USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]research packet 516-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS *Plymouth Rock* — Hull: LSD-29 — Designation: dock landing ship (LSD), Thomaston-class

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-pkt-516-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Plymouth Rock (LSD-29), Vol. V (1979) p. 332 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, service narrative through 1970, spec block (verbatim transcription; live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 on all probed URL variants) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS Vol. V p. 332 service narrative + spec block; editor's disposition note

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: laid down by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss., 4 May 1953; launched 7 May 1954; sponsored by Mrs. Francis C. Denebrink; commissioned 29 November 1954, Comdr. D. Bontecou in command. Norfolk homeport; shakedown East Coast/Caribbean; 1955 early-warning-site support (far north); March-October 1956 Mediterranean amphibious deployment; 1957 Caribbean trips and Arctic DEW Line resupply; May-October 1958 Sixth Fleet including July landing of U.S. Marines in Lebanon; early 1959 'vertical envelopment' helicopter-assault concept development; February 1960 Operation 'Amigo' (Eisenhower South America visit support); March-December 1960 Mediterranean; 1961 Caribbean/Mediterranean incl. Project Mercury and ASROC work; 1962 Caribbean deployments incl. Cuban Missile Crisis blockade force; 7 May-October 1963 Mediterranean; 1964 two Caribbean cruises then Operation 'Steel Pike I' off Spain ('the largest amphibious operation since World War II'); early 1965 Caribbean; 28 January-7 March 1966 H-Bomb recovery operations off Palomares, Spain; late 1966 Caribbean hurricane 'Inez' relief in Haiti; 1967 three Caribbean cruises then northern Europe; 1968 two Caribbean deployments; June-July 1969 northern Europe; 'remains with the Atlantic Fleet into 1970.' DANFS editor's note: decommissioned 30 September 1983, transferred to the Maritime Administration 8 November 1989, name struck from the Navy List 24 February 1992, sold 25 August 1995. Spec block: (LSD-29: dp. 6,880; l. 510'; b. 84'; dr. 19'; s. 21 k.; cpl. 766; a. 16 3"; cl. Thomaston).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1953-1995

   Population

   Ingalls construction trades (1953-54); crew and embarked troops (1954-1983)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific official history only; no asbestos or material content. Narrative coverage ends 'into 1970' (published 1979); post-1970 events come from other rows. Live NHHC DANFS page returned 404 on 2026-09-30 across probed URL variants; verbatim transcription mirror cited (hazegray text via losthistory.net, verified live 2026-09-30).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) - milestone timeline, specifications, commanding-officer list, disposal (verified live 2026-09-30) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/12/1229.htm header timeline, specifications block, awards, and photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 4 May 1953 at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS; launched 7 May 1954; commissioned USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) 29 November 1954, CDR. D. Bontecou in command; decommissioned 30 September 1983; custody transferred to MARAD, laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet; struck from the Naval Register 24 February 1992; final disposition - sold by MARAD for scrapping 25 August 1995 to Peck Recycling, Richmond, VA, for $268,707. Specifications: displacement 8,899 t. light / 11,525 t. full; 510' length; 84' beam; 19' draft; 20 kts.; complement 18 officers + 330 enlisted; troop accommodations 325; armament as built: four twin 3"/50 dual-purpose mounts, four twin 40mm, six twin 20mm; well-deck boat capacity: three LCUs or nine LCM-8s or fifty AAV/LVTP-7 amphibious tractors; helicopter landing area; propulsion: two D-type boilers (600 psi), two steam turbines, two propellers, 24,000 shp. Photo captions document NHHC-held images (NH 97359, NH 97360, 1089896) incl. experimental retractable bow sonar circa 1963; a 19 February 1966 cachet documenting her as support ship for H-Bomb recovery (Alvin and Curv-1) off Palomares; and an awards ribbon set including Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2), Battle 'E', AFEM (Lebanon, Cuba, Dominican Republic), and Humanitarian Service Medal (Jamaica relief).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1953-1996

