Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 705-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-654-lst654-pkt-705-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, LST-654 (NHHC ship history) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-654 entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (live NHHC page, verified 2026-10-02): 'LST-654 was laid down on 9 December 1943 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched on 30 January 1944; sponsored by Miss Mary C. Nichols; and commissioned on 20 March 1944. Following World War II, LST-654 performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until early June 1946. She was decommissioned on 12 June 1946 and transferred to the State Department for disposition and struck from the Navy list on 19 July 1946.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history, but the entry is three sentences: construction, occupation/China duty, and disposal only. No wartime operations narrative, no spec block, no asbestos or material content. Commissioning date conflicts with NavSource (11 March 1944) - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-654 (10/16/160654) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page header block, unit-assignment paragraph, awards table, CO list, photo captions, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for this hull (live .net URL verified 2026-10-02): LST-542-class tank landing ship; laid down 9 December 1943 American Bridge Co., Ambridge PA; launched 30 January 1944; commissioned USS LST-654 '11 March 1944' with LT. Edward B. Cole, USNR in command. WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LST Flotilla Thirty-Seven (CAPT. Riley), LST Group One Hundred Ten (LCDR. C. Alexander), LST Division Two Hundred-Nineteen; no campaigns or battle stars listed. Awards: China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal w/ Asia clasp; occupation/China service span 2 September 1945 - 12 June 1946. Decommissioned 12 June 1946; struck from the Naval Register 19 July 1946; 'transferred to the State Department for disposition, fate unknown.' CO list: Cole (11 Mar 1944 - Feb 1945), LT. E. O. Sprung USNR (Feb - Nov 1945), LTjg. Alexander Kandel USNR (Nov 1945 - Mar 1946). Crew-contributed photos document the ship underway (date/location unknown) and moored in the Whangpoo River at Shanghai, China, 3 March 1946, alongside USS LST-641. Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft o.a.; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; endurance 24,000 mi @ 9 kt; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted, troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; armament 2 twin 40MM w/ Mk 51 directors + 4 single 40MM + 12 single 20MM; fuel 4,300 bbl diesel; 2 GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, Falk main reduction gear, 3 x 100 kW 230 V D.C. generators, twin screws 1,700 shp, twin rudders. International call sign NFIV.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46); crew photographers Louis Arold CSG3/c (1945-46) and Fred Wells (1944-46)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones generally track DANFS/NVR but the 11 March 1944 commissioning date conflicts with DANFS's 20 March 1944 (see gaps). Photo captions are crew-contributed, not official records. Contains no asbestos or material content; 'fate unknown' is the honest Navy-source position on ultimate disposition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-02
-
[4]National Archives, Special List 44: Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog, by Ship Number [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship-number table, LST-654 rows; companion availability guide: https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 (Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog, by Ship Number) indexes deck-log coverage for LST-654 in two spans: 3/20/1944 - 7/31/1944 and 10/1/1944 - 6/30/1945. The first span opens on the DANFS-documented commissioning date (20 March 1944), consistent with DANFS over the NavSource 11 March variant.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-03-20 to 1945-06-30
- Population
- Crew, 1944-45 log periods
- Limitations
- An archival index entry, not review of the deck logs themselves. Establishes that logs covering these spans exist at NARA (RG 24) and points to records for future research; does not establish operations, materials, or any exposure. Gap between the indexed spans (Aug-Sep 1944) and post-June-1945 coverage unexplained.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-03
-
[5]Consolidated era inference - NavSource LST-654 specifications (diesel plant, no boilers) + LST-1/542-class profile class-era inference + GAO HRD-80-2 era documentation [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; class profile lst-1-class ev-03; GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-powered LST-542-class hull: no boilers - asbestos-relevant applications aboard a ship of this type and period were GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch brake linings. Built December 1943 - March 1944 at American Bridge, Ambridge, squarely inside the documented Navy asbestos-use era (GAO: extensive shipboard asbestos insulation use, substitution not begun until the early 1970s).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46); any State-Department-era custodial/merchant crews (1946-47)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LST-654. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution, no exposure for any individual. The hull was disposed of by 1947 - decades before the Navy's 1975/1979 asbestos-replacement policies the GAO reviewed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-04
-
[6]American Bridge company history page + shipbuildinghistory.com LST 401-796 registry table (Tim Colton registry) [other_primary]
- Locator
