USS Pawcatuck (AO-108)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet r2-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (with caveat)

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Limitations

   qualifier: VERIFIED (with caveat)

   Evidence ID

   uss-pawcatuck-ao108-pkt-r2-packet-md

2. [2]Holdren v. Buffalo Pumps, Inc., 614 F. Supp. 2d 129 (D. Mass. May 4, 2009), No. 08-cv-10570-NG, CourtListener opinion 2141677 [court_record]

   Locator

   614 F. Supp. 2d at 137-138 n.4 (plaintiff-disclosure recital naming USS Pawcatuck); Background section (1957-1979 boiler-technician employment; mesothelioma allegation)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Holdren v. Buffalo Pumps, Inc., 614 F. Supp. 2d 129 (D. Mass. 2009) (Gertner, J.) - a published asbestos personal-injury opinion names this hull: footnote 4 recites 'Mr. Holdren worked onboard Navy ships including the USS Ault, USS Sierra, USS Norfolk, and USS Pawcatuck, as well as at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. See Pl. Disclosures at 5.' Plaintiff Franklin D. Holdren worked as a boiler technician aboard Navy ships and in Navy shipyards 1957-1979 and alleged his asbestos exposure caused malignant mesothelioma; defendants Buffalo Pumps, Foster Wheeler, Viad, GE, and Elliott Turbomachinery removed under the federal-officer statute (28 U.S.C. 1442(a)(1)) claiming the government-contractor defense. The court GRANTED the plaintiffs' motion to remand to Massachusetts state court - the opinion decides jurisdiction only and adjudicates no exposure fact.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1957-1979 (alleged employment); 2008-2009 (federal removal/remand)

   Population

   Franklin D. Holdren, USN boiler technician 1957-1979 (alleged mesothelioma); defendants named: Buffalo Pumps, Foster Wheeler Energy, Viad Corp., General Electric, Elliott Turbomachinery

   Limitations

   DISCOVERY-STAGE ALLEGATION RECITED IN A PROCEDURAL OPINION - the hull is named only in the opinion's recital of the plaintiff's disclosures; the court resolved removal jurisdiction and remanded without adjudicating any exposure or product claim. Per litigation-stage discipline this sits at pleading/discovery level: it establishes that an asbestos plaintiff claimed work aboard this hull, not that exposure occurred aboard it. No date range, duty detail, or product is tied to Pawcatuck individually in the opinion. The underlying case's state-court outcome after remand was not located. Does not establish quantity, condition, individual exposure, causation, or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-01

3. [3]Israel v. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (Israel v. Alfa Laval, Inc., et al.), No. 8:20-cv-02133-WFJ-AAS (M.D. Fla.): Order Granting Motion to Dismiss, Dkt. 235 (23 Dec 2020) and Order Granting Motions to Dismiss, Dkt. 353 (28 Apr 2021) - RECAP docket 18427426 [court_record]

   Locator

   Dkt. 353 (RECAP gov.uscourts.flmd.381315.353.0.pdf, 19 pp.) Background pp. 1-3 and personal-jurisdiction analysis pp. 10-18 (Pawcatuck/Mayport 1966-68 recitals; DeLaval/Sharples oil purifiers; Griscom-Russell distillers; 'serendipitous' connection language); Dkt. 235 (gov.uscourts.flmd.381315.235.0.pdf, 9 pp.) pp. 2, 8-9; docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/18427426/israel-v-advance-auto-parts-inc/

