Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet lw-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED. Queue name/hull match; all identity dates consistent across DANFS-incorporating article and globalsecurity.org — real identity: USS Mitscher; hulls: DL-2 (later DDG-35)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-mitscher-dl2-pkt-lw-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Mitscher I (DL-2) (NHHC page; live URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-29 - Wayback capture 2025-12-09 cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + service narrative (Wayback capture 20251209000215)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down as DD-927, 3 October 1949, by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; redesignated DL-2, 2 February 1951; launched 26 January 1952; sponsored by Mrs. Marc A. Mitscher; commissioned 15 May 1953, Comdr. Terrell H. W. Connor in command. Shakedown off Cuba, then Boston for further modification; second Guantanamo shakedown ending 31 August 1954. Homeported Newport, R.I.; 3 January 1956 good-will cruise to England, Germany, France returning 10 February; annual NATO deployments for five years. 9 February 1961 departed new homeport Charleston, S.C., for first six-month Sixth Fleet tour; August 1964 Cyprus evacuation standby, Suez transit, Red Sea/Persian Gulf patrol. Departed Newport 2 March 1966 for Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; decommissioned 18 March 1966 for conversion to guided-missile destroyer DDG-35; recommissioned 29 June 1968, reporting to ComCruDesLant for fitting out at Philadelphia. Specs block: displacement 3,675; length 493'; beam 50'; draft 13'10"; speed 30 kt; complement 403; armament 2x5", 4x3", 4x21" tt, ASROC, 1 dct; class Mitscher.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1949-1968
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1949-53; crew (design complement 403) 1953-1978; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard conversion workforce 1966-68
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. Entry ends at the 1968 recommissioning and does not cover the 1978 decommissioning or 1980 disposal (NVR supplies those). Wayback capture cited because the live NHHC page returns 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-01
-
[3]Naval Vessel Register, Ship Details: MITSCHER (DDG 35) (ex-DL 2), UIC 52227 (NAVSEA) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR ship-details page, Vessel Status + Milestone Dates blocks
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NVR record for this hull: status 'disposed of, by navy sale' with status-change date 08/01/1980; keel 10/03/1949; launch 01/26/1952; delivery 05/08/1953; commission 05/15/1953; decommission 06/01/1978; stricken date field blank; physical-characteristics block unavailable; record last updated 03/12/2001.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1949-1980
- Limitations
- NVR supplies official milestone and disposal dates but no stricken date (field blank) and no disposal-condition hazmat detail; 'disposed of, by navy sale' confirms sale for scrapping without naming buyer, method, or asbestos disposition. Does not address materials or exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-02
-
[4]NHHC Online Library, 'U.S. Navy Ships - Listed by Hull Number: DL and DLG - Frigates and Guided Missile Frigates' (ibiblio mirror of NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC Online Library DL/DLG index, DL-2 entry + class narrative
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC hull-number index entry for this hull: 'DL-2: Mitscher (1953-1980). Originally designated DD-927. Later DDG-35.' Class narrative: FY1949 program provided four destroyers (DD-927 through DD-930) plus two CLK hunter-killer cruisers; five ships laid down in 1949, reclassified destroyer leaders (DL) February 1951, completed 1953-54, reclassified frigates 1 January 1955 retaining DL numbers; Mitscher and John S. McCain modernized in the later 1960s and reclassified guided-missile destroyers DDG-35/DDG-36 'in 1967'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1949-1980
- Limitations
- NHHC index documents lineage and service span, not materials. Its 'reclassified ... in 1967' differs from DANFS's bracket (decommissioned 18 March 1966 for conversion; recommissioned 29 June 1968 as DDG-35) - the exact effective date of the DDG-35 designation is carried as a gap rather than silently reconciled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-03
-
[5]BVA Citation Nr. 1507736, Docket 05-28 392A (2015-02-23); BVA Citation Nr. 25003878 (2025), Docket re USS Mitscher (DDG-35) deck logs - Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions [other_primary]
