Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]research packet 841-packet.md (5 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-marion-county-lst975-pkt-841-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Marion County' (LST-975) - name note, spec block, and full service narrative (verbatim transcription via HistoryCentral mirror, archived copy; live NHHC pages returned 404 on all candidate URLs 2026-10-03) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Marion County' entry - name note, spec block, and service narrative paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: name note 'Counties in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia' (17 states). Spec block: 'dp. 1,625; l. 328'0"; b. 50'0"; dr. 14'1"; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 119; a. 8 40mm., 12 20mm.; cl. LST-511' (class label conflicts with the LST-542-class designation used by NavSource and modern references - see gaps). Laid down as LST-975 by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyards, Inc., Hingham, Mass., 1 December 1944; launched 6 January 1945; sponsored by Miss Alice J. Varian; commissioned 3 February 1945, Lt. David S. Stanley in command. Narrative: shakedown Chesapeake Bay; departed New York 27 March 1945 for the Pacific via Panama Canal; Pearl Harbor 1 May, Maui amphibious exercises; Seattle 13 June embarking 119 Army troops; sailed 28 June via Hawaii, Eniwetok, Saipan; arrived Okinawa 17 August; Saipan 23 August embarking 2d Marine Division for occupation of Japan; Nagasaki 24 September; San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, 7 October; Army 52d Field Artillery Battalion via Mindanao to Matsuyama 25 October; Manila 6 November; five months of inter-port Philippine lifts; decommissioned Subic Bay 16 April 1946, turned over to the Army for Far East operations. Korea: assigned to MSTS 1 July 1950 'to be manned by a Japanese civilian crew'; recommissioned at Yokosuka 28 August 1950, Lt. Arnold W. Harer in command; Inchon supply duty from 15 September (Red Beach sniper fire, a mortar shell wounded one man; Marine casualties cared for by Surgical Team 3); Wonsan 25 October; supply runs into mid-1951; San Diego 26 May 1951; returned to Yokosuka 11 March 1952, Korea support 4 April-20 October 1952; 19 June 1953 DEW-line resupply cruise via Seattle and Point Barrow, departed Seward 25 August; Far East cruise from 19 October, Yokosuka 13 November, Iwo Jima simulated assault landing 23-26 March 1954; San Diego 20 May 1954. 'Renamed Marion County 1 July 1955'; departed San Diego 9 January 1956 for training off Hawaii and the Philippines; Long Beach 14 April-5 May 1956; Portland, Oregon 9 May; decommissioned 10 May 1956 and turned over to MSTS; Pacific MSTS service until 26 September 1957, then MSTS 'ready reserve' fleet Suisun Bay; 21 October 1960 returned to Navy account for temporary custody of the Maritime Commission; transferred under the Military Assistance Program to the Republic of Vietnam 12 April 1962; 'Struck from the Navy list 1 June 1963, she continues to serve South Vietnam as Cam Ranh (HQ-500) into 1969.' 'Marion County received six battle stars for Korean service.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1969 (entry coverage)
- Population
- Bethlehem-Hingham construction trades (1944-45); ship's company (1945-46, 1950-56); embarked troops and casualties; MSTS civilian crew incl. Japanese nationals (1950, 1956-57); RVN crew (1962-75); Philippine Navy crew (1975-c.2014)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS narrative ends in-service (~1969) - Philippine disposition comes from other rows. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 on 2026-10-03 (standing NHHC link-rot defect); verbatim transcription used via an archived HistoryCentral mirror. Spec-block 'cl. LST-511' conflicts with the LST-542-class label carried elsewhere; 'mortal shell' in the mirror is an OCR artifact for 'mortar shell.'