   Population

   Ingalls construction trades (1953-54); crew (1954-83); NDRF custody period; shipbreakers, Peck Recycling (1995-96)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates track DANFS/NVR here but secondary sources conflict on figures (sale price, shp - see gaps). Contains no asbestos content. The 1995-96 scrapping predates most disclosure practice; no hazmat or material record for the breakup was located.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-02

4. [4]Naval Vessel Register, PLYMOUTH ROCK (LSD 29) DOCK LANDING SHIP detail page (archived - Wayback capture 2016-07-30; hull absent from current NVR web UI) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR LSD29 detail page, fields UIC through 'Last updated 02/23/1999'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NVR registry data for this hull (archived page): UIC 03129; class 'LSD 28' (Thomaston class); Status 'Disposed of, by Navy Sale,' date status changed 08/25/1995; Builder 'INGALLS SB CORP/MS'; Award Date 02/28/1952; Keel Date 05/04/1953; Launch Date 05/07/1954; Delivery Date 11/29/1954; Commission Date 11/29/1954; Stricken Date 02/24/1992; Overall Length 510 ft, Waterline Length 500 ft, Extreme Beam 84 ft, Waterline Beam 82 ft, Maximum Navigational Draft 19 ft; Hull Material 'Steel hull, steel superstructure'; Age (since delivery) at disposal 40.8 years; Custodian 'SCHOOLS, ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISES'; page last updated 02/23/1999.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1952-1999 (registry record)

   Limitations

   Official registry values, ship-specific. No asbestos, materials-condition, or disposal-hazmat content. Page is an archived Wayback capture - the current NVR UI no longer presents this hull's detail page (generic response verified 2026-09-30), so the record is cited as archived, not live. NVR lists 'Commission Date 11/29/1954' - NVR does publish a commission-date field on ship detail pages.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-03

5. [5]Sanders v. Great Barrier Insulation, I.C. No. 826838 (N.C. Indus. Comm'n, Full Commission Opinion and Award, filed July 23, 2002) - CourtListener cluster 3889690, opinion 3635088 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion, Findings of Fact 2-3; Conclusions of Law 1; Award 1-4; procedural history (Deputy Commissioner Jones award Jan. 18, 2001, amended Feb. 7, 2001; Full Commission review Oct. 10, 2001)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Adjudicated findings of fact naming this hull: the North Carolina Industrial Commission (Full Commission) found that plaintiff Jack Sanders 'joined the United States Navy in 1958' and 'was a boiler tender' whose 'job required plaintiff to perform maintenance on boilers, piping and valves aboard the USS Plymouth Rock,' and that '[t]he pipe insulation, boiler insulation and valve insulation as well as the gloves plaintiff used on a continual basis contained asbestos' (Finding of Fact 2); further, '[p]laintiff was exposed everyday to asbestos while employed by the United States Navy until he left the service on July 12, 1961' (Finding of Fact 3). The Commission found occupational asbestosis with Class IV breathing impairment and awarded total-disability compensation ($384.64/week from March 18, 1999) plus medical expenses against the later civilian employer (Great Barrier Insulation / Wausau) under last-injurious-exposure doctrine - the shipboard exposure was found as part of the claimant's exposure history.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1958-1961 (service period); 2000-2002 (adjudication)

   Population

   Jack Sanders, USN boiler tender aboard this hull 1958-1961; by extension the boiler-tender/engineering watch population of that era

   Limitations

   Litigation-stage classification: merits-level administrative adjudication (Full Commission findings of fact, adopting Deputy Commissioner findings after a hearing) - not a mere pleading. However, the case was a workers' compensation claim against a later civilian insulation employer, not the Navy or a product manufacturer for shipboard materials; the shipboard findings establish that named insulation applications aboard contained asbestos during 1958-1961 service, not the full ACM inventory, quantities, later-period condition, or other crew members' exposure. No appellate opinion located; docket-number variant exists in secondary listings (I.C. 826838 per CourtListener record vs I.C. 492864 per ecases.us - see gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-04