- Locator
- BVA Citation 1507736 (va.gov/vetapp15/Files1/1507736.txt); BVA Citation 25003878 (va.gov/vetapp25/Files3/25003878.txt)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Two published Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions name this hull in service-connection claims (both non-asbestos): (1) Citation 1507736 (remand, decided 2015-02-23) - a veteran who served aboard USS Mitscher January 1970-March 1971 claimed diabetes mellitus from toxic-chemical exposure at St. Juliens Creek Annex; the Board conceded reported exposure at the annex based in part on the ship's deck logs placing the vessel near Norfolk/Yorktown. (2) Citation 25003878 (2025) - a veteran claimed bone cancer, Graves' disease, and fibrodysplasia from radiation exposure during nuclear-ASROC missile testing aboard USS Mitscher (DDG-35) in 1975-76; the Board directed requests for this ship's deck logs and USS Shenandoah (AD-26) medical records. Both unambiguously name this hull (DDG-57 was not commissioned until 1994).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1970-1971; 1975-1976 (claimed exposure); 2005-2025 (adjudication)
- Population
- Two veterans who served aboard this hull (1970-71; 1975-76)
- Limitations
- Neither claim is asbestos-related - they document toxic-chemical and radiation claims only. Included to show this hull appears in VA adjudication records and that deck logs were produced to VA; establishes nothing about asbestos aboard. Remand/grant postures described; no merits finding on causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-04
-
[6]DANFS specifications block + NHHC DL/DLG class narrative; Atlas shipyard dataset records for bath-iron-works (tier 2: 1942 Drinker pipe-shop dust study; OSHA 1987 citations) and philadelphia-naval-shipyard (tier 3: named-product litigation IDs incl. Eagle-Picher, Johns-Manville, Garlock; OSHA 1989 citation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS specifications block; NHHC DL/DLG index class narrative; shipyards.json records 'bath-iron-works' and 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a 1949-1953 Bath Iron Works-built steam warship and a 1966-68 naval-shipyard conversion to DDG-35 fall squarely in the period when boiler and steam-line insulation, gaskets, packing, and fireproofing were standard asbestos applications; both yards are asbestos-documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (BIW tier 2; PNSY tier 3). The Philadelphia conversion - a 27-month combat-systems rebuild inside a naval shipyard - is the kind of yard period in which era insulation was disturbed; NARA RG 19 'General Information Books' per-vessel material specifications and PNSY work packages are the archival leads for hull-level documentation.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1949-1980
- Population
- BIW construction trades 1949-53; PNSY conversion workforce 1966-68; crew 1953-78
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder/conversion-yard inference only - no source located documents asbestos aboard this specific hull. Yard-level asbestos documentation at BIW and PNSY is not evidence about materials aboard Mitscher. NARA retrieval not performed. Asbestos scope of the DDG-35 conversion is inferred, not documented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-05
-
[7]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)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or as 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. For this hull the operative frame is that the 1966-68 Philadelphia conversion predated the 1975 policy, and the hull was disposed of in 1980 before systematic remediation programs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1975-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; GAO fieldwork was at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, not this hull's yards (Bath, Boston, Philadelphia). Supports era context for why era insulation persisted aboard, not any fact specific to this hull; full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-06
-
[8]Boesenhofer v. AECOM et al., No. 2:17-cv-01072 (E.D. Pa., removed 2017-03-09; terminated 2022-03-31); Nature of Suit 368 - Asbestos Personal Injury; ORDER of 2021-06-22 (ECF 385) granting in part/defendant John Crane Inc.'s summary judgment [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener docket 4683896 (E.D. Pa. 2:17-cv-01072); 'USS Mitscher' text match inside ECF 287 (IMO Industries SJ response brief, filed 2018-06-07); RECAP PDF not mirrored - match context read from index, document text not retrieved