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Marion County (LST-975) ex USS LST-975 - designation timeline, Korean War campaign table, specifications, commanding officers, awards/ribbons, and dated photo captions (verified live on navsource.net 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160975.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, CO list, and photo-caption series (incl. NavSource image nos. 1016097501-518; NHHC photo NH 93784 credit; Hector photo 09250728)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 1 December 1944 at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA; launched 6 January 1945; commissioned USS LST-975 3 February 1945, LT David S. Stanley USN. Asiatic-Pacific Theater WWII; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 20-26 September 1945 and 23-29 October 1945. Decommissioned 16 April 1946 at Subic Bay and turned over to the U.S. Army; struck from the Naval Register (date unknown); returned to Navy custody and reinstated; placed in service with MSTS 1 July 1950 as USNS T-LST-975; recommissioned USS LST-975 28 August 1950, LT Arnold W. Harer USN. Korean War campaigns tabulated: North Korean Aggression (18 Sep-2 Nov 1950), Communist China Aggression (3-18 Nov 1950 and 19 Dec 1950-19 Jan 1951), Inchon Landing (15-17 Sep 1950), First UN Counter Offensive (27 Feb-3 Apr 1951), Second Korean Winter (4-30 Apr 1952), Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 (1 May; 8-21 Jul; 11 Aug-16 Sep). Named USS Marion County (LST-975) 1 July 1955; decommissioned 10 May 1956; USNS Marion County (T-LST-975) under MSTS; out of service 26 September 1957, MSTS ready reserve fleet Suisun Bay; transferred under MAP to the Republic of Vietnam 12 April 1962 as RVNS Cam Banh (HQ-500); struck from the Naval Register 1 June 1963; six Korean War battle stars; escaped to the Philippines after the fall of Saigon 29 April 1975; transferred to the Philippine Navy 17 November 1975 as BPR Zamboanga Del Sur (LT-86); decommissioned by the Philippine Navy and sold for scrapping. Photo captions document: building ways, christening by sponsor Miss Alice Jean Varian, launch, and commissioning ceremony at Bethlehem-Hingham (Jan-Feb 1945); Cam Banh (HQ-500) at Nha Trang circa 1963-64 and alongside USS Hector (AR-7) off Vung Tau 7 March 1972 (US Navy All Hands photo, using the 'Cam Ranh' spelling); Zamboanga Del Sur (LT-86) in drydock at A.G.&P. Drydock, Bauan, Batangas, 7 January 1995; moored at Navotas City 27 May 2015 awaiting breakers space; at the Navotas City breakers yard 3 July 2015. Commanding officers: LT David Sloan Stanley (3 Feb 1945-16 Apr 1946); LT Arnold Wood Harer (28 Aug 1950-1952); LT George Joseph Warren Flanders (1952); LCDR John David Bailey (May 1955-10 May 1956). Call sign NKKU. Specifications: 1,625 t light, 4,080 t full, 2,366 t beaching; 328' oa; 50' beam; 11.6 kts trial; endurance 24,000 mi @ 9 kts; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; armament 2 twin + 4 single 40mm, 12 single 20mm; propulsion 'two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines,' single Falk main reduction gears, 3 diesel-drive 100kW 230V DC generators, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-2015
- Population
- Bethlehem-Hingham construction trades (1944-45); crew (1945-46, 1950-56); MSTS/NDRF period; RVN and Philippine crews; Navotas breakers workforce (2015)
- Limitations
- Volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track NVR/DANFS but item-level errors exist: the spec block's '12-567A' engines conflict with the official BuShips block assignment of 12-278A for LST932-979 (see ev-07); the 'Cam Banh' spelling conflicts with DANFS/All Hands 'Cam Ranh'; the campaign table carries a '19 December 1959' typo for 1950; complement 117 conflicts with DANFS/BuShips 119. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-02
-
[4]Operation WIGWAM - Report of Commander, Task Group 7.3, 22 July 1955 (AD-A995001, extracted version approved for public release, prepared for the Director, Defense Nuclear Agency; archived copy of the DTIC PDF - live apps.dtic.mil fetch returned an interstitial block page 2026-10-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- TG 7.3 report: sec. 2.5 (preoperational tests, p. 18-19), sec. 2.6.2 (Surface Support Unit), sec. 2.6 surface-operations narrative (12 and 15 May events), sec. 8/9 personnel narrative (12 May casualty, p. 63-64)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- This hull is named three times in the official task-group report for the 14 May 1955 deep underwater nuclear test (~500 miles southwest of San Diego): (1) 'during December 1954, LST-975 and LST-1048 conducted wire-laying tests off San Diego' proving that 'some 5 miles of buoyed towing wire' could be streamed; (2) on 12 May 1955 the two LSTs of the Surface Support Unit (under Commander Service Squadron One) 'streamed their wire and buoys' during assembly of the instrument array, and a man on LST-975 suffered a lacerated ear, transferred by helicopter to USS Curtiss for treatment; (3) on 15 May during tow-wire and buoy retrieval 'heavy swells caused the starboard bow ramp-hoisting wire on LST-975 to part,' the port wire parted during rerigging, 'the bow ramp thereupon fell to the extreme down position and broke off. LST-975 continued to retrieve the tow wire, however, and completed the task, taking on board some 19,000 ft of wire and 94 buoys in 9 hr, a feat considered noteworthy even under ideal conditions.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1954-12 to 1955-05