   Finding type

   litigation_product_id

   Finding

   A docketed asbestos personal-injury action names this hull with an aboard-window and alleged product families: Israel v. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (operative caption Israel v. Alfa Laval, Inc., et al.), No. 8:20-cv-02133-WFJ-AAS (M.D. Fla.), nature of suit 'P.I.: Asbestos', filed 2020-09-10, terminated 2022-06-02 (Jung, J.). The court's unpublished orders (Dkts. 235, 353) recite the plaintiff's allegations: Norman Israel, a Navy machinist's mate 1958-1980 who developed lung cancer, worked on nine Navy ships and 'only one of those ships - the USS Pawcatuck - was stationed in Florida while Plaintiff was on board,' docked at Naval Station Mayport, Jacksonville, 1966-1968 (consistent with DANFS's post-jumboization Mayport homeport). Israel alleged exposure to asbestos while working with oil purifiers made by DeLaval and Sharples (Alfa Laval sued as successor-in-interest to DeLaval Separator Co.) and with distillers made by Griscom-Russell (Viad Corp. sued individually and as alleged successor to Griscom-Russell Co.); both defendants argued - and Israel did not dispute - that if their predecessors supplied equipment installed on the USS Pawcatuck, it 'would have occurred in Pennsylvania - where the USS Pawcatuck was constructed between 1945 and 1946' (i.e., Sun Shipbuilding, Chester). The court granted Alfa Laval's first motion to dismiss 23 December 2020 (Dkt. 235: the 1945-46-era Florida service-of-process statute was satisfied via Alfa Laval's present-day Florida employees, but the exercise of general jurisdiction failed due process - Alfa Laval is not 'at home' in Florida), and - after holding the case pending Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court, 141 S. Ct. 1017 (2021) - granted the Viad and Alfa Laval motions 28 April 2021 (Dkt. 353): no specific jurisdiction because the only forum link was 'his brief stay on the USS Pawcatuck while it was docked in Jacksonville,' a 'serendipitous' connection produced by the Navy's unilateral decision to send the ship to Mayport.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1958-1980 (alleged naval service); 1966-1968 (alleged Pawcatuck aboard-window); 1945-1946 (alleged equipment installation at construction); 2020-2022 (litigation)

   Population

   Norman Israel, USN machinist's mate 1958-1980 (lung cancer; aboard USS Pawcatuck during its Mayport docking window 1966-1968, alleged; resident out of state - Washington per the 2020 order, Idaho per the 2021 order); defendants addressed: Alfa Laval, Inc. (successor to DeLaval Separator Co.); Viad Corp. (individually and as alleged successor to Griscom-Russell Co.); suit against dozens of companies incl. Advance Auto Parts

   Limitations

   PLEADING-STAGE ALLEGATION RECITED IN PERSONAL-JURISDICTION DISMISSAL ORDERS - the court decided only whether Florida could exercise jurisdiction over the equipment defendants and dismissed them; it adjudicated no exposure fact. The product statements are the plaintiff's allegations recited for forum analysis, framed expressly in the conditional ('if [they] did supply equipment that was installed on the USS Pawcatuck'); the defendants disputed the forum, not the product allegations, so nothing was tested against this hull. The orders establish that an asbestos plaintiff alleged exposure aboard Pawcatuck during a 1966-68 Mayport window and alleged particular equipment families aboard; they do not establish that the products were installed, contained asbestos, or that exposure occurred. The case continued against other defendants until termination 2022-06-02; the final disposition of Israel's remaining claims and any appeal were not traced. Does not establish quantity, condition, individual exposure, causation, or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-12

4. [4]DANFS entry 'Pawcatuck' (AO-108), Naval History and Heritage Command (published 2015-08-19) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Pawcatuck' full entry (stat block 'cl. Mispillion; T. T3-S2-A3'; paragraphs 1-6); canonical NHHC URL 404s as of 2026-09-25 - Wayback capture 2025-12-09 cited

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS documents: Pawcatuck (AO-108) laid down 22 March 1945 by Sun SB & DD Co., Chester, Pa., as MC hull 2704; launched 19 February 1946; sponsored by Miss Nancy Gatch; commissioned 10 May 1946, Capt. Cecil G. McKinney, USNR. Post-shakedown: petroleum transport between naval facilities/ports on the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Atlantic Coast; summer 1947 first overseas tour with the 6th Fleet (Mediterranean); 1948-1961 rotational Atlantic Fleet/6th Fleet schedule including NATO exercises, Reserve and midshipman cruises, flagship of Commander Service Squadron 2; supported U.S. forces in the 1958 Lebanon crisis. November 1961 first North Atlantic deployment with ASW carrier task group 83.3 (to February 1962); November 1962 Caribbean deployment supporting units in the Cuban Crisis blockade; early 1963 overhaul at Boston. April 1965 Dominican Republic crisis support; June-July 1965 Northern European/Norwegian exercises. 'Jumboization' conversion: preliminary work at Boston, then via the St. Lawrence River to American SB Co., Lorain, Ohio, entering the yard 14 September 1965; all of 1966 in conversion - overall length to 644 ft, draft 35'9", displacement ~35,000 tons. After outfitting at Boston, sailed 23 February 1967 to Craney Island, Va., took first 'jumbo' load (2,500,000 gal aviation fuel, 5,400,000 gal black oil), homeported Mayport, Fla. 29 January 1968 deployed Mediterranean, serviced 300+ ships of the 6th Fleet and NATO (exercises Fairgame IV, Dawn Patrol, Flapex); returned 6 August 1968; supported Apollo 7 recovery force. Entry's coverage ends at January-February 1969 Mediterranean-deployment preparations.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945-1969