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Qualifying asbestos docket containing 'USS Mitscher' in CourtListener-indexed text. Case facts: decedent William J. Boesenhofer worked at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard as boilermaker mechanic 1966-1978, ship-systems boiler inspector 1978-1986, mechanical engineering technician to 1997; diagnosed with mesothelioma April 2016, died August 2016; the 2021-06-22 order (ECF 385) describes exposure claims 'aboard various ships at the PNSY' and let exposure claims against John Crane Inc. proceed past summary judgment. The 'USS Mitscher' index match resolves to docket entry 287, a 2018-06-07 Response in Support of IMO Industries Inc.'s motion for summary judgment - a defendant brief citing the discovery record, most plausibly deposition or ship-list evidence naming this hull among vessels the decedent worked on at PNSY during its March 1966-June 1968 conversion there. DDG-57 attribution is implausible (never at PNSY; commissioned 1994, after the decedent's boilermaker period).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1966-1978 (alleged exposure window at PNSY); 2016-2022 (litigation)
- Population
- William J. Boesenhofer (PNSY boilermaker/inspector 1966-1997; mesothelioma, d. 2016); PNSY workforce during this hull's 1966-68 conversion
- Limitations
- Discovery-record-stage reference: a defendant's SJ brief citing deposition/ship-list evidence is unadjudicated - it recites, and does not prove, exposure aboard this hull. The brief's PDF was not retrievable from the RECAP mirror, so the mention's exact wording is unverified; the match is nonetheless limited to the discovery/pleading stage whatever it says. The merits order (ECF 385, 2021-06-22) names no ship. Establishes no causation, quantity, or remaining-material fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-07
-
[9]Ray Henderson et al. v. Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust et al., No. 2:26-cv-04650 (C.D. Cal., removed 2026-04-30; state case Ventura County Super. 2026CUAS061442); Nature of Suit 368 - Asbestos Personal Injury Product Liability [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener docket 73272122 (C.D. Cal. 2:26-cv-04650); 'USS Mitscher' text match inside ECF 1-1 (removal Exhibit A complaint); RECAP PDF not mirrored - document text not retrieved
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Qualifying asbestos docket (filed 2026, open) containing 'USS Mitscher' in CourtListener-indexed text. The match resolves to docket entry 1-1 - Exhibit A to the Notice of Removal, i.e. the 55-page state-court complaint (Ventura County Super. 2026CUAS061442, filed 2026-02-13) - most plausibly a vessel in the plaintiff's alleged exposure history. Hull attribution unresolved: a 2026-filed claim could allege service aboard either this hull (DL-2/DDG-35, scrapped 1980) or DDG-57 (active 1994-present); asbestos-exposure claims more often name the pre-1980 hull, but no service dates are visible at index level.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026 (litigation); exposure period unverified
- Population
- Ray Henderson (plaintiff); unverified service dates
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation only - a complaint's vessel/worksite list is an allegation, not a finding; even if it names this hull it is unadjudicated. Hull attribution (DL-2/DDG-35 vs DDG-57) unresolved pending complaint text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-08
-
[10]Batch-4568 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS; NVR; NHHC DL/DLG index; CourtListener API v4 opinion+docket sweep; VA BVA published decisions; NPS NRHP (no designation); Atlas shipyard dataset [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-mitscher-dl2-01 through sl-uss-mitscher-dl2-10
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No adjudicated ship-specific asbestos record located: no hull survey, abatement contract, disposal hazmat disclosure, or merits-level exposure finding names this hull. All litigation surface is pleading-stage (two asbestos dockets with 'USS Mitscher' index matches; mention roles unverified) or non-asbestos (two BVA decisions; four non-qualifying dockets - see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located adjudicated record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1949-53 steam warship with a 1966-68 naval-shipyard conversion is era-consistent with extensive ACM use, and the hull was scrapped in 1980 with disposal-condition hazmat status undocumented. Does not establish or defeat any exposure or eligibility claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-mitscher-dl2-09