- Population
- LST-975 ship's company during WIGWAM (CO LCDR John D. Bailey, May 1955-10 May 1956, per NavSource CO list); LST-1048 company; TG 7.3 surface units
- Limitations
- Documents this hull's participation and role in a nuclear-weapons test (array support, not a target): a personnel/radiological-era fact, NOT an asbestos record. The report contains no asbestos or material content; it does not document individual exposure or any claim of harm beyond the noted minor casualty. Participation window per this report: preoperational tests December 1954; at-sea phase ~2-24 May 1955. Personnel totals for the operation (~6,500-6,800 personnel, 30 ships) are program-level per the DNA/NTPR fact sheet, not ship-specific.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-03
-
[5]Commander Transport Squadron Twelve (ComTransRon 12), Action Report - Landings of Occupation Forces, NAGASAKI, Japan, 18-26 September 1945 (serial OF6-12/APA36/A16-3; CONFIDENTIAL, dated 30 September 1945; Commander NAGASAKI Group, Commodore H. B. Knowles, USS Cambria flagship; 52-page scanned document hosted by NavSource) [other_primary]
- Locator
- 03138a.pdf p.5, task organization sec. 5.2 'LST Flotilla 23' -> 'LST Group 13 (Temp)' hull list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Task-organization section of the Nagasaki occupation-landing action report places this hull in 'LST Group 13 (Temp)' under Comdr. Lea, within LST Flotilla 23 (Captain Weeden F.): 'LST 481 (F), 166 (Csy Sec), 571 (PB), 934, 785, 788 (Csy Sec), 817, 829, 871 (Csy Sec), 887 (Csy Sec), 953, 975, 1073 (PB), 13 (PB)...' - LST-975 among the lift ships for the 18-26 September 1945 landings, consistent with the DANFS record of her reaching Nagasaki 24 September carrying 2d Marine Division men and equipment embarked at Saipan.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-09
- Population
- LST-975 ship's company; embarked 2d Marine Division occupation troops
- Limitations
- Scanned document read via OCR assistance - the task-organization line is legible at 300 dpi but neighboring hull numbers carry OCR uncertainty; read 'LST ... 953, 975, 1073 (PB), 13 (PB)' with moderate confidence. Task-organization listing establishes assignment to the Nagasaki Group, not a ship-specific events narrative. No asbestos content. Document provenance: contributed scan on NavSource, presumed NARA-derived - original archival citation not located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-04
-
[6]MARAD vesselhistory record LST-975 (Detail 3096) + NDRF Reserve Fleet Ship Particulars card MA-383 (3097_5761AF.jpg) [other_primary]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail/3096 milestone table; status card /cards/3097_5761AF.jpg (form MA-383, COMM-DC 26056)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Government custody record for this hull's reserve-fleet period: entered the Suisun Bay fleet 26 September 1957, 1330 hrs PDST, as 'Marion County (LST-975)', type 'Landing Ship, Tank', service prior to lay-up 'MSTS Nucleus Fleet' / '1958 Arctic Season Ready Status', title 'Reimbursable Navy (Ready Status)'; withdrawn 15 August 1961, 1047 hrs PDST, reason 'Navy - Perm. Transfer for foreign transfer under MAP' with handwritten annotation '(Viet nam)'. Card also carries preservation-cost notes (est. cathodic $22,500 custodial), Marad/Navy correspondence references of Oct-Nov 1960, and 'no further basic preservation to be performed'. Milestone table corroborates: entry/acquisition 26 September 1957 'ex-MARION COUNTY'; disposition/withdrawal 15 August 1961.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1956-1961
- Population
- MSTS ready-reserve caretaker crews (1957-61)
- Limitations
- Custody/administrative record only - no asbestos, hazmat, or material content; the preservation annotations concern fleet maintenance, not ACM. Handwritten entries are partially legible; 'CUST 1956' milestone code and the anomalous 28 October 1956 entry rows in the milestone table are not interpreted.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-05
-
[7]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II, NAVSHIPS 250-011 (15 April 1945), LST section pp. 168-191 (shipscribe.com scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table, characteristics and machinery rows for block LST932-979
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official BuShips design table assigns machinery by hull block: 'LST932-979 .. 2 [shafts] .. G. M. Diesel, 12-278A .. 1,700' shp - covering this hull (975). Design data for the block: 328'0" oa, 50'0" beam, 2,366 t beaching displacement, 4,080 t full load, 11.6 kt trial; accommodations 13 officers + 106 enlisted. Diesel propulsion with no boilers.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Engine-room crew (diesel plant)
- Limitations
- Design-table assignment by hull block, not a per-hull machinery acceptance record - the authoritative contemporaneous source for this hull's engine type, preferred over NavSource's generic '12-567A' spec-block figure (see ev-07). Contains no asbestos or material-list content. OCR of the scanned table is staggered; the LST932-979 -> 12-278A row reads cleanly.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-06