   Population

   Ship's crew (approx. 304, commissioned era); construction trades at Sun Ship 1945-46; conversion trades at American Shipbuilding Lorain and Boston 1965-67

   Limitations

   Identity/service history only - the entry contains no asbestos, insulation, or hazmat statement and its narrative ends circa 1969 (pre-decommissioning; the 1969-1975 commissioned career and the 1975-1991 MSC career are not covered by DANFS). Does not establish presence or absence of asbestos aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-02

5. [5]Naval Vessel Register, ship detail page PAWCATUCK AO 108 (ex-MC 2704) + NVR inactive-hulls 'P' list (Wayback captures) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR AO-108 detail fields (class/status/dates); inactive-P list https://web.archive.org/web/20161202231750/http://www.nvr.navy.mil/QUICKFIND/SHIPSDETAIL_INACTIVE_P.HTML ('PAWCATUCK AO 108 05/01/1999 Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Naval Vessel Register ship detail page for PAWCATUCK (AO 108, ex-MC 2704): class field 'AO 105' (lead-hull designation for the class); status 'Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration' with date status changed 05/01/1999; UIC 04808; builder SUN SB & DD CO; keel 03/22/1945; launch 02/19/1946; commission 05/10/1946; decommission 07/15/1975; stricken 09/21/1991. The NVR inactive-hulls 'P' list carries the same title-transfer disposal line and date.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945-1999

   Population

   NDRF caretaker crews (1991-2005)

   Limitations

   Registry data only - no asbestos, materials, or condition information. The stricken date (09/21/1991) is NVR-verified; note MARAD records NDRF custody entry 09/19/1991 (two days before the NVR strike date - custody vs. title-vs-strike sequencing differs across the two agencies' records) and NVR records the formal title transfer as 05/01/1999. Carried as documented, not reconciled.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-03

6. [6]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - PAWCATUCK (AO-108), ShipHistory Detail 3804; MarineLink, 'Marad Moves Ahead On Ship Disposal' (Sept. 2005) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 3804 milestone table (no digitized status cards posted for this hull); https://www.marinelink.com/news/disposal-moves-ahead300312

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for PAWCATUCK (AO-108): MARAD type T3-S2-A3; built 1946 by Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock; 644 ft, 75 ft beam, 16,395 gross tons; class field 'MISPILLION, AO 105, Class'; fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Milestones: Entry/Acquisition 9/19/1991 (NDRF custody, James River Reserve Fleet, Fort Eustis, Va.); Interim Movement 5/1/1999 (matching the NVR title-transfer date); Departure 10/19/2005 - 'Ship departed on this date to Bay Bridges, Chesapeake, VA under scrapping contract'; disposal contract 8/26/2005 Bay Bridges Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA; Destruction 10/7/2006 - 'Ship destroyed by Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA on this date.' Contemporaneous trade press reports the MARAD-announced contract value as $569,373 (MarineLink) while NavSource reports $369,373 - figures conflict (see correction row).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1991-2006

   Population

   NDRF caretaker crews (1991-2005); Bay Bridge Enterprises breaking workforce (2005-06)

   Limitations

   Custody and disposal record only - contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information. MARAD's 'Specific Type' field reads 'LNG Liquefied Natural Gas' - a registry field error for a petroleum fleet oiler, noted not adopted. The disposal contract dates (8/26/2005 contract; 21 Sep 2005 announcement per NavSource) precede the OSHA-NEP listing date but the facility was a covered shipbreaking site under the 1999 interagency MOA regime.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-04

