 1 June 1946; striking 16 September 1947; and sale to Bosey, Philippines, 5 December 1947. DANFS credits two World War II battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Chicago Bridge & Iron construction trades; LST-639 crew
- Limitations
- Establishes the stated identity, milestones, service summary, and disposition only. The archived official entry contains no asbestos, machinery-material, exposure, causation, or current-fate information. The live NHHC URL returned HTTP 404 on 2026-10-02; this citation is explicitly an archived copy, not a live source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-01
-
[3]National Archives, Special List No. 44, by Ship Numbers, LST-639 entry. [other_primary]
- Locator
- PDF LST section, LST-639 row: 9/14/1944 to 6/30/1945.
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List No. 44, by ship numbers, indexes USS LST-639 deck-log coverage from 14 September 1944 through 30 June 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LST-639 officers and crew represented in deck logs
- Limitations
- This is an index to deck-log coverage, not an item-level review of the logs. It identifies an archival lead but supplies no material inventory, asbestos finding, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-639, specification block and timeline (verified live). [other_primary]
- Locator
- LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship heading; Specifications: Complement and Propulsion sections.
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource labels USS LST-639 an LST-542-class tank landing ship and gives class specification data of two General Motors 12-567A 900-hp diesel engines, one Falk main reduction gear, two propellers, 1,700 shp, and three diesel-driven 100-kW 230-V DC ship-service generators. Its specification block lists accommodations of 13 officers and 104 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- World War II design context
- Population
- LST-542 design and operating personnel
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer archival compilation, not an official registry. Its specification block is class data and does not establish this hull's actual complement, construction materials, asbestos presence, quantity, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-03
-
[5]U.S. Government Accountability Office, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (18 Oct. 1979), Highlights. [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product-page Highlights; official report PDF endpoint: https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf.
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO's 1979 Navy-wide review examined asbestos use in Navy ships, removal costs, and worker-protection programs. Its highlights describe the Navy's 1975 policy to replace only damaged or repair-removed asbestos insulation, modified in 1979 to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1975-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and Navy ship-maintenance program
- Limitations
- Program-level evidence, not evidence about LST-639 or Chicago Bridge & Iron. It supplies era context only and does not establish a hull-specific installation, quantity, condition, exposure, or causation. Direct retrieval of the product page returned HTTP 403 on 2026-10-02; the cited official endpoint was live-URL checked but the full text was not retrieved in this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-04
-
[6]Conservative synthesis of the LST-542 specification block and GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos-program review; no hull-specific asbestos document located. [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource Propulsion section (ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-03) and GAO HRD-80-2 Highlights (ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-04).
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era inference only: the LST-542 diesel design described in the class specification has no boiler or steam-distribution plant, so a boiler-room or steam-line lagging pathway is not supported. GAO's Navy-wide review establishes that shipboard asbestos insulation was an era-level subject, but no source reviewed identifies any asbestos-containing product or application aboard LST-639.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Seneca construction and fitting trades; LST-639 crew
- Limitations
- Inference only. It does not establish that asbestos was present or absent aboard LST-639, name a product or manufacturer, quantify material, establish condition, identify an exposure pathway for any person, or establish causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-05
-
[7]National Archives, Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog. [other_primary]
- Locator
- Introductory text on deck-log purpose, digitization, and availability outside the displayed online list.
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA states that Navy deck logs are chronological accounts of notable events and directs researchers to Archives II textual-reference staff for logs not displayed in its online list. LST-639's indexed 1944-1945 log coverage is an open archival lead for operational and maintenance records.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LST-639 crew and officers of the deck
- Limitations
- Repository guidance only; no LST-639 log was reviewed at item level. Deck logs may not contain material specifications, and this lead establishes no asbestos content, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-06
-
[8]CourtListener API v4 authenticated search via /Users/charlesfletcher/devin-prompts/cl-auth-search.py; batch search ledger. [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-639-lst639-06 through sl-uss-lst-639-lst639-09.
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, or hazmat disclosure was located in the sources searched. The authenticated CourtListener exact-name opinion search for "USS LST-639" returned zero results. The exact-name docket search and the required hull-number "LST-639" opinion and docket searches were not completed because the authenticated helper's shared fleet-wide pacing queue did not return within the permitted request window. This is an incomplete litigation result, not a no-result finding for the uncompleted indexes.
- Verification
- partial
- 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 asbestos was absent. Only the exact-name opinion search returned a result (zero). The docket and hull-number searches were not completed through the required authenticated helper, and no anonymous or raw CourtListener request was made. This row establishes no litigation disposition, exposure evidence, legal eligibility, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-639-lst639-07