Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]DANFS, 'Pledge' (AM-277) - verbatim transcription at the losthistory.net/hazegray mirror (live history.navy.mil DANFS page returns 404 - standing link rot, same as BATCH-01/1169/1239) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Pledge' entry, specifications block + service narrative (losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am277.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DANFS record for this hull: Admirable-class minesweeper (dp. 945; l. 184'6"; b. 33'; dr. 9'9"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 104; a. 1 3", 2 40mm., 6 20mm., 2 dct., 2 dcp. (hh.); cl. Admirable). Steel-hulled; laid down 1 July 1943 by Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, Ala.; launched 23 December 1943, sponsored by Mrs. C. A. Bender; commissioned 29 July 1944, Lt. Thomas Knotts in command. After shakedown reported to Atlantic Fleet 30 September 1944; patrol off Maine to 7 November; trained off Norfolk 9-29 November and at Miami 2 December 1944 - 10 March 1945; overhaul at Philadelphia 13 March - 1 April; Panama Canal and San Diego to Pearl Harbor (arrived 7 May); departed Hawaiian waters 20 May via Eniwetok, Guam, Saipan to Kerama Retto (arrived 24 June); Buckner Bay Okinawa 7 July; Guam 12 August; exercises until 11 January 1946; convoy to San Pedro 4-15 February; Pearl Harbor 31 July; Bremerton 30 September; decommissioned 6 November 1946. Re-entered service 28 November 1947; Yokosuka 28 March 1948; reserve status 16 April; reduced commission 10 January 1950. Korea: convoy to Pusan 11 July 1950; minesweeping off Pusan; harbor control vessel Sasebo 7 August; departed 12 September; swept the Inchon invasion area on the 15th; captured 44 prisoners from a sampan off Inchon 30 September; commenced Wonsan minesweeping 10 October; with Pirate (AM-275) off Wonsan - Pirate struck a mine, Sin-Do shore batteries fired on sinking Pirate then on Pledge; Pledge struck a mine maneuvering, severely damaged, sank after fruitless attempts to save her; survivors picked up by Endicott (DMS-35). One battle star for WWII; Presidential Unit Citation for Korea.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1950
- Population
- Gulf Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); wartime crew (design complement 104); Philadelphia overhaul workers (Mar-Apr 1945, facility unnamed); Bremerton inactivation workers (Sep-Nov 1946); Yokosuka caretaker/reserve personnel incl. Japanese base workforce (1947-1950); Korean War crew to Oct 1950
- Limitations
- DANFS documents identity, builder, dates, service narrative, and loss - not materials or asbestos content. DANFS dates the Wonsan operation start (10 October) but prints no explicit sinking date; the 12 October loss date comes from the NHHC Korean War chronology, the NHHC Wonsan photo history, and the DANFS Pirate entry (ev-05) - the NavSource/uboat.net/Wikipedia '10 October' is flagged in ev-04. 'Overhaul at Philadelphia' does not name the facility; the naval-shipyard inference is flagged, not asserted.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-01
-
[2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II: Mine Vessels (less DM and CM), Patrol Vessels, Landing Ships and Craft, NAVSHIPS 250-011, 13 April 1945 (GPO 1945; scan via shipscribe.com) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAVSHIPS 250-011, Mine Vessels - Mine Sweepers (AM) tables: builder/date table row 'do. | 1 Jul 43 | 23 Dec 43 | 29 Jul 44 | PLEDGE AM 277' (inside Gulf Shipbuilding ditto block); propulsion/generator table (PLEDGE AM 277 row inside the NUCLEUS-headed C. B. GSB-8 / 1,710 / Nat. Sup. ditto block); AM214-311 class characteristics block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official 1945 BuShips register names PLEDGE, official number AM 277, in the mine-sweeper tables: builder 'do.' inside the Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. ditto block; keel laid 1 Jul 43; launched 23 Dec 43; date of first commission 29 Jul 44 - matching DANFS exactly. The propulsion table carries the AM-277 row inside the 'C. B. GSB-8' (Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8) ditto block headed at NUCLEUS AM 268 - shaft horsepower 1,710, 'Nat. Sup.' (National Supply Co.) single reduction gear. The AM214-311 class characteristics block prints: 2 propellers, geared 'Diesel' drive with single reduction gears (the register distinguishes this from 'Diesel elec.'); length 184'6" o.a. / 180'0" w.l.; extreme beam 33'0"; limiting-draft displacement 945 tons; trial speed 14.8 knots; limiting draft 9'9"; total accommodations 11 officers + 93 enlisted; armament 1 x 3"/50 cal. D.P. and 2 twin 40mm A.A. mounts (footnote excepts AM214/AM215 only).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (register data as of 13 April 1945)