7. [7]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USNS Pawcatuck (T-AO-108) ex-USS Pawcatuck (AO-108) entry (09/19/19108.htm), Wayback capture 2024-12-09 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 09/19/19108.htm chronology block, awards block, spec block, commanding-officers table (30 entries ending CDR James Edward Johnson 17 Aug 1973 - 17 Jul 1975), image captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive entry documents the MSC-era and disposal chronology: decommissioned 15 July 1975 and placed in service with the Military Sealift Command as USNS Pawcatuck (T-AO-108); out of service circa 1991; struck from the Naval Register 21 September 1991; title transfer to MARAD for layup in the NDRF James River, Fort Eustis, Va.; scrapping contract to Bay Bridge Enterprises announced by MARAD 21 September 2005; withdrawn from the James River group and towed to Bay Bridge, Chesapeake, for scrapping 19 October 2005. Photo-documented service episodes: underway refueling of USS Valley Forge (CVS-45) and USS Eaton (DDE-510) 18 June 1959; Montreal, Canada, 1964; UNREP of USS Randolph (CVS-15) and USS Waller (DDE-466) 1969; USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and USS Dewey (DLG-14) 13 July 1969; Operation 'Snowy Beach' January 1972 (Guadalcanal LPH-7, El Paso LKA-117); USNS era - Mediterranean July 1976, Genoa 14 May 1983, underway replenishment with USS Doyle (FFG-39) at the equator 9 October 1990 (Defense Imagery VIRIN DN-SC-91-01685); visible in Unit 7 of the James River Reserve Fleet in a 28 January 1999 aerial view; final transit to Bay Bridge breakers 19 October 2005. NavSource labels her 'Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler / Jumboized' and gives 'Jumboized, circa 1964-65' - the DANFS-documented window (entered Lorain 14 September 1965, departed for service 23 February 1967) is adopted instead.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1946-2005

   Population

   Ship's crew and MSC civilian mariners (1975-1991)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a secondary volunteer archive - its dates are corroborated by DANFS, NVR, and MARAD where overlapping (commission, decommission, strike, departure), but its 'circa 1964-65' jumboization line is loose against the DANFS-documented September 1965 - February 1967 window, and its stricken-date statement matches the NVR detail page. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or hazmat statement. Photo captions document operations, not materials.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-05

8. [8]Shipbuilding History (shipbuildinghistory.com) Sun Shipbuilding yard table, hull 529 row; Auke Visser's Famous T-Tankers, 'Pawcatuck' page (aukevisser.nl id945) incl. Miramar Ship Index extract 6122510 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Sun yard table row hull 529; http://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/t-tankers-2/id945.htm ; MC-hull cross-index http://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/t-tankers-2/id899.htm

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Construction-record corroboration from specialist compilations: Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton) Sun Shipbuilding yard table lists Sun yard hull 529 = MC 2704 'Pawcatuck,' T3-S2-A3, keel 22-Mar-45, launch 19-Feb-46, delivery 10-May-46, 334 days on ways / 80 days in water / 414 total days, 'To USN as AO 108, scrapped 2005.' Auke Visser's Famous T-Tankers per-hull page (Miramar Ship Index ID 6122510) carries the same identifiers (yard 529, MC 02704, T3-S2-A3, Sun Chester), 'Jumbo-ized at American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, [Ohio] 1965-[66]; new mid-body added (644' x 75' x 36'),' and 'Transferred to Military Sealift Command on July 15, 1975.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945-2005

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilations - consistent with DANFS/NVR/MARAD on identity and dates; used for yard-hull/MC-hull correlation and jumboization-yard identification. No asbestos or materials content. Auke Visser's complement figure (314) conflicts with DANFS/NavSource (304) and is logged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-06

9. [9]Consolidated era/design inference - Corn & Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987); Atlas shipyards.json record sun-shipbuilding-chester (evidence_tier 3: Lilley v. Johns-Manville Corp., 408 Pa. Super. 83, 596 A.2d 203 (1991) product-identification testimony) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AJIM 11(3):359-373 abstract/article; shipyards.json ev-sun-shipbuilding-chester rows

