Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
-
[1]Martinez v. Viad Corp., No. 1:16-cv-00619-JJM-LDA (D.R.I.), Doc. 1 Notice of Removal (removed from R.I. Super. Ct., Providence, No. PC-2016-4372); 59-entry docket via CourtListener API v4 [court_record]
- Locator
- D.R.I. 1:16-cv-00619 Doc. 1 pp. 2-3 (quoting Complaint, Ex. A, para. 1); docket entries 43-44 (dismissal orders); state case PC-2016-4372
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Docketed asbestos personal-injury action naming this hull. The verified Notice of Removal (D.R.I. Doc. 1) quotes Complaint para. 1 verbatim: Aurelio Martinez 'was injuriously exposed to asbestos' as a U.S. Navy member 'from approximately 1952 until 1956,' during which 'Mr. Martinez served abroad [sic] the USS Mattabesset (AOG-52) and the USS Cadmus (AR-14), one or both of which sailed in and out of ports in the United States, including ports in the State of Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia'; the complaint further alleges '[a]s a direct result of his exposure to asbestos, Mr. Martinez is suffering from the fatal asbestos-related disease, mesothelioma.' Filed ~Sep 16, 2016 in R.I. Superior Court (PC-2016-4372); removed 2016-11-16 by Viad Corp. under federal-officer removal, 28 U.S.C. 1442(a); roughly 50 manufacturer defendants plus Pall Corp. (post-Navy employer, 1957-1965). Disposition: plaintiffs' Rule 41(a) notice -> dismissed WITHOUT prejudice 2017-04-14; Viad specifically dismissed WITH prejudice on joint motion 2017-04-18; case terminated. First reported publicly by Top Class Actions (2016-12-07).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1952-1956 (alleged exposure); 1957-1965 (Pall employment); 2016-2017 (litigation)
- Population
- Aurelio Martinez, USN 1952-1956 (USS Mattabesset AOG-52, USS Cadmus AR-14); spouse Sandra Martinez (take-home exposure alleged in press report)
- Limitations
- PLEADING ALLEGATION, never adjudicated - the complaint's ship-naming is an allegation, not a finding; the case ended in voluntary dismissal without prejudice five months after removal (consistent with settlement or state-court refiling, not a merits ruling). Does not establish that asbestos was present aboard, that any individual exposure occurred, product identification, or quantity. Removal itself was a defendant jurisdictional theory (federal-officer removal), not an exposure finding. Ship named as one of two alleged exposure sites plus subsequent civilian employment at Pall Corp.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-01
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. IV (Navy Dept., GPO, 1969), p. 302, entry 'Mattabesset' (verbatim scan of official volume; live NHHC page 404s - standing link-rot per BATCH-01) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Vol. IV (1969) p. 302, 'Mattabesset' entry and spec block (archive.org scan dictionaryofamer04wash, leaf 302)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents the hull's construction and full service: laid down 6 Jul 1944 by Cargill, Inc., Savage, Minn.; launched 11 Nov 1944 (sponsor Mrs. John Uhrenholdt); commissioned 16 Jun 1945 (Lt. Comdr. N. O. W. Adams, Jr., USNR). Spec block: AOG-52, 1,841 t, 310'9" x 48'6" x 15'8", 14 kts, cpl. 124, 4 x 3-inch, cl. Patapsco. Pacific service: departed for the Pacific 14 Jul 1945 with cargo loaded Baytown, Tex.; Pearl Harbor -> Midway -> Saipan (5 weeks station tanker) -> Yokohama 24 Oct 1945; gasoline shuttle between Japan and Korea 9 Dec 1945 - 7 Dec 1946. Atlantic service: Norfolk/Service Force Atlantic Fleet from Jun 1947, 4-year coastal petroleum assignment (Greenland, Labrador, Caribbean, Casablanca); first 6th Fleet deployment 12 Sep 1951; Naples, Italy homeport Oct 1956 - Apr 1961; direct support in Lebanon crisis Jul 1958; Norfolk homeport from Apr 1961; Operation 'Steel Pike I' 1964; Arctic Circle crossing Jul 1965 ('Order of the Polar Bear'); three more Mediterranean deployments Mar 1966 - Aug 1968. Decommissioned at Norfolk; struck from Navy list 1 Oct 1968; transferred to Maritime Administration.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1944-1969
- Population
- Crew cpl. 124 (DANFS spec); shipyard workers Cargill Savage 1944-45
- Limitations
- Official secondary history - documents operations, dates, and specifications only; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information whatsoever. DANFS does not mention the USS Liberty incident (that claim circulates in secondary sources; see ev-06 and gaps). Does not establish exposure conditions aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-02
-
[3]DANFS Vol. IV (1969) p. 302 - build record and class identification (MC T1-MT-M1, Cargill Savage, 1944-45); era substitution timing per GAO HRD-80-2 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block and build data; GAO HRD-80-2 product page for substitution timing
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 1945-commissioned Maritime Commission T1-MT-M1 gasoline tanker built at a wartime Great Lakes yard was constructed in the peak years of shipboard asbestos use; era-standard applications on motor ships of the type included diesel exhaust and engine-space insulation lagging, machinery-space pipe insulation, valve and flange gaskets and packing, electrical cable insulation, bulkhead fireproofing and deck tile, and winch/windlass brake linings. The Navy did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Construction trades (Cargill Savage, 1944-45); engine-room and maintenance crew 1945-1968
- Limitations
- Era inference only - no T1-MT-M1 materials specification or hull insulation record located, and the cited source does not itself discuss asbestos. The diesel plant means no boiler/fireroom insulation (the principal asbestos concentration on steam ships) but does not eliminate other era-consistent uses. Does not establish presence, quantity, or condition of any material aboard this hull, nor individual exposure or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-03
-
