Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]research packet 725-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-785-lst785-pkt-725-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-785 - construction, sponsor, commissioning (Lt. Myron E. Nichol, USCG), Pacific service, Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns, occupation duty, decommissioning, striking, disposal, two battle stars (live NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-785 entry (full text, four paragraphs)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: 'LST-785 was laid down on 25 June 1944 at Pittsburgh, Pa., by the Dravo Corp.; launched on 5 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. D. A. McFarlane; and commissioned on 4 September 1944, Lt. Myron E. Nichol, USCG, in command.' Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; participated in the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima (February 1945) and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (April-June 1945). Postwar occupation duty in the Far East until early December 1945; returned to the United States, decommissioned 3 May 1946, struck from the Navy list 5 June 1946; sold 3 June 1948 to Walter W. Johnson Co. for scrapping. Earned two battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Dravo construction trades (1944); USCG crew (1944-46); embarked troops
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Entry is a short DANFS hull sketch - no complement, no availability or repair detail beyond what is stated. Live page verified 2026-10-03.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-785-01
-
[3]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, USS LST-785 cutter sheet (6 pp., compiled from LST files, Coast Guard Historian's Office; The Coast Guard At War, Vol. V, 1949; DANFS Vol. VII) - ARCHIVED COPY: live uscg.mil URL returns 404/403 as of 2026-10-03 [other_primary]
- Locator
- USCG Historian's Office LST-785 sheet, pp. 1-4 (spec block; history narrative); Wayback capture 20170507170721
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official USCG Historian's Office narrative for this hull: built at Dravo Shipbuilding Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh; departed Pittsburgh 26 August 1944 via the Monongahela, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers for New Orleans, where placed in full commission 4 September 1944, LT Myron E. Nichol, USCG, her only commanding officer (4 Sep 1944 - 3 May 1946). Shakedown St. Andrews Bay, FL (14-28 Sep 1944); post-shakedown availability at New Orleans; took aboard five LCT sections (LCT(6)-891, LCT(6)-1121); departed Gulfport, MS 11 Oct 1944; reached Pearl Harbor 5 Dec 1944. Combat-loaded 21 DUKWs, 105mm howitzers, and 19 officers/353 enlisted of 2nd Battalion, 13th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division at Hilo for Iwo Jima; arrived off Iwo Jima on D-day 19 Feb 1945 with TG 51.15, launching LCVPs and DUKWs through mortar and machine-gun fire and unloading troops/ammunition through 23 Feb; sustained damage - a 3/4-inch cable fouled the port propeller while beached 25 Feb, and three holes were found in two compartments after retraction; repaired in floating drydock ARD-25 at Saipan 9-24 Mar 1945. Beached at Orange Beach, Okinawa, 6 Apr 1945 (coral-head hull damage, Void A-401-V), under near-continuous air alerts; two Saipan-Okinawa resupply echelons (departing 23 Apr, 24 May); Aguni Shima operation 9-10 Jun 1945; evacuated the 8th Reinforced Combat Team, 2nd Marine Division, from Iheya Shima on 13 Jun 1945. Occupation lifts: Nagasaki (beached at the seawall in front of the customhouse 25 Sep 1945 with 1st Bn, 10th Regt., 2nd MarDiv), Matsuyama, Shikoku (25 Oct), Sasebo (22 Nov). Returned via Iwo Jima, Saipan, Pearl Harbor; arrived San Francisco 12 Jan 1946; decommissioned there 3 May 1946. Spec block: 327'9" oa, 50' beam; 2 x GM 12-567 diesels, twin shafts/rudders; complement 111, troops 163; initial armament 7 x 40mm, 6 x 20mm, 2 x .50-cal, 4 x .30-cal.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Dravo Neville Island construction trades (1944); USCG crew ~111 (1944-46); embarked troops incl. 5th MarDiv, 2nd MarDiv, Navy CB, Army engineer units
- Limitations
- Ship-specific operational history only; no asbestos or material content. Sourced by the Historian's Office from Coast Guard at-war records - a compiled official narrative, not a contemporaneous log. Live uscg.mil URL is dead (404/403); Wayback capture of 2017-05-07 used and labeled archived. Minor spec variances vs NavSource (length 327'9" vs 328'; complement 111 vs 117) noted in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-785-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-785 - timeline, USCG manning note, flotilla/group/division assignment, campaign dates, occupation-service periods, specifications, CO table, NHHC-captioned photography (live page verified 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160785.htm header block, campaign tables, specifications block, CO table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull (LST-542 class): laid down 25 June 1944 at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA; launched 5 August 1944; commissioned USS LST-785 4 September 1944, LT. Myron E. Nichol, USCG, in command; 'manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II.' Assigned LST Flotilla Twenty-Nine (CAPT. C. H. Peterson USCG), LST Group Eighty-Five (CDR. W. B. Millington USCG), LST Division One Hundred Seventy. Campaigns: Iwo Jima operation 19-28 February 1945; Okinawa Gunto operation 2 April-30 June 1945. Navy Occupation Service Medal periods: 20-26 September 1945 and 19 October-4 December 1945. Decommissioned 3 May 1946; struck from the Naval Register 5 June 1946; sold for scrapping 3 June 1948 to Walter W. Johnson Co.; two battle stars. Specs: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328' oa, 50' beam, 11.6 kts; 2 x GM 12-567A 900hp diesels, Falk main reduction gears, 3 x 100kW DC ship's-service generators, twin screws 1,700 shp; complement 13 officers/104 enlisted; troops 16 officers/147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; ultimate-design armament 2 twin 40mm + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm. NHHC-captioned photos place her off Iwo Jima on D-day (80-G-303902, from USS Hansford APA-106), beached at Okinawa April 1945 alongside LST-736 and LST-598, and in San Francisco Bay early 1946 flying a homeward-bound pennant (NH 79559).