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull is a 1945-46 emergency-program Maritime Commission T3-S2-A3 steam tanker - oil-fired boilers feeding geared steam turbines - built at Sun Shipbuilding, Chester PA, a yard whose shipyards.json record (sun-shipbuilding-chester, evidence_tier 3) carries litigation product-identification testimony for asbestos brands used at that yard (Unibestos, Caltemp/Pabco, Kaylo, Garlock gaskets, Raybestos, Careytemp). Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that WWII-era U.S. shipbuilding used asbestos extensively for fireproofing and insulation on steam vessels: boiler and steam-drum insulation, steam-line lagging, machinery insulation, gaskets, packing, and accommodation insulation are the era-typical applications for this plant type.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945-46 (construction); 1965-67 (jumboization); era scholarship 1987

   Population

   Sun Shipbuilding construction trades (1945-46); boiler-room/engine-room crew; American Shipbuilding Lorain and Boston conversion workers (1965-67); MSC-era mariners

   Limitations

   Class/era and builder-yard inference only - NOT a hull record. The Lilley yard testimony window (1959-1976) postdates this hull's 1945-46 construction; nothing in these sources names this vessel or establishes asbestos aboard, quantity, location, or condition. The Holdren pleading (ev-01) is the only hull-naming asbestos allegation located. The hull no longer exists (scrapped 2006), so no new survey is possible.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-07

10. [10]OSHA Directive CPL 03-00-012, 'National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Shipbreaking' (4 Nov 2010), Appendix listing MARAD-covered shipbreaking locations incl. Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 3804 milestones [other_primary]

    Locator

    CPL 03-00-012 MOA-coverage appendix (Bay Bridge Enterprises entry) and Background section; MARAD Detail 3804 departure/destruction rows

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    The 2005-06 breaking of ex-Pawcatuck occurred at a facility covered by the federal ship-scrapping oversight regime: OSHA's Shipbreaking National Emphasis Program directive (CPL 03-00-012, effective 4 November 2010, superseding CPL 02-00-136) lists 'Bay Bridge Enterprises, LLC, 4300 Buell Road, Chesapeake, VA 23324' among the six active MARAD locations covered by the November 1999 interagency Memorandum of Agreement on Interagency Coordination and Cooperation for Ship Scrapping among Navy, DLA-DRMS, MARAD, EPA, and OSHA - an MOA created because 'shipbreaking of obsolete vessels presents many challenges, including ... environmental, safety, and health issues.' MARAD milestones place the hull at Bay Bridge from 19 October 2005 to documented destruction 7 October 2006.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1999 (MOA); 2005-2006 (this hull's breaking); 2010 (directive)

    Population

    Bay Bridge Enterprises shipbreaking workforce (2005-06)

    Limitations

    Documents the federal oversight regime covering the disposal facility, not conditions aboard this vessel or at its dismantling specifically. No located source states what materials (asbestos or otherwise) were found, removed, or released during ex-Pawcatuck's breaking at Bay Bridge; MARAD's disposal-contract file (hazmat clauses, surveys) is not public. Facility-level regulatory context only.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-08

11. [11]Batch-1845 source reconciliation: DANFS stat block (Wayback), NVR detail AO-108, MARAD ShipHistory 3804, NavSource 19108, master-hull-list-verify supplied record, shipbuildinghistory Sun table, MarineLink disposal report [other_primary]

    Locator

    DANFS stat block ('cl. Mispillion; T. T3-S2-A3'); NVR AO-108 'Class: AO 105' + dates; MARAD 'MISPILLION, AO 105, Class' acquisition note + milestones; NavSource chronology/spec block; supplied-record ship_class 'T3 Ashtabula'