6. [6]Walker v. Blackmer Pump Co., 367 F. Supp. 3d 360 (E.D. Pa. Feb. 14, 2019) - MDL-875, Civ. No. 16-5349 (Slomsky, J.) - CourtListener cluster 7334842, opinion 7252762 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion sections II.A (exposure), IV.A (hearsay ruling), IV.B-C (SJ denials), V (conclusion); Doc. Nos. 23-2, 23-5 testimony citations

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Federal MDL-875 asbestos litigation naming this hull: the estate of Obediah Walker, Jr., who served aboard USS Plymouth Rock as an electrician from 1969 to 1971, claimed asbestos exposure aboard; decedent died March 17, 2014 of invasive non-small cell lung cancer (post-mortem pathology ruled out mesothelioma). Deposition record in the opinion: supervisor James Owens testified that electricians like decedent 'stood four-hour watches in the engine room every day on a rotating basis.... [s]o roughly, 50 percent of [their] time ... was spent in the engine room'; that '[m]uch of the machinery in the engine room was covered in insulation' which 'he later learned ... contained asbestos'; that machinists removed asbestos-containing insulation from equipment with electricians present, the insulation breaking 'into pieces because it was brittle after being exposed to heat' in an engine room 'generally around 115 degrees'; and that engine-room work was dangerous because electricians 'were likely exposed to asbestos fibers when insulation was stripped from machinery.' On February 14, 2019 the court DENIED the summary-judgment motions of all three remaining defendants (Ingersoll-Rand, Warren Pumps, Blackmer Pump), finding genuine issues of material fact - the claims survived for trial. The decedent's own videotaped deposition was ruled inadmissible hearsay (defendants had no opportunity for cross-examination of the dying witness).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1969-1971 (service period); 2014-2019 (litigation)

   Population

   Obediah Walker, Jr., USN electrician aboard this hull 1969-1971; engine-room watchstanders and machinist/electrician repair crews of that era

   Limitations

   Litigation-stage classification: summary-judgment-stage record - the asbestos presence described is deposition testimony and plaintiff-cited exhibits reviewed under the plaintiff-favorable SJ standard, not trial findings; denial of summary judgment means a jury COULD find exposure/causation, not that a court DID so find. The shipboard-insulation testimony (Owens) is a sworn account of conditions aboard this hull 1969-1971; specific defendant product causation was not adjudicated. Case consolidated under Civ. No. 16-215 with companion Walker v. Amtrol action (Viad Corp. remaining defendant, resolved by separate Opinion and Order same day). Outcome beyond this 2019 opinion not located.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-05

7. [7]Walker v. Blackmer Pump Co., 367 F. Supp. 3d 360 (E.D. Pa. 2019) - litigation-produced equipment identification for this hull (Synopsis of Machinery and Hull Data, shipyard blueprints, packing manual, Navy invoices) [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion sections II.C-E (Warren Pumps, Blackmer Pump, Ingersoll-Rand product evidence), IV.B.2-3; Doc. Nos. 25-7, 26-6 through 26-10, 23-7

