Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet gx-packet.md (6 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-pkt-gx-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Robert L. Wilson (DD-847) (namesake biography, builder, dates, specifications, service narrative, disposition, battle stars; entry dated 19 October 2005 - live NHHC page serves 404; verbatim text via Wayback capture 2021-01-22 and hazegray transcription) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + namesake paragraph + service narrative + disposition paragraph (Wayback capture 2021-01-22 of history.navy.mil; hazegray dd847txt.htm concurs through 1974)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: namesake Pfc. Robert Lee Wilson, USMC, born 24 May 1921 Centralia, Ill., posthumous Medal of Honor for Tinian 3 August 1944 (2d Bn., 6th Marines). Laid down 2 July 1945 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 5 January 1946, sponsored by Mrs. Joe Wilson; commissioned in the Boston Navy Yard 28 March 1946, Comdr. John T. Probasco in command. Spec block: Gearing class; dp. 2,425; l. 390'6"; b. 41'1"; dr. 18'6"; s. 35 k.; cpl. 367; a. 6 5", 10 20mm., 10 21" tt., 6 dcp., 2 dct. Service: shakedown Cuba; 6th Fleet Mediterranean tour from 23 July 1946; Newport-based 1947-49; Boston overhaul; midshipman cruise Plymouth/Cherbourg/Guantanamo; redesignated DDE-847 on 4 March 1950; Escort Squadron 4 / ComEscortDiv 42 pennant 1 January 1951; Destroyer Squadron 36 from 1 July 1956; eight Mediterranean tours by 30 June 1960 plus USMA cadet training and USNA midshipman cruises; Operation 'Monsoon' Presidential-flight rescue stations Nov-Dec 1959; Norfolk Navy Yard overhaul summer 1960; SS Santa Maria pursuit January 1961 (8-day chase to Recife, Brazil); ninth Med cruise from 8 June 1961; Project Mercury capsule recovery January 1962; TG Bravo Northern Europe February-mid-June 1962; reclassified DD-847 on 1 August 1962; Guantanamo base defense with DesDiv 362 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, September-November 1962; Philadelphia Navy Yard FRAM I modernization from March 1963, emerging 1964; Guantanamo gunfire support Jan-Feb 1966; abort-station duty for the first unmanned Apollo launch; rescue destroyer for Wasp (CVS-18), Gemini 9 prime recovery April/June 1966; 12th Med deployment 22 July-17 December 1966; Fleet Sonar School schoolship Jan-Feb 1967; Scorpion (SSN-589) search May-13 June 1968; WestPac deployment from 6 September 1968 - naval gunfire support 36 miles south of Hue, Gulf of Tonkin SAR after 28 October (two sampans destroyed), plane guard for Constellation (CVA-64) at Yankee Station from early November; San Diego 27 March 1969, Norfolk 21 June; Med deployment 5 March-16 September 1970 (DAWN PATROL, MEDTACEX, Levantine Basin); overhaul and refresher then Sixth Fleet deployment 17 September 1971-17 March 1972; Norfolk operations 1973-74 with new home port Philadelphia. Decommissioned at Norfolk 30 September 1974; transferred to the inactive fleet facility at Philadelphia; struck from the Navy 30 September 1974; 'sunk as a target as part of the Harpoon missile test program on 1 March 1980.' Three battle stars for Vietnam service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945-1980
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1945-46; crew 1946-74 (DANFS complement 367); Philadelphia NSY FRAM workforce 1963-64; Norfolk NSY workforce 1960
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history, specifications, and disposition - not materials or asbestos content. Yard periods are named (Boston, Norfolk Navy Yard 1960, Philadelphia Navy Yard FRAM 1963-64, plus an unnamed pre-September-1971 overhaul) but not their work scope. Mirror/Wayback text cited because the live NHHC page returns 404 (standing link-rot defect since batch-01).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-01
-
[3]NavSource Destroyer Photo Index, DD-847 USS Robert L. Wilson - operational/building data block, machinery line, fate line, FRAM table row, and photo captions (Philadelphia Navy Yard 6 June 1951; FRAM ceremony Philadelphia 11 October 1963; inactive hulk at Philadelphia Navy Yard July 1976 and 11 May 1977 alongside Albacore AGSS-569; at Roosevelt Roads, P.R. prior to tow-out for SINKEX) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource DD-847 page - 'Operational and Building Data,' 'Fate,' machinery line; photo captions (1951 Philadelphia NY, Oct 1963 FRAM ceremony, 1976-77 inactive berthing, Roosevelt Roads pre-SINKEX)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource index data for this hull: class Gearing 'as built'; 3,460 t full, 390'6" x 40'10" x 14'4"; 60,000 shp, General Electric geared turbines, 2 screws; 36.8 kt; crew 336; callsign NBCE. 'Completed FRAM upgrade November 1963'; 'Decommissioned and Stricken September 30 1974'; fate line 'Sunk as target off Puerto Rico January 25 1980 as part of SINKEX.' Photo captions document the hull at Philadelphia Navy Yard 6 June 1951, the FRAM ceremony in Philadelphia 11 October 1963, the inactivated hulk at Philadelphia Navy Yard July 1976 and 11 May 1977 (berthed with Albacore AGSS-569), and at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, immediately before tow-out for SINKEX.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945-1980