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source conflicts resolved in the record: (a) Class label - the supplied record carries 'T3 Ashtabula'; NavSource labels the hull 'Cimarron Class Fleet Oiler / Jumboized'; the DANFS stat block reads 'cl. Mispillion; T. T3-S2-A3'; the NVR class field reads 'AO 105' and the MARAD registry 'MISPILLION, AO 105, Class'; Wikipedia's infobox uses 'Ashtabula-class oiler' with a footnote conceding 'some sources refer to this class as the Mispillion class or Cimarron class.' All labels describe the same five Sun-built MC-type T3-S2-A3 hulls AO-105 through AO-109 (MC 2701-2705); 'Ashtabula class' is the post-jumboization grouping used by secondary sources. 'Mispillion class' is carried as the label best supported by primary/authoritative records (NVR, DANFS stat block, MARAD), with the NavSource and supplied-record variants documented. (b) Jumboization window - NavSource's 'circa 1964-65' conflicts with the DANFS-documented chronology (entered American Shipbuilding, Lorain, Ohio 14 September 1965; all of 1966 in conversion; departed 23 February 1967); the DANFS window (1965-67) is adopted. (c) Disposal contract value - NavSource reports $369,373; contemporaneous trade press (MarineLink) reports $569,373; both are carried, unresolved. (d) Stricken/custody sequence - NVR stricken 09/21/1991; MARAD NDRF custody entry 09/19/1991; NVR title-transfer-to-MARAD status change 05/01/1999 (matching MARAD 'Interim Movement' 5/1/1999); carried as documented, not merged. (e) Era label - the supplied record's 'WWII' era is corrected per the batch prompt: first commissioned 10 May 1946, post-war; in scope under the 1930-1986 window.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1945-2006 (records); reconciliation 2026-09-25

    Limitations

    Reconciliation among primary/authoritative sources; none of the conflicts is asbestos-relevant. The adopted values are documented, but the contradicted source statements remain visible in the underlying records.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-09

12. [12]Batch-1845 search ledger (this record): DANFS entry; NVR detail; MARAD ShipHistory + milestones; NavSource; Halseth complaint exhibit full-text check (RECAP gov.uscourts.cand.192004.1.1); CourtListener opinion and docket searches (name, hull number, asbestos-qualified) + RECAP order full texts (Israel Dkts. 235, 353) [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-01 through sl-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-12

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Ship-specific asbestos documentation beyond the two litigation records (Holdren ev-01, Israel ev-12): none located. No asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or additional docketed asbestos case naming USS/USNS Pawcatuck (AO-108/T-AO-108) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The known sibling-hull litigation exhibit (Halseth v. General Electric, N.D. Cal. 3:07-cv-02543, complaint Exhibit A) was retrieved and checked by full text - it names only USS HECTOR (AR-7) and USS MISPILLION (AO-105); Pawcatuck is not named. CourtListener searches (name, asbestos-qualified, hull number, docket index) produced no qualifying hit other than Holdren and Israel; all other 'Pawcatuck' hits are Connecticut/Rhode Island place-name and entity collisions (Pawcatuck Co., Pawcatuck National Bank, Pawcatuck Valley Street Railway, Pawcatuck River geography).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    2026-09-25

    Limitations

    Absence of additional located records does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945-46 steam-powered oiler is era-consistent with installed asbestos-containing materials, and the 1965-67 jumboization would have disturbed original insulation while installing new material under the 1960s spec regime. The Holdren allegation is a pleading/discovery-level claim, never adjudicated. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-10

13. [13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (Navy deck logs); Independence Seaport Museum / Hagley Sun Shipbuilding collections; LOC HAER DC-62 [other_primary]

    Locator

    RG 178 Construction Division records; RG 19 ship contract/conversion files; deck-log guidance https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks ; https://www.loc.gov/item/dc1026/

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) construction records for MC hull 2704 at Sun Shipbuilding (outfitting/insulation specifications); NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) and Navy contract files for the 1965-66 jumboization at American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio (conversion work packages would show insulation removal/installation scope); ship's deck logs 1946-1975 (NARA RG 24) for overhaul/availability periods incl. the early-1963 Boston overhaul; Sun Shipbuilding records at Independence Seaport Museum (ship plans/technical drawings, 1916-1980 - likely covering yard hull 529) and Hagley Museum (corporate records 1890-1982); MARAD disposal-contract file for the 26 August 2005 Bay Bridge sale (disposal scope and any hazmat clauses); HAER DC-62 'U.S. Navy Oilers and Tankers' thematic survey data pages (Library of Congress) for class-level plant documentation.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1945-2006 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and repository mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-pawcatuck-ao108-11