- Population
- Gulf Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); wartime crew
- Limitations
- Contemporaneous official register - establishes builder (corporate name only, not the yard city), construction dates, and propulsion for this hull; resolves the engine-make question (Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8 / National Supply, contra Wikipedia's class-generic 'ALCO 539 / Farrel-Birmingham' and HyperWar's 'diesel-electric, 1,800 h.p.'). The 1,710 figure is the class-table shaft-horsepower entry and is not labeled per-engine or aggregate. Contains no materials or asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-02
-
[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive - Pledge (AM 277), file 11/02277 (Wayback capture 2024-11-30; live navsource.org timed out this session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/02277 - chronology block, specifications block, propulsion line, CO roster, photo credits (Wayback capture 20241130234803)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource per-hull record: 'Admirable Class Minesweeper'; laid down 1 July 1943 by Gulf Shipbuilding Co., Chickasaw, AL; launched 23 December 1943; commissioned 29 July 1944; 'Decommissioned 6 November 1946 at Bremerton, WA'; 'Placed in service, on caretaker status in July 1947 at Yokosuka, Japan'; 'Placed in service 28 November 1947 at Yokosuka'; 'Placed in reserve 16 April 1948 at Yokosuka'; 'Placed in reduced commission 10 January 1950'; 'Struck a mine and sank 10 October 1950 off Wonsan, Korea.' Call sign Nan-Peter-Yoke-Yoke. Spec block: 945 t.(fl); 184'6" x 33' x 9'9"; 14.8 kts; complement 104; armament one 3"/50 dual-purpose mount, one twin 40mm, six 20mm, one hedgehog, four K-guns, two depth-charge tracks; propulsion 'Two 1,710shp Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, National Supply Co. single reduction gear, two shafts' - agreeing with the official register (ev-02). CO roster: LT Thomas Knotts USNR (29 Jul 1944); LT Francis X. Gallagher USNR (15 Dec 1944); LT William C. Stewart USNR (31 Oct 1945); LCDR Casper R. Boehm USNR (15 Feb - 1 Dec 1946); LT Bruce B. Swegle USN, Officer-in-Charge (28 Nov 1947); LTJG John S. Crow USN, OIC (3 Apr 1948); LT Edmund W. Linton USN (10 Jan 1950); LT Richard O. Young USN, USNA '33 (Sep - Oct 1950, Silver Star). NHHC-credited photos of the hull on the ways at Chickasaw and underway with Pirate (AM-275).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1950
- Population
- Gulf Shipbuilding trades (1943); wartime crew; Yokosuka caretaker/reserve personnel incl. Japanese base workforce (1947-1950); Korean War crew to Oct 1950
- Limitations
- Private photo/data archive, not an official source - consistent with DANFS and the NAVSHIPS register where they overlap, and the caretaker/in-service/reserve status dates at Yokosuka (1947-50) add detail DANFS omits. Its 'sank 10 October 1950' conflicts with the NHHC chronology (12 October) - the operation-start date carried as the sinking date; flagged in ev-04. Prints no Navy List striking date. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-03
-
[4]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), 'Ocean Minesweepers (AM) Built or Acquired through WWII' master table - AM 277 row; cross-check uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5342.html; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pledge_(AM-277); ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AM/AM-277_Pledge.html [other_primary]
- Locator
