Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]research packet 726-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-787-lst787-pkt-726-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'LST-787' (Naval History and Heritage Command ship-history page) - ARCHIVED COPY; live NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-10-03 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 2025-02-02 of NHHC DANFS LST-787 page; canonical live URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lst-787.html 404s (standing NHHC link-rot defect)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS): 'LST-787 was laid down on 2 July 1944 at Pittsburgh, Pa., by the Dravo Corp.; launched on 12 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. James Viziana; and commissioned on 13 September 1944, Lt. W. S. Lawrence in command.' Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; operations: capture and occupation of Iwo Jima (February 1945) and assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (April through June 1945). 'Following the war, LST-787 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 27 May 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 3 July that same year. On 7 May 1948, the ship was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Co., of Bethlehem, Pa., for scrapping. LST-787 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 ship's company (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history only; no asbestos or material content in the DANFS entry. Entry establishes milestones and campaigns, nothing about insulation, machinery materials, or post-sale breakup details.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-787-lst787-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, 'Tank Landing Ship LST-787' (navsource.net/archives/10/16/160787.htm) - timeline, campaigns, spec block, commanding officers, NARA-captioned photography [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160787.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo captions (page verified live 2026-10-03; last updated 9 Feb 2024)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: 'USS LST-787 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II.' LST-542 class; laid down 2 July 1944 at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA; launched 12 August 1944; commissioned 13 September 1944, LT. William S. Lawrence, USCGR, in command. Wartime organization: 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 - 29 June 1945. Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 2 September - 10 October 1945 and 29 October - 9 November 1945 (NavSource header also says 'Occupation and China service in the Far East'). Decommissioned 27 May 1946; struck from the Naval Register 3 July 1946; sold 7 May 1948 to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA, for scrapping; two battle stars. Spec block: displacement 1,625 t (lt) / 4,080 t (fl) / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; complement 13 officers, 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers, 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; fuel diesel 4,300 bbls; propulsion two GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230V D.C. generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders. Commanding officers: LT William S. Lawrence USCGR (13 Sep 1944 - 29 Jan 1946); LT Andrew G. Ramstad USCG (29 Jan 1946 - 27 May 1946). Page captions cite NARA identifiers for ship photography: USCG photos 26-G-4057 (NAID 205585085), 26-G-4104, 26-G-4438 (NAID 205586498), and COMTASKFOR 51 Iwo Jima photographic report (NARA catalog ID 4697018).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- USCG ship's company and embarked troops (1944-46); Dravo trades (1944)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates track DANFS exactly here and its flotilla/CO detail is corroborated by the official USCG monograph (ev-03). Contains no asbestos content. NARA photo identifiers transcribed from its captions, not independently verified in the NARA catalog (see archival_lead row).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-787-lst787-02
-
[4]U.S. Coast Guard, 'The Coast Guard at War - VI: The Pacific Landings,' Historical Section, Public Information Division, USCG HQ, 15 March 1946, Appendix B (verbatim HyperWar transcription, ibiblio.org) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Appendix B operation lists P33-1 (Iwo Jima) and P34-1 (Okinawa), pp. 263-265 of the monograph transcription
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official U.S. Coast Guard wartime history, Appendix B 'Coast Guard Manned Ships Entitled to Operation and Engagement Stars - Asiatic and Pacific Area,' lists LST-787 among Coast Guard-manned ships under both 'Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima (P33-1)' and 'Assault and Occupation of Okinawa (P34-1)' - independently confirming this hull's Coast Guard manning and its entitlement to engagement stars for both operations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945 (operations listed); monograph 1946
- Population
- USCG ship's company (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Confirms Coast Guard manning and campaign-star entitlement for this hull; contains no asbestos or material content. The companion USCG Historian's Office publication 'Coast Guard-Manned Naval Vessels in World War II' (media.defense.gov CGMANNEDVESSELS.PDF) could not be fetched - HTTP 403 to automated requests - so the 1946 monograph transcription is the carried source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-787-lst787-03
-