   Finding type

   litigation_product_id

   Finding

   The Walker opinion describes litigation-produced documents identifying equipment aboard this hull: (1) a 'Synopsis of Machinery and Hull Data' for USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30), a Thomaston-class sister, stating that aboard USS Plymouth Rock the emergency feed pump, main circulating pump, and bilge & fuel-oil-tank stripping pumps were manufactured by Warren Pumps and the D.O. transfer pump by Blackmer Pump Co.; (2) Warren Pumps documents specifying steam cylinders on its main circulating and bilge/FOT stripping pumps 'insulated with suitable thickness of 85% magnesia' (a product that 'contained up to 15% asbestos fibers' per the Castleman reference cited in the opinion), plus blueprints showing an asbestos insulating ring in the emergency feed and bilge/FOT stripping pump types; (3) invoices showing Warren Pumps supplied the Navy 'asbestos sheet gaskets' and 'braided asbestos' packing for its pumps; (4) a Blackmer Pump informational packet stating its pumps contain 'teflon impregnated asbestos' packing and an asbestos gasket; (5) an Ingersoll-Rand packing manual for centrifugal pumps (like the fire pump aboard this hull) directing cotton/non-reinforced asbestos packing for water to 220 deg F and reinforced asbestos packing above 220 deg F.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1954-1983 (equipment service life); 2017-2019 (litigation record)

   Population

   Engine-room machinists and electricians who stripped/repaired insulated pumps (1969-1971 testimony window)

   Limitations

   Litigation-produced exhibits summarized in a summary-judgment opinion - product identification sourced from plaintiff's exhibits (including a sister-ship machinery synopsis applied to this hull) and reviewed under the plaintiff-favorable SJ standard; the court held only that a reasonable jury COULD find these products were a substantial factor, not that causation was proven. Establishes documented identification of specific asbestos-containing applications aboard this hull, not manufacturer liability or exposure quantification.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-06

8. [8]Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. v. Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, 519 U.S. 248 (1997) - U.S. Supreme Court syllabus (builder-yard asbestos exposure) [court_record]

   Locator

   519 U.S. 248 syllabus (exposure and employment narrative)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Supreme Court documentation of asbestos exposure at this hull's builder: 'Jefferson Yates worked for Ingalls as a shipfitter at its Pascagoula shipyards in Mississippi between 1953 and 1967 and was exposed to asbestos in his workplace during this time'; diagnosed March 1981 with asbestosis, chronic bronchitis, and possible malignancy; sued '23 manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos whose products were allegedly present at the Pascagoula shipyards' during that period. Yates's employment window opens with this hull's 1953-54 construction at the same yard.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1953-1967 (exposure window); 1997 (opinion)

   Population

   Ingalls Pascagoula shipyard trades, 1953-1967 window

   Limitations

   Yard-level documentation, not a hull record: establishes asbestos exposure and products at the Ingalls Pascagoula yard during a period that covers this hull's construction; does not name this vessel and does not establish materials aboard it. The Supreme Court opinion itself decides an LHWCA settlement-credit question, not exposure facts - the exposure narrative is the stipulated/undisputed background in the syllabus.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-07

9. [9]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block (two D-type 600-psi boilers, two steam turbines, 24,000 shp); shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product list for Ingalls Shipbuilding/Pascagoula (Thermobestos, Superex, Kaylo, pipe covering, block insulation, gaskets, packing, fireproofing); litigation-documented applications aboard this hull (ev-04 through ev-06); GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-08) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource propulsion spec; shipyards.json product list for ingalls-shipbuilding; ev-04/05/06 litigation record

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   A 1953-54 steam-powered amphibious ship built at Ingalls Pascagoula sits inside that yard's documented asbestos-use era (shipfitter exposure 1953-1967 per 519 U.S. 248 syllabus) and inside the Navy's documented shipboard asbestos-insulation era (GAO HRD-80-2). For this hull specifically, adjudicated findings (ev-04) establish asbestos-containing pipe, boiler, and valve insulation aboard; the litigation record (ev-05, ev-06) further documents asbestos insulation on engine-room machinery and asbestos-containing packing, gaskets, insulation rings, and 85%-magnesia specification on identified pumps. Era-standard applications for a steam plant of this type (not independently hull-proven): boiler and steam-drum lagging, turbine insulation, steam-line lagging, machinery packing, insulation in accommodation spaces, and winch/windlass brake linings.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1953-1996