- minesweepers1.htm AM 277 row ('Pledge | Gulf SB | Madisonville LA | ... | Sunk by mine off Wonsan 10-Oct-50'); uboat.net ship/5342 ('Lost 10 Oct 1950'); Wikipedia USS Pledge (AM-277) infobox; HyperWar AM-277_Pledge card; NavSource 11/02277 'sank 10 October 1950' vs navsource.org 11/02275 'Sunk by mine 12 October 1950'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) Sinking date - NavSource prints 'Sunk 10 October 1950'/'Struck a mine and sank 10 October 1950,' uboat.net prints 'Lost 10 Oct 1950,' Colton prints 'Sunk by mine off Wonsan 10-Oct-50,' and Wikipedia's infobox reads 'Mined off Wonsan, North Korea, 10 October 1950.' The NHHC Korean War chronology, the NHHC Wonsan photo history, and the DANFS Pirate entry all date the loss 12 October 1950 (operation commenced 10 October) - 12 October carried; the '10 October' printings conflate operation start with loss. NavSource's own Pirate page prints 'Sunk by mine 12 October 1950,' internally inconsistent with its Pledge page. (b) Build-yard city - DANFS, NavSource, and uboat.net read Gulf Shipbuilding, Chickasaw, AL (carried - DANFS is official); Colton's master table files AM-277 under 'Gulf SB | Madisonville LA' (the whole AM-267-onward Gulf block); NAVSHIPS confirms the corporation but prints no city - the yard-city question remains open pending the contract file. (c) Propulsion - NAVSHIPS prints geared 'Diesel' drive, Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8, 1,710 shp, National Supply gear (carried; NavSource agrees); Wikipedia's class-infobox prints 'ALCO 539 / Farrel-Birmingham' and HyperWar's compiled card prints 'diesel-electric, 1,800 h.p.' - both contradicted by the official register for this hull's block. (d) Displacement - DANFS/NavSource/Colton 945 t (full/limiting load); HyperWar/Wikipedia 625-650 t (standard vs full-load convention). (e) uboat.net 'Ordered 2 May 1942' - secondary compilation; contract date not verified against the contract file.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1950
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the official DANFS text, the contemporaneous NAVSHIPS register, the NHHC Korean War chronology, secondary compilations, and one another, adopting the better-supported values and flagging the rest. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-04
-
[5]Naval Historical Center, 'Korean War: Chronology of U.S. Pacific Fleet Operations, June-December 1950' (Wayback capture of history.navy.mil) + NHC Online Library 'Wonsan Mine Clearance, October-November 1950' photo-history page (ibiblio mirror) + DANFS 'Pirate' (AM-275) entry [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 20061206022558 of history.navy.mil/wars/korea/chron50.htm (12 October entry); ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/events/kowar/50-unof/wonsn-2.htm; losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/mine/am275.htm; NHHC Pirate PUC page (history.navy.mil DANFS Pirate-ii sub-page, text via search index - live page 404s at fetch time)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official NHHC records fix the loss at 12 October 1950: the Pacific Fleet chronology reads, under '12 October': 'USS Pirate (AM 275) and USS Pledge (AM 277), while sweeping approaches to Wonsan, struck mines and sank.' The NHC Wonsan photo history states clearance operations began 10 October, 'then, on 12 October things quickly went sour as USS Pirate (AM-275) and USS Pledge (AM-277) hit mines and sank, with the Wonsan shore batteries joining in.' The DANFS Pirate entry: 'On 12 October she and Pledge were minesweeping 3 miles off the enemy-held island of Sin-Do when the ships hit mines. Sinking within 5 minutes, Pirate had 12 sailors missing and one dead.' The NHHC Presidential Unit Citation text for Pirate covers 'operations against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 11 and 12 October 1950' with casualties 'six killed and forty-three wounded' aboard Pirate.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1950-10-12
- Population
- Korean War crews of Pledge and Pirate (Oct 1950)
- Limitations
- Official NHHC records - establish the 12 October 1950 loss date and the Sin-Do/Wonsan tactical context for this hull; they do not name the Pledge PUC citation text itself (DANFS records the award), print no striking date, and contain no materials or asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-05
-
[6]Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), Service Member Profile - EN2 Vern Harris Fuller, USN, USS Pledge (AM-277), unaccounted for (Korean War, loss location Sea of Japan/North Korea) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DPAA dpaaProfile id=a0Jt000000AhqDcEAJ (EN2 Vern Harris Fuller; Unit 'USS Pledge (AM-277)'); 'Service Members Associated' list - the two ships' unaccounted-for