[5]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block for this hull (diesel plant); Bureau of Ships, 'Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels,' Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, 1945) LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); class-profile design group data (lst-1-class profile, background) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB-1945 v2 LST type section and design table; NavSource 160787.htm specifications block; class file lst-1-class (background only)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered tank landing ship built in 1944 sits inside the documented Navy asbestos-use era; era-consistent asbestos-relevant applications aboard an LST-542-class hull of this period were diesel engine/exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal and acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. As a diesel vessel she carried no boilers - the steam-plant lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply. BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 2 (NAVSHIPS 250-011) LST design data corroborates the diesel machinery fit of the class group (GM 12-567A engines, ~1,700 shp, Falk reduction gears).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Dravo construction trades (1944); USCG crew (1944-46); Bethlehem Steel shipbreakers (1948)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, or work package located for LST-787. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; establishes no quantity, no location, no exposure, and no causation for any individual. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-787-lst787-04
-
[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 to automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-03 - product-page description and prior-batch transcriptions used)
- 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 year (1944) and service life (1944-48). GAO further documented the Navy's standing policy of leaving existing asbestos insulation in place unless damaged or required for repairs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1979 (report); Navy policy era through early 1970s substitution
- Population
- Navy ships and shipyard workers generally (program scope)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Does not establish materials aboard LST-787, individual exposure, quantity, or presence at scrapping.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-787-lst787-05
-
[7]MARAD Vessel History Database (vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov) - ShipList/Detail ID-sequence verification; sibling stubs at Detail/9511-9516 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Detail pages probed: 9505=LST-774, 9511=LST-782, 9512=LST-788, 9513=LST-789, 9514=LST-793, 9516=LST-798; keyword ShipList search renders no server-side results
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database contains no record for LST-787. Verified by record-ID sequence: sibling hulls LST-782 (Detail/9511), LST-788 (Detail/9512), LST-789 (Detail/9513), LST-793 (Detail/9514), and LST-798 (Detail/9516) each carry bare 'Sold - No Further Info' stub records with status cards, and the Detail-ID ordering is monotonic in hull number - LST-787 would occupy the ID between 9511 and 9512, which does not exist. The hull's 1948 sale to Bethlehem Steel is documented only via DANFS/NavSource.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03 (search date)
- Limitations
- Absence from MARAD ShipHistory is a database-coverage fact, not evidence about the hull itself - MARAD's database covers vessels in MARAD custody or disposed through predecessor agencies, and a direct 1948 commercial sale for scrap may simply not have generated a status card. Nothing in this row bears on asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-787-lst787-06
-
[8]NARA RG 26 USCG photographic records and RG 24 deck logs - identifiers transcribed from NavSource photo captions (catalog.archives.gov not independently fetched) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAIDs 205585085, 205586498, 4697018 via NavSource 160787.htm captions; NARA catalog is JS-rendered (open verification, same limitation as prior batches)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (retrieval-level identification; not fetched): USCG photography of this specific hull is cataloged at NARA in RG 26 (Coast Guard) series - NAID 205585085 (local ID 26-G-4057, crew and Marines singing hymns aboard LST-787, 18 February 1945, eve of Iwo Jima) and NAID 205586498 (local ID 26-G-4438, LST-787 off Okinawa during an air attack, April 1945); the COMTASKFOR 51 photographic report of the Iwo Jima operation (NARA catalog ID 4697018) contains beached-ship photography of this hull at D+10. Deck logs for the 1944-46 USCG-manned service period would be in NARA RG 24 (Navy deck logs) and/or RG 26 (USCG) at College Park.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- USCG ship's company and embarked Marines/troops (Feb-Apr 1945)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the cited photographs establish presence (Iwo Jima, Okinawa), not materials or conditions aboard. Deck logs are undigitized; whether any log or work record documents insulation or hazardous materials is unknown until surveyed. No asbestos content in the photographic record as captioned.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-787-lst787-07
-
[9]Batch-7324 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; NavSource live; USCG 1946 monograph Appendix B; MARAD ShipHistory ID-sequence; NVR coverage rule; BuShips SDB-1945 v2; GAO HRD-80-2 (403); secondary web sweeps; CourtListener (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-787-lst787-01 through -11
- 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-787 was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated API reported the shared daily quota exhausted (~10.7 h to reset); logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case and no vessel-specific marketing claims for this hull. The Naval Vessel Register carries no entry (hull disposed 1948; NVR excludes ships disposed before 1987).
- 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 - a 1944 LST is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (quota-blocked, not run). Deck logs, 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-787-lst787-08