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Dravo construction trades (1944); USCG crew (1944-46); embarked troops; Walter W. Johnson Co. shipbreakers (1948)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestones here track DANFS and the USCG sheet; its CO table lists Nichol's tenure from 5 September 1944 (one day after the documented commissioning - see gaps). Contains no asbestos content. The 1948 scrapping predates modern ACM-handling regulation; no hazmat or material record for the breakup was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-785-03
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[5]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (2 x GM 12-567A diesels, no boilers) + USCG Historian spec block (2 x GM 12-567 diesels) + BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST design table (class profile lst-1-class, ev-lst-1-class-01) + WWII-era amphibious-ship construction practice [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications; USCG sheet spec block; class-profile BuShips SDB-1945 v2 design data (lst-1-class.class.json ev-01)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered tank landing ship built mid-1944 sits squarely inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. For this propulsion type - two GM 12-567A diesels, no boilers - the era-standard asbestos-relevant applications were diesel-engine exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings and tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, valve packing, and winch/crane brake linings. As a diesel ship she carried no steam plant - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Dravo Neville Island construction trades (1944); USCG crew (1944-46); repair population at ARD-25 Saipan (Mar 1945); New Orleans post-shakedown availability trades (Oct 1944); 1948 shipbreakers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for LST-785. Names era-standard applications for the type, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Does not establish exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-785-04
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[6]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979; publicly released Oct 22, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (highlights text verified live 2026-10-03)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships, did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s, and under its 1975 policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs - modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. This spans the hull's entire construction (1944) and service era (1944-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1979 (report); 1940s-70s (use era)
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Fieldwork yards in the report were Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - neither touched this hull in the record. Product-page description used; gao.gov full-text is the standing open lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-785-05
-
[7]NARA research guide, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - official research pathway for ship-specific asbestos records (RG 19 Bureau of Ships correspondence by hull designation; deck logs; shipyard correspondence) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov guided-topics asbestos page, 'Bureau of Ships General, Confidential, and Secret Correspondence' section and RG 19 entry list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's own guide documents the official path for ship-specific asbestos research on a hull of this era: RG 19 Bureau of Ships General/Confidential/Secret correspondence 1940-1961, filed by hull designation (this hull: 'LST785'; class correspondence under the LST type designation; builder's-yard correspondence under 'QM/Dravo'), plus deck logs and shipyard files. The guide confirms asbestos-in-Navy-materiel 1941-1961 is a frequently requested research topic - i.e., the era bracket containing this hull's entire existence is the documented asbestos-research window.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1961 (coverage window)
- Population
- Researchers; veterans pursuing VA claims (per guide)
- Limitations
- Research-pathway documentation only - establishes where hull-level asbestos records would live, not that any exist for this hull. No LST-785-specific file was located or requested; entries are archival leads, all undigitized.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-785-06
-
[8]Batch-7322 search ledger (this record): DANFS live page; USCG Historian's Office sheet (Wayback); NavSource page and linked action-report PDF; NARA digitized deck-log index; NARA asbestos research guide; NVR check; CourtListener (blocked); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-785-01 through sl-uss-lst-785-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LST-785 was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - API returned HTTP 429-equivalent stand-down (daily quota exhausted, ~10.8 h to reset per the fleet helper); logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. The class-level sweep run for the LST class profile found only an incidental mention ('USS LST 579' inside a reunion-notice exhibit) - no asbestos docket naming any specific LST hull. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case naming LST-785; the only 'asbestos aboard' material for hull-number 785 is law-firm content naming USS Henderson DD-785 - a different hull (name collision), excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (quota-blocked, not run). RG 19/24 archival files, Dravo construction records, and the 1948 scrapping contract are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-785-07