   Population

   Ingalls construction trades (1953-54); engineering crew (1954-83); overhaul-yard trades (1958, 1959, 1965, 1974, 1975-76, 1980 availabilities); Peck Recycling shipbreakers (1995-96)

   Limitations

   Mixed basis: the named insulation applications and pump components are ship-documented via litigation rows; the remainder are era-standard applications inferred from plant type and period, NOT hull-proven. No quantity, no full inventory, no manufacturer list beyond the litigation-identified pumps. Does not establish present-day presence (hull scrapped 1995-96) or individual exposure/causation beyond the adjudicated/testimonial accounts.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-08

10. [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 (1953-54) and the majority of her service era (1954-83).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1979

    Population

    Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

    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 2026-09-30) - content via product-page description, consistent with prior batches.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-09

11. [11]USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) Association, 'A Chronological History of the USS Plymouth Rock (LSD29)' (veterans' association compilation) [other_primary]

    Locator

    ussplymouthrock.com/page3.html year-by-year entries 1954-1996

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Association-compiled chronology records yard availabilities aboard this hull: April 1958 Norfolk Naval Shipyard (a section of flight deck removed to permit transport of a 600-ton Mine Planter, YNP3, to Turkey); June 1959 routine overhaul at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (newly installed ASW equipment tested December 1959); 1965 overhaul ('ship again entered the yards'); 1974 two yard overhauls with SOLID SHIELD and AV-8 Harrier evaluation between; July 1975 'entered yard in Baltimore, MD' with all of 1976 spent in shipyard as a result of a labor strike; March 1980 'entered the shipyards in Portsmouth, Va., then transferred to Newport News Shipyard for additional repairs'; 1983 decommissioning preparations at NAB Little Creek (crew off ship August 15, 1983; Global Associates closeout team aboard; pennant hauled down September 30, 1983). Also documents: Palomares role delivering deep-diving submersibles ALVIN and ALUMINAUT; James River Reserve Fleet photographs January 28, 1996 (first LSD in line, alongside USS Donner (LSD-20) and Fort Snelling (LSD-30)); tow to Peck Recycling, Richmond, April 1996.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1958-1996

    Population

    Yard trades at each availability; crew during in-yard periods

    Limitations

    Veterans' association compilation - secondary sourcing, not an official record; individual entries uncorroborated. Carried as an archival lead: these yard availabilities are the asbestos-disturbance-relevant periods whose authoritative record would be NARA deck logs and the yards' work packages (Ingalls builder's records; Norfolk Naval, Philadelphia Naval, Baltimore, Newport News availability files). The 1980 'shipyards in Portsmouth, Va.' entry likely means Norfolk Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth) but is not explicit; the Baltimore yard is unnamed.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-10

12. [12]Batch-5817 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription (losthistory/hazegray); NVR via Wayback; NavSource; CourtListener API v4 (opinion + RECAP docket sweeps); MARAD ShipHistory; NARA catalog; GAO product page; association chronology; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-01 through -13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No non-litigation ship-specific asbestos record located: no government hull survey, no abatement contract, no NDRF custody-condition or MARAD disposal hazmat record, and no shipyard work package naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The only ship-specific asbestos documentation is the litigation record (ev-04 through ev-06). Secondary web sweeps surfaced law-firm-adjacent marketing content (navyshipexposure.com claiming a litigation-derived equipment manifest naming Ingersoll-Rand and Allis-Chalmers; freeasbestostesting.com listicle) - excluded by source policy; the Ingersoll-Rand element is partially corroborated by the Walker opinion while Allis-Chalmers is not confirmed in any located source.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    2026-09-30

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public non-litigation record does not prove absence of documentation - deck logs, Ingalls builder's records, and overhaul-yard work packages are undigitized leads. The scrapping sale (1995) and breakup (1996) postdate NESHAP/OSHA asbestos rules but no compliance record was located. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility beyond what the cited litigation records show.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-plymouth-rock-lsd29-11