- Population
- Construction trades 1945-46; crew 1946-74; Philadelphia NSY FRAM workforce 1963
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation indexing official records and donated photos, not a primary document. Its sinking date (25 January 1980) conflicts with DANFS (1 March 1980) - DANFS controls, conflict logged in gaps. Machinery line (GE turbines, 36.8 kt) and crew 336 differ from the DANFS spec block (35 k., cpl. 367); conflicts documented rather than reconciled. Captions document presence/berthing, not work performed or material condition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-02
-
[4]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 'Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents' (ships list, 1 May 2018 edition, USNA-1973 mirror PDF - full text extracted and entry verified verbatim; identical list mirrored by Ohio Dept. of Veterans Services) [other_primary]
- Locator
- VA ships list, destroyer entries section ('Robert L. Wilson (DD-847)' entry); PDF text-verified 2026-09-28
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Official VA exposure-list entry naming this hull: 'USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-847) entered Song Da Rang River (near Tuy Hoi) and Rung Sat Special Zone area during February-March 1969' - inland-waterway Vietnam service qualifying veterans aboard in that window for presumptive Agent Orange (herbicide) exposure under 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6). Independently documents this hull's riverine/special-zone operations in February-March 1969, a window DANFS covers only as 'remained in the Far East through the end of the year' before the 27 March 1969 San Diego return.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1969 (service window); list edition 2018-05-01
- Population
- Crew aboard during February-March 1969 Song Da Rang River / Rung Sat Special Zone operations
- Limitations
- Herbicide-exposure documentation, not asbestos documentation - included as a ship-specific government record of Vietnam inland-waterway service and as exposure context for the crew population aboard. Establishes nothing about materials aboard. The Feb-Mar 1969 riverine window sits inside the 1968-69 WestPac deployment documented by DANFS.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-03
-
[5]DANFS/NavSource specifications (Gearing class; four-boiler, 60,000-shp GE geared steam-turbine plant) + documented 1963-64 FRAM I yard period at Philadelphia Navy Yard + NARA RG19 General Information Books archival lead [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block; NavSource FRAM index row (November 1963); NARA RG19/RG24 archival leads
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a Gearing-class destroyer built 1945-46 at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, with the class-standard four Babcock & Wilcox boiler, 60,000-shp GE geared steam-turbine plant would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation - boiler and steam-line lagging, turbine insulation, gaskets and packing, fireproofing, bulkhead/compartment insulation, and deck coverings - the insulated-steam-plant configuration documented as asbestos-bearing across the WWII-era destroyer fleet. The documented FRAM I conversion at Philadelphia Navy Yard (entered March 1963; completed November 1963 per NavSource or 1964 per DANFS narrative) falls inside the pre-substitution era when such material was disturbed. NARA RG19 'General Information Books' per-vessel material specifications are the archival lead for hull-level specs; NARA RG24 digitized deck logs for this hull are the lead for yard-period and daily-work documentation.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945-1974
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1945-46; Philadelphia NSY workforce 1963-64; crew 1946-74
- Limitations
- Class/era and yard-period inference only - NOT a hull-specific finding; no source documents an asbestos product aboard DD-847. FRAM I scope for this hull is documented only at summary level; insulation disturbance is inference, not record. NARA GIB retrieval not performed; deck logs located but not reviewed. Does not quantify material or establish any individual's exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-04
-
[6]Goodrich v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., Omnibus Opinion and Order, ECF No. 171, E.D. Va. No. 4:17-cv-00009 (Sept. 28, 2018) - class-design litigation recital [court_record]
- Locator
- Omnibus opinion pp. 12, 19, 31 (OCR of scanned ECF 171) as recited in the Gearing class profile (ev-gearing-class-04)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- A published federal omnibus opinion recites class-level evidence for the Sumner/Gearing design family this hull belongs to: 'an engineering drawing for the insulation and lagging of forced draft blower turbines for the class of destroyers (DD 692, USS Allen M. Sumner