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DoD accounting-agency narrative of the 12 October 1950 loss: the minesweepers including USS Pledge and USS Pirate led the formation past Yo-do and Un-do into waters off Sin-Do; Pirate hit a mine, capsized and began to sink; Pledge jettisoned its minesweeping gear and put its motor launch in the water to rescue survivors; Sin-Do shore batteries fired on the sinking Pirate and her crew in the water; Pledge opened fire on the batteries, knocked out at least one, expended its ammunition, and withdrew; while turning to withdraw Pledge struck a mine 'splitting the ship's hull and causing extensive damage both above and below decks'; the captain ordered abandon ship; other ships provided counter-battery fire and rescue. 'There were 92 casualties from the two minesweepers, one of whom died after being recovered from the water. Twelve men remain missing, six from the Pirate and six from the Pledge.' EN2 Vern Harris Fuller (home of record WI) is among the unaccounted-for; DPAA assesses the case 'Non-recoverable.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1950-10-12
- Population
- Pledge and Pirate crews, 12 Oct 1950 (92 casualties combined; 12 unaccounted for - 6 Pledge)
- Limitations
- Official DoD accounting record - establishes the loss sequence and the missing-person accounting (six Pledge crew unaccounted for). The profile's narrative writes the hull 'AMS-277' once - a type-designation slip inside an otherwise ship-specific record (AM-277 carried). Secondary compilations print different Pledge casualty splits (Korean War Educator: 'one fatality, eight missing, 61 survivors') - DPAA is carried; the variance is logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-06
-
[7]Consolidated era/design inference - NAVSHIPS 250-011 AM214-311 class block (geared 'Diesel' drive, twin screws; no boilers) + DANFS specifications block (ev-01) + documented builder and construction era (1943, Gulf Shipbuilding commercial yard) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAVSHIPS 250-011 AM214-311 class block + AM-277 propulsion row; DANFS spec block and Philadelphia overhaul / Bremerton decommissioning passages
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull is a 1943-built steel Admirable-class minesweeper with a geared-diesel twin-screw plant (two Cooper-Bessemer GSB-8 diesels, National Supply single-reduction gear, per the official register) - no boilers, no steam distribution, no steam turbines. Its insulation load was materially lighter than a steam combatant's, but machinery and construction materials of the 1943 wartime era were commonly asbestos-containing: diesel exhaust-system and muffler lagging, machinery gaskets and packing, valve stem packing, electrical-cable insulation, accommodation/galley joiner insulation, winch and windlass brake linings, and deck compositions of the period. Exposure-relevant populations if any such material was present: Gulf Coast construction trades (1943); the documented March-April 1945 Philadelphia overhaul (facility unnamed in DANFS - naval-shipyard inference flagged); the September-November 1946 Bremerton inactivation (facility unnamed); the Yokosuka caretaker/reserve periods (July 1947 - January 1950) including Japanese base workforce; and the wartime crew (design complement 104) across Atlantic training, the 1945 Pacific transit, Okinawa/Guam operations, and Korean minesweeping to the October 1950 loss.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1950
- Population
- Gulf Shipbuilding trades (1943); Philadelphia overhaul workers (1945); Bremerton inactivation workers (1946); Yokosuka base/caretaker personnel (1947-50); crew 1944-50
- Limitations
- Inference from documented design, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AM-277 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The geared-diesel plant makes even era-level inference weaker than for steam vessels of the same era. The hull sank in enemy-held waters and was never salvaged through any documented channel - no present-day survey pathway exists.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-07
-
[8]Fleischer WE, Viles FJ Jr, et al., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1946 Jan;28:9-16 (PMID 21016030); and Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed citation record PMID 21016030; J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1946;28:9-16; AJIM 11(3):359-373, doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700110311