-
[8]Specification cross-check: NavSource LST-975 specifications block vs BuShips Ships' Data Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011) LST design table; DANFS spec block class label vs modern class references [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160975.htm specifications block; SDB1945v2 LST machinery table; DANFS Marion County spec block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: NavSource's specifications for this hull state 'two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines' - the generic LST-542-class figure. The official BuShips 1945 design table assigns GM 12-278A diesels (1,700 shp) specifically to hull block LST932-979, which includes this hull; NavSource's own page framework copies the class-standard spec block. Additionally, the DANFS spec block labels her 'cl. LST-511' while NavSource and modern references class her as LST-542 class - a class-label discrepancy in the primary record, not a different ship.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Corrects published specification errors, not a material/exposure claim. The BuShips block assignment is the contemporaneous design record; an in-service engine substitution cannot be ruled out absent a hull machinery history card. 'LST-511' in the DANFS spec block is treated as a labeling anomaly (the 932-979 block falls within the LST-542 design series in standard references).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-07
-
[9]Era inference built on: BuShips SD-1945 v2 plant data (diesel, no boilers); Bethlehem-Hingham as a Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. wartime yard (shipyard-exposure-map corporate yard entry 'bethlehem-shipbuilding' documents asbestos products at Bethlehem yards incl. 85% magnesia block, marinite, transite/aircell pipe covering, limpet spray, unibestos, asbestos lagging, gaskets and packing); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos era (see ev-09) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 machinery table; shipyards.json product list for bethlehem-shipbuilding; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered tank landing ship built December 1944-February 1945 at a Bethlehem Shipbuilding wartime yard sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a diesel LST of this period were GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings and tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. As a diesel ship she carried no boilers or steam propulsion - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-2015
- Population
- Bethlehem-Hingham construction trades (1944-45); crew in engineering spaces (1945-46, 1950-56); later RVN/Philippine crews inheriting era materials; Navotas breakers (2015)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for LST-975. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The Bethlehem yard product list is corporate-level (documented largely at Sparrows Point/Quincy/Baltimore facilities); Bethlehem-Hingham specifically is not separately documented in the yard dataset.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-08
-
[10]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, HTTP 403)
- 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 construction (1944-45), Navy service (1945-46, 1950-56), and MSTS/NDRF period. GAO also documented that standing policy left asbestos insulation in place unless damaged or required for repairs, so original-era insulation typically remained aboard for decades.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy and civilian shipboard/yard populations, program level
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-09
-
[11]Batch-7518 search ledger (this record): DANFS mirror (NHHC 404); NavSource live; Operation WIGWAM TG 7.3 report via archived DTIC PDF; ComTransRon 12 Nagasaki action report scan; MARAD vesselhistory + NDRF status card; BuShips SD-1945 v2 via shipscribe; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; CourtListener (blocked); NARA deck logs lead; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-marion-county-lst975-01 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 Marion County / LST-975 was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - authenticated helper returned 'daily quota exhausted' with a ~6.7-hour reset; logged as blocked in the search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (gorilaw.com LST listicle, navyshipexposure.com per-hull pages) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - 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 - a 1945 naval hull of this type is era-consistent with installed ACM, and the hull survived intact (never extensively modernized) until scrapping in 2015. The litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run); 'Marion County' is a high-collision name requiring careful re-query when quota resets. Deck logs, Army/MSTS custody records, RVN/Philippine maintenance records, and Navotas scrapping records are undigitized or unlocated leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-marion-county-lst975-10