Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet 715-packet.md (7 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-720-lst720-pkt-715-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-720 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, campaign list, occupation/China service, decommissioning, strike, sale to Consolidated Builders, two battle stars (live NHHC page, fetched via Firecrawl 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-720 entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents for this hull: laid down 7 July 1944 at Jeffersonville, Ind., by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; launched 12 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ellen C. Harvey; commissioned 4 September 1944, Ens. J. D. Shepard in command. Asiatic-Pacific operations: Lingayen Gulf landing (January 1945) and Mindanao Island landing (March 1945). Postwar: occupation duty in the Far East and service in China until early April 1946; returned to the United States and decommissioned 24 June 1946; struck from the Navy list 31 July 1946; 'On 23 October 1947, the ship was sold to Consolidated Builders, Inc., of Seattle, Wash., and subsequently scrapped.' Two battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Construction trades (Jeffersonville, 1944); ship's company and embarked troops (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS gives month-level campaign dates only; NavSource supplies the per-campaign date table (ev-02). The sale is reported as a contract date; the MARAD status card (ev-05) records physical delivery and Maritime Commission basis dates that differ - described exactly there.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-720 (10/16/160720.htm) - designation timeline, campaign-date table, occupation/China-service periods, spec block, commanding-officer list, awards, disposal [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160720.htm header block, campaign table, occupation/China table, specifications block, CO table, awards block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource documents for this hull: LST-542-class tank landing ship laid down 7 July 1944 at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN; launched 12 August 1944; commissioned USS LST-720 4 September 1944, ENS. James D. Shepard, USN, in command. Campaign table: Luzon operation, Lingayen Gulf landings 4-18 January 1945; Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines, Mindanao Island landings 10 March 1945. Navy Occupation Service and China Service Medal (extended), both 22 October 1945-11 April 1946. Decommissioned 24 June 1946; struck from the Naval Register 31 July 1946; 'Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 23 October 1947, to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Seattle, WA.' Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full (sea-going, 1,675 t load) / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa x 50 ft; 11.6 kt trial; 2 x GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, 3 x diesel-drive 100 kW 230 V DC generators; complement 13 officers / 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers / 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; radio call sign NFTP. Awards: China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2), WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), Philippines Presidential Unit Citation, Philippines Liberation Medal (2). CO table: ENS Shepard USN (4 Sep 1944-17 Apr 1945); LT William F. Krueger Jr. USNR temporary (17 Apr-3 May 1945); LTjg Shepard USN (3 May-19 Jun 1945); LT Thomas R. Carter USNR (19 Jun 1945-18 Jan 1946); LTjg Robert S. Keebler Jr. USNR (18 Jan-24 Jun 1946). No photographs of this hull in the archive.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Ship's company (~117 USN, mixed USN/USNR officers) plus embarked troops (1944-46)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - dates cross-check cleanly against DANFS and the hull's own documents. Its CO table lists Shepard as ENS at commissioning and LTjg in May-June 1945, which conflicts with the ship's own records signing him 'Lieut. USN' from September 1944 (muster forwarding sheet, ev-04) and January 1945 (action report, ev-03) - discrepancy carried in gaps. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-02
-
[4]NARA NAID 139890157, 'USS LST-720 - Rep of AA act While enroute Lingayan Gulf, Luzon Is, Philippines on 1/12/45' (serial 2-45, CONFIDENTIAL, dated 13 January 1945, signed J. D. Shepard; RG 38, World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories; micro serial 108837, Roll A1427; 3 images; digitized via Fold3) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 139890157, images 0393-0395: cover letter and anti-aircraft action form (downloaded and read 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's own action report (downloaded and read this session, all 3 images) documents an anti-aircraft alert while en route to Lingayen Gulf during the San Fabian operation: at position 15 deg 21' N, 119 deg 33' E on 12 January 1945 the vessel received an alert signal about 1827; at 1833 approximately six planes, recorded on the report form as 'Fighter' type making a 'Suicide dive,' 'high and fast,' attacked Liberty ships in the convoy - 'this vessel was not effected' [sic]. The ship expended no ammunition, took no evasion, was not strafed, sustained no hits, near misses, or casualties, and claimed no aircraft. 'Efficiency of ship and crew satisfactory.' Routing: via Commander Task Group 78.9, Commander Task Group 78 (Commander SEVENTH Amphibious Force), Commander SEVENTH Fleet, to Commander-in-Chief U.S. Fleet; received by CominCh 6 March 1945; signed J. D. Shepard, Lieut. USN.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-01-12
- Population
- Ship's company (~117) at alert; convoy including attacked Liberty ships
- Limitations
- Primary ship-produced operational record; documents the 12 January 1945 convoy alert during the Lingayen reinforcement phase - the attacked vessels were Liberty ships in the convoy, not this LST, which fired no shots. No asbestos or material content. DANFS/NavSource place this hull at Lingayen 4-18 January 1945, consistent with the report's en-route position.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-03