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The wartime federal industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations in naval vessel construction (conducted during WWII naval shipbuilding, published January 1946) documents that insulation work on ships under construction used asbestos-containing materials - the standard practice environment in which this hull was built at a Gulf Shipbuilding yard in 1943. Corn & Starr's peer-reviewed history documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in WWII U.S. shipbuilding, the era and program under which this hull was mass-produced.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1944-1946 (survey/publication); 1987 (retrospective)
- Population
- WWII naval-vessel pipe coverers and insulators (class context)
- Limitations
- Industry-wide wartime survey and program/era-level scholarship - neither names this vessel, Gulf Shipbuilding, or the Admirable class; Fleischer's reassuring conclusion ('not a dangerous occupation') is itself now criticized as deeply flawed (Kelly, New Solut 2026;36:138-150, PMID 42307414). Pipe-covering findings are less applicable to a diesel (non-steam) minesweeper than to steam vessels. Establishes era context only - that asbestos insulation work was performed in WWII naval vessel construction - not materials aboard AM-277.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-08
-
[9]Marr WT, 'Asbestos exposure during naval vessel overhaul,' Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1964 May-Jun;25:264-8 (PMID 14168424) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed citation record PMID 14168424; Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1964;25:264-8
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Published industrial-hygiene study documenting asbestos exposure during naval vessel overhauls - the era pathway relevant to shipyard-side repair work generally; this hull had one documented stateside overhaul period ('overhaul at Philadelphia 13 March to 1 April' 1945, per DANFS - facility not named) plus the Bremerton inactivation (September-November 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1964 (publication)
- Population
- Naval shipyard insulation workers (class context)
- Limitations
- Study period (early 1960s) post-dates this hull's documented yard periods by two decades and does not name AM-277 or the Philadelphia/Bremerton facilities. Documents the era overhaul-exposure pathway only, not work on or materials aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-09
-
[10]Wineland v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. C19-0793RSL (W.D. Wash.), Order Granting Alfa Laval Inc.'s Amended Motion for Summary Judgment, Dkt. # 313 (July 19, 2021, Lasnik, J.); related orders incl. Order Granting Crane Co.'s MSJ, Dkt. # 304 (539 F. Supp. 3d 1149) and Order Granting Puget Sound Commerce Center's MSJ, Dkt. # 302 (523 F. Supp. 3d 1245) [court_record]
- Locator
- W.D. Wash. No. C19-0793RSL; Alfa Laval MSJ order Dkt. #313 p.1 (ship list) via exa.ai d3rpr86w06j0s9z9708fl5p1 and brownsims.com signed-order PDF; Crane order Dkt. #304 (539 F. Supp. 3d 1149); Carrier Dkt. #427; Puget Sound Commerce Center Dkt. #302 (523 F. Supp. 3d 1245); MSO-492 identity per NavSource 11/02492 and Wikipedia USS Pledge (MSO-492)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The only litigation artifact located naming a 'USS Pledge' is a name collision, not a hit on this hull: in Wineland v. Air & Liquid Systems (W.D. Wash., filed 2019), plaintiffs alleged decedent John Dale Wineland was exposed to asbestos aboard 'the USS DYNAMIC (1963-1966), the USS PLEDGE (1966-1967), the USS LOYALTY (1970-1972), the USS TUSCALOOSA (1972-1974), and the USS ESTEEM (1978-1980).' During 1966-1967 the only commissioned USS Pledge was the second ship of the name - MSO-492 (ex-AM-492, Aggressive-class, J.M. Martinac, Tacoma; in commission 20 April 1956 - 31 January 1994, then sold to Taiwan); this record's hull, AM-277, had been sunk in action on 12 October 1950, sixteen years before the alleged window. The court granted the defendants' summary-judgment motions (Alfa Laval Dkt. #313, July 19, 2021; Crane Co. Dkt. #304; Carrier Dkt. #427; Puget Sound Commerce Center Dkt. #302) on causation/product-identification grounds - a merits-level negative for that plaintiff, not exposure evidence for either hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1966-1967 (alleged exposure, other hull); 2019-2021 (litigation)
- Population
- John Dale Wineland (USN engineman 1963-1984 aboard MSO-492 and other hulls - different ship; mesothelioma dx, d. 2018)
- Limitations