[4]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 the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it. The Navy did not begin substituting alternative materials until the early 1970s.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not hull evidence; GAO fieldwork was at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, not Cargill or this ship's overhaul sites. Supports era context only; full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - description via product page. Notably, this hull was scrapped 1969-70, before the documented policy era.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-04
-
[5]MARAD VesselHistory database, MATTABESSET (AOG-52) record + Form MA-20 'Record of Ship Sales' status card (image /cards/6076_AF.jpg, read directly) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD VesselHistory Detail/6076; status-card image https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/6076_AF.jpg (MA-20 form fields)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD's Record of Ship Sales documents disposal: advertised 6-3-69 under PD-X-833, bids opened 6-24-69, awarded 6-26-69 to Peck Iron & Metal Co. for $26,863.42 as a 'scrap hull' (sale contract MA-4788); vessel located Portsmouth, Va.; card lists builder Cargill, Inc., Savage, Minn., year built 1945, LOA 311', beam 49', draft 16', type 'Small Tanker.' Database page records fate 'Sold - Scrap'; secondary compilation (shipscribe, from custody records) reports physical delivery to MARAD and buyer 15 Jul 1969 and scrapping complete by 25 Aug 1970.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1969-1970
- Population
- Scrapyard workers, Peck Iron & Metal Co., Portsmouth/Norfolk VA (1969-70)
- Limitations
- Disposal record only - no asbestos or hazmat content; scrapping-era records of this type do not document materials handling. The MARAD web page displays 'Year Built 1947,' inconsistent with its own status card (1945) and DANFS (launched Nov 1944) - noted as internal anomaly, not adopted. Does not establish the breaking yard's identity or any materials condition at scrapping.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-05
-
[6]COMSIXTHFLT situation message 102017Z JUN 67 (declassified Navy traffic, transcribed on libertyincident.com private archive) [other_primary]
- Locator
- libertyincident.com/messages/102017ZJUN67.html, message text item (3)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporaneous 6th Fleet message traffic during the USS Liberty incident response lists 'MATTABESSET FUELING MSO'S AT EAST OF CRETE' among unit statuses - consistent with the Wikipedia-derived claim that her final Mediterranean deployment (ending Aug 1968) 'involved' the Liberty incident, though the message documents operational tasking in theater (fueling minesweepers east of Crete), not participation in the attack or the rescue escort (which the same message assigns to DAVIS and PAPAGO). DANFS does not mention Liberty.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1967-06-10
- Limitations
- Declassified Navy message hosted on a private archival site, not an official repository - transcription appears faithful but is not government-published; documents contemporaneous operational presence, which is all the 'involvement' claim can support. No asbestos or materials relevance - carried for service-record completeness only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-06
-
[7]Batch-1998 search ledger (this record): DANFS Vol. IV verbatim scan; MARAD VesselHistory + MA-20 status card; NavSource page 09/20/2052; shipscribe AOG-1 class page (secondary); CourtListener API v4 opinion and docket searches for 'Mattabesset' and 'AOG-52'; R.I. Superior Court public portal; VA BVA index; NARA catalog [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-mattabesset-aog52-01 through sl-uss-mattabesset-aog52-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Beyond the Martinez pleading (ev-01), no ship-specific asbestos record located: no insulation survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, donation-condition record, or museum documentation was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was scrapped 1969-70, before the Navy's asbestos-control era generated survey/abatement records of the type found for later-disposed ships; scrapping-era sale paperwork (MA-20) contains no materials information.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 2026-09-24
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-45 MC-contract hull was built in the peak asbestos-use era (see ev-03). Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present in any quantity, nor does it establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility beyond the documented pleading.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-07
-
[8]National Archives Catalog, 'Mattabesset (AOG-52) - March 1963,' Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations (NARA ID 181560447); wartime logs held under RG 24 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog ID 181560447 (March 1963); series 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations' (Bureau of Naval Personnel records)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds digitized deck logs for this hull in the Bureau of Naval Personnel logbook series (the March 1963 log is catalog item 181560447); deck logs are the day-by-day official operational record and are the most promising primary source for yard periods, maintenance events, and material disturbance mentions aboard this specific hull; wartime-era logs are held in RG 24 at Archives II, College Park.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-24
- Study period
- 1945-1968 (log coverage); 1963 (verified catalog item)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only - individual log pages not reviewed; deck logs record operational events (movements, drills, visitors, casualties), not materials inventories, so asbestos content cannot be assumed present or absent. No claim made from these records until read.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mattabesset-aog52-08