-
[5]NARA NAID 126462212, 'LST-720, 9/4/44-6/2/46' (RG 24 Muster Rolls, Roll No. 4775; 294 images; digitized via Ancestry; creators Bureau of Naval Personnel / Bureau of Navigation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 126462212, image 32861_250017-00003 (30 Sep 1944 NAVPERS 605 forwarding sheet, downloaded and read 2026-10-02); 294-image file unit
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Complete crew documentation survives and is digitized: NARA file unit 'LST-720, 9/4/44-6/2/46' (RG 24, Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, Roll 4775, Ancestry digitization) contains 294 images covering the hull's entire commissioned life. First-sheet verification this session: NAVPERS 605 forwarding sheet for the quarterly muster roll of U.S.S. LST 720, dated 30 September 1944 (annotated 'Com. 9-4-44 to 6-2-46'), certified by Executive Officer J. H. Humphreys, Lt.(jg) USNR, approved by J. D. Shepard, Lieut. USN, Commanding Officer, forwarded 3 October 1944 from U.S.S. LST 720. The roll series documents every enlisted crewman by name and rating across the ship's life - the primary population record for any exposure-relevant crew enumeration.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-09-04 to 1946-06-02
- Population
- All enlisted crew plus officers, 1944-46 - the named crew record
- Limitations
- Ship-specific personnel record: establishes the crew population and confirms the mixed USN/USNR officer complement, but contains no asbestos or material content. The file-unit coverage ends 6/2/46, three weeks before the 24 June 1946 decommissioning - terminal-quarter roll handling per NAVPERS 605 instructions; the gap is noted, not resolved. CO rank on the signature block ('Lieut. USN') conflicts with NavSource's ENS listing (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-04
-
[6]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LST-720, Detail 9476, status card 49U_01.png (downloaded and read 2026-10-02) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD ShipHistory Detail 9476; status card image https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/49U_01.png
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory record (Detail 9476) and its digitized vessel status card document the disposal chain: the card records 'Basis to U.S.M.C. 10-16-47 Noon NORLAND, WASHINGTON' (the vessel coming under U.S. Maritime Commission disposal basis 16 October 1947 at noon, Nordland, Washington); allocated under 'SPact 1936' to operator CONSOLIDATED BUILDERS, INC by purchase (PURCH), port of delivery Nordland, Wash., delivered '9-25-47 NOON PST' with a handwritten '10/16/47'. The database face lists Fate 'Sold - No Further Info' and a Year Built placeholder of 9999. The card fixes the scrapping site: Consolidated Builders' yard at Nordland, Washington, on Marrowstone Island in Puget Sound - consistent with the DANFS/NavSource sale line of 23 October 1947 to Consolidated Builders, Inc., of Seattle.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1947
- Population
- Scrapping-yard workforce, Consolidated Builders Inc., Nordland WA (1947-48)
- Limitations
- Primary disposal record: documents sale/delivery for scrapping, not material conditions - no asbestos content. Three different dates appear across sources for related events (physical delivery 25 Sep 1947 per card; USMC basis 16 Oct 1947 per card; sale 23 Oct 1947 per DANFS/NavSource) - treated as distinct events (delivery, custody basis, contract report), not merged. Card spells the port 'NORLAND' in the basis line and 'NORDLAND' in the delivery column; Nordland, WA is the documented Consolidated Builders scrapping site. MARAD 'Year Built: 9999' is a database placeholder, not a data point.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-05
-
[7]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan, NAVSHIPS 250-011); NavSource LST-720 spec block; lst-1-class class profile (class-f worktree, 2026-09-16) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB 1945 v2 LST design table; NavSource 160720.htm specifications block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference for this hull: the LST-542 design group ran a diesel plant (2 x GM 12-567A diesels, 1,700 shp total, Falk reduction gear, twin screws - BuShips design table and this hull's NavSource spec block) with no boilers, so the steam-plant lagging pathway of boiler vessels does not apply. Asbestos-relevant applications aboard a 1944 diesel landing ship of this type were the era-standard set - diesel-exhaust and machinery-space lagging, gaskets and packing, accommodation thermal insulation, and deck coverings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Jeffersonville Boat & Machine construction trades (1944); ship's company/embarked troops (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package was located for LST-720. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantities; no manufacturer attribution. SDB 1945 v2 PDF verified live 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy's Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) - full report text retrieved via Firecrawl this session (https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 letter report, transmittal letter and findings chapter (full-text PDF retrieved via Firecrawl 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented (full text read): 'according to the Navy, although all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables, most ships delivered in the last several years or now under construction have little or no asbestos as thermal insulation, which was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships'; 'thermal insulation for machinery, equipment and piping systems has been the major application of asbestos'; the Navy's thermal-insulation specification was changed in 1973 to require asbestos-free materials, and ships were still delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978. The 1944 construction and entire service life of this hull precede the substitution era entirely.