- Logged to prevent misattribution: a 'USS Pledge' litigation hit with a 1966-67 service window is MSO-492, not AM-277. Even for MSO-492 the matter ended in defense summary judgment - pleading allegations tested and rejected at the merits stage for want of product-identification/causation proof; the orders neither establish nor address materials aboard either hull. Order text verified via exa.ai mirror and law-firm-posted signed-order PDF (brownsims.com); the docket itself was not pulled from RECAP (CourtListener API at quota - see search_ledger).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-10
-
[11]Batch-1250 search ledger (this record): DANFS via losthistory/hazegray mirror; NAVSHIPS 250-011 (shipscribe scan); NavSource (Wayback); NHHC Korean War chronology + Wonsan photo history + Pirate PUC; DPAA service-member profile; Colton minesweepers master table; uboat.net; HyperWar; CourtListener (authenticated API throttled at shared-key quota; site-scoped index search used); NVR; NARA catalog; MARAD; Atlas shipyards.json; class-profile worktrees [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-pledge-am277-01 through sl-uss-pledge-am277-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USS Pledge / AM-277: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, preservation record, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener authenticated API (partial - shared-key quota): type=o 'USS Pledge' 0 hits, 'U.S.S. Pledge' 0 hits, 'AM-277' 26 hits all verified as token collisions by case name (NY App. Div. ambulance/property/healthcare cluster, Maryland, Oregon - no vessel association); type=r RECAP sweeps never cleared the quota. The sole 'USS Pledge' litigation artifact (Wineland, W.D. Wash.) resolves to MSO-492 by service window (1966-67) - a name collision logged at ev-10, not a hit on this hull. The vessel sank in enemy action 12 October 1950 in what are now North Korean waters and was never recovered, preserved, or scrapped through any documented channel - no museum, survey, or abatement record can post-date a combat loss.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its lighter geared-diesel insulation load. CourtListener coverage was partial: the authenticated API returned HTTP 429 (shared key at 2,800/day quota) for most of the session; opinion sweeps completed in a brief open window but RECAP docket sweeps did not, and 'aboard the Pledge' phrasing variants were not swept - residual collision risk assessed low given zero exact-name opinion hits and the Wineland roster accounting for the known 'USS Pledge' pattern. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-11
-
[12]Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs for AM-277 (1944-46 commission + 1950 Korean War period); NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Gulf Shipbuilding minesweeper block (ordered 2 May 1942 per uboat.net); NARA muster-rolls series (1939-1949 scope covers the first commission); NHHC/Naval History photo files (80-G, 19-LCM, NH series) referenced on the NavSource page; Korean War action reports and the loss-of-ship report for AM-277 (RG 38/RG 313 operational records); DPAA unaccounted-for case files for the six Pledge missing [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG 19/24/38/313 group guides; NARA deck-log series NAID 594258; DPAA Korean War unaccounted-for registry
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs, 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations 1941-1978' (series NAID 594258), for the July 1944 - November 1946 commission - the resolution path for exact operating, port-call, and availability dates, including whether the 'overhaul at Philadelphia' (Mar-Apr 1945) was the naval shipyard; (b) NARA RG 19 BuShips records / General Information Books and the Navy contract file for the Gulf Shipbuilding minesweeper program - the plausible home of hull-level material schedules and the resolution path for the Chickasaw-vs-Madisonville build-yard conflict (the contract file names the performing yard); (c) RG 38/RG 313 Korean War operational records - the loss-of-ship/action report for the 12 October 1950 sinking would document damage location (e.g., 'near the forward engine room' per secondary accounts) and any rescue/demolition detail; (d) DPAA case files for the six unaccounted-for Pledge crew; (e) NARA muster rolls (1939-1949 scope covers the first commission).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1950 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for AM-277 is unknown until surveyed in person. Deck logs and muster rolls are personnel/operations records, not materials documentation. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-pledge-am277-12