- americanbridge.net/about/history (1940s section); shipbuildinghistory.com LST 401-796 table, LST-654 row; yard history at shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/americanbridge.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Builder yard context: American Bridge Co.'s Ambridge plant (the town itself named for the company - 'American' + 'Bridge') built this hull. American Bridge states 100% of capacity went to national-defense production 1941-1945, including 199 LSTs plus aviation repair vessels, carrier components, cargo ships, and barges; the shipbuilding registry records that the Navy requisitioned the yard in 1942 and invested $9 million in its improvement, and that it built LSTs and carrier components until closing in 1981. The registry table carries this hull: LST 654, American Bridge, laid 9-Dec-43, launched 30-Jan-44, commissioned 20-Mar-44 (agreeing with DANFS), disposition 'Scrapped 1947.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1947
- Population
- American Bridge wartime trades, Ambridge (1941-45)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific build-row + yard-level context. The company page is a corporate successor (Southland Holdings) history - reputable for the 199-LST build count; the registry table is secondary (Colton). Registry labels this block's yard 'Pittsburgh PA' - the same Ambridge plant per the yard history page. 'Scrapped 1947' is registry data only; Navy sources record fate as unknown. No asbestos content anywhere in these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-05
-
[7]U.S. EPA CERCLA Site Information, USX CORP AMERICAN BRIDGE DIV (PAD004372975); EPA Brownfields 2023 Assessment Fact Sheet, Ambridge PA (EPA-560-F-23-030) [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA Superfund site profile PAD004372975; Brownfields fact sheet https://java.epa.gov/acrespub/gfs/factsheet/12294?format=PDF
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- EPA documentation on the builder's former plant site: the CERCLA record 'USX CORP AMERICAN BRIDGE DIV' (EPA ID PAD004372975, Park Street, Ambridge PA 15003, Region 3) is registered NFRAP - 'Site does not qualify for the NPL based on existing information.' Separately, EPA's May 2023 Brownfields Assessment fact sheet for the Borough of Ambridge (EPA-560-F-23-030, $500,000 grant) names the 'American Bridge Company Target Area' as one of three target areas and lists the former American Bridge Headquarters/Lab site among priority sites for Phase I/II environmental site assessments.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2023 (Brownfields grant); NFRAP determination date not stated on profile
- Population
- Former American Bridge site, Ambridge (post-closure)
- Limitations
- Yard-site environmental status, not a hull record and NOT an asbestos record - neither EPA page names asbestos as a site contaminant. NFRAP means EPA found the site did not qualify for the NPL on existing information. Establishes only that the former builder yard is a documented contaminated-interest site under federal programs; does not establish materials aboard this hull or exposure for anyone.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-06
-
[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, HTTP 403; content via product-page description)
- 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 (1943-44) and service era (1944-46). The report also describes the Navy's 1975 policy (remove/replace only damaged insulation or when needed for repairs) and its 1979 modification (selective replacement in high-maintenance areas).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era context 1943-47
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Navy program-level documentation; supports construction-era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. The 1975/1979 replacement policies post-date this hull's disposal (1946-47) entirely. Does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard LST-654.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 searches, type=o queries 'LST-654' and '"USS LST-654"' (2026-10-02); helper cl-auth-search.py [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-654-lst654-07 through -10
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion-index searches (authenticated API v4): the exact-name query "USS LST-654" returned HTTP 200, count 0 - no opinion names this ship. The bare hull-number query 'LST-654' returned 121 results consisting of loose-token matches on the number/hull fragments - docket and serial-number collisions in unrelated cases (insurance, foreclosure, state appeals); none names the ship or concerns asbestos. No qualifying asbestos opinion was found. Two remaining searches could not be completed this session: the exact-phrase hull query '"LST-654"' (opinion index, five paced attempts) and the docket/RECAP index (two paced attempts) - the fleet-shared request budget was repeatedly spent; logged as blocked, not as a negative result.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Opinion-index coverage is strong (exact-name count 0; bare-query superset with no qualifying hit among 121 loose matches) but docket/RECAP coverage is genuinely absent (paced, not run) and the exact-phrase hull form went unqueried. A name match would not automatically be an asbestos case in any event. Conclusion supported: 'no qualifying asbestos opinion naming USS LST-654 located in the opinion index'; no docket-index conclusion should be drawn.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-08
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[10]Batch-7177 search ledger (this record): live DANFS; NavSource; NARA Special List 44; NVR (no entry); shipbuildinghistory registry; American Bridge history; EPA CERCLA + Brownfields; GAO product page; CourtListener (partial - see ev-08); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-654-lst654-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material schedule, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LST-654 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing material asserting asbestos aboard LST-type ships generically without primary sourcing (e.g., the Gori Law Firm landing-ships page) - excluded by source policy.
- 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 - wartime LST construction sits inside the documented Navy asbestos-use era. Deck logs (NARA RG 24, indexed), BuShips work packages, and any Foreign Liquidation Commission disposal file are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-654-lst654-09