- 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 - LST-720 is not named. Fieldwork was conducted at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards. Full text retrieved 2026-10-02 via Firecrawl (earlier batch sessions logged gao.gov HTTP 403 to direct fetch).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, fleet-paced helper), opinion and docket indexes [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-720-lst720-08 through -11
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation located in the completed queries: exact-phrase "LST-720" returned 0 in the opinion index and 1 hit in the docket index - United States v. Sweeney, N.D. Ill. No. 3:07-cr-50059 (criminal/ERISA docket), a tokenized string collision inside an attachment (an Illinois state-court 'Statement of Charge & Disposition' filing), not a vessel reference. The two variant queries ("USS LST-720" and "LST 720" asbestos, both opinion index) were attempted repeatedly and BLOCKED - the account daily quota was exhausted mid-sweep (HTTP 429, Retry-After ~11.8h). No asbestos case naming this hull was found in the searched coverage.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Sweep partially completed: the two highest-signal queries (exact hull phrase in both the opinion and docket indexes) ran to completion; the two variant queries were blocked when the shared account daily quota was spent (helper-classified 429, ~11.8h reset) - logged blocked, not negative. CourtListener coverage in any case excludes state-court filings, unreported settlements, MDL-875 pleading-level vessel lists, and non-digitized dockets; a zero qualifying result in completed coverage is not proof no case exists.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-08
-
[10]Batch-7251 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NavSource; NARA catalog + ship-titled action report read in full + 294-image muster-roll file unit; MARAD ShipHistory status card; BuShips SDB 1945 v2; GAO HRD-80-2 full text; CourtListener API (opinion + docket); NIOSH survey check; NVR; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-720-lst720-01 through -16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material schedule, or qualifying case naming USS LST-720 was found in the public sources searched. The strongest ship-specific documentation is operational and administrative (one ship-produced action report read in full; complete digitized muster rolls; MARAD disposal card); no primary source read names asbestos aboard this hull.
- 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 - construction at a wartime inland yard sits squarely inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-09
-
[11]NARA catalog, "LST-720" - 128 file units (fuzzy relevance; ship-titled units: muster rolls NAID 126462212, AA action report NAID 139890157, index-card range NAID 6846517) plus digitized parent-unit war diaries COM LST GR 65 (Dec 44-Dec 45 run) and COM LST GR 64, GR 70, CTU 76.15.17/78.23.1, CTG 76.19 [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov "LST-720" result set (all 7 pages scanned for ship-titled units); NAID 6846517 'Not Yet Available Online'; COM LST GR 65 NAIDs 139807463, 139928734, 633438014, 101733162, 101778276, 77486694, 77537183, 77555181, 77585022(joint 64/65), 140086797(joint 12/45)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Primary archive coverage for this hull is unusually complete at the personnel level: the RG 24 muster-roll file unit (294 images, 9/4/44-6/2/46) documents the entire commissioned crew, and one ship-titled RG 38 action report (12 Jan 1945 AA alert) is digitized. A third ship-titled unit exists on paper only: NAID 6846517 'LST 720 THRU MASZ' is an index-card range in RG 38's Index to General Correspondence (July 1942-June 1946) marked 'Not Yet Available Online' - CNO general-correspondence index cards covering this hull exist in the index but are not digitized, and any underlying correspondence files are unverified. Parent-unit war diaries for COM LST GR 65 (the group this hull reported through in the 12 Jan 1945 chain: CTG 78.9 / Seventh Amphibious Force) run continuously Dec 1944-Dec 1945 in the digitized diary series, with COM LST GR 64, COM LST GR 70, COMTASK-UNITs 76.15.17 and 78.23.1, and COMTASK-GROUP 76.19 units also surfaced.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Ship's company (1944-46); researchers
- Limitations
- Archival-lead row: the catalog result is fuzzy-relevance - ship-titled units beyond the three identified may exist deeper in the 128-hit set. WWII deck logs proper for this hull were not located in the digitized deck-log series. The RG 38 index-card range implies general-correspondence files on this hull exist at NARA but none are digitized; the scrapper's records (Consolidated Builders, Nordland WA) are not located in any public collection - no known hazmat manifest for a 1947-48 commercial scrapping.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-10
-
[12]NavSource USS Castle (DD-720) page (05/720.htm) - Gearing-class, contract cancelled 12 Dec 1945 at 60.3% complete, never commissioned; MARAD Detail 9476 placeholder field [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 05/720.htm (Castle header, cancellation photo caption 12 Dec 1945); MARAD Detail 9476 Year Built field
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: bare hull number 720 collides across types. USS Castle (DD-720) was a Gearing-class destroyer laid down at Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock, Kearny NJ, whose construction contract was cancelled 12 December 1945 at 60.3% complete - she never launched, commissioned, or carried a crew. Law-firm asbestos listicles nonetheless maintain 'USS Castle DD-720 asbestos exposure' pages (e.g., shepardlawfirm.com); any '720' asbestos content encountered is likely about that cancelled destroyer and in any case is not about this LST. This hull (LST-720) was never renamed, so no county-name alias or foreign-service pennant exists; a MARAD 'Year Built: 9999' field on Detail 9476 is a database placeholder, not evidence.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-2026
- Limitations
- Corrects a hull-number collision, not a material claim. The DD-720 cancellation facts rest on NavSource's photographic record (day-after-cancellation photos at Kearny); Castle has no DANFS entry ('not a part of the DANFS project' per NavSource). No asbestos content in this row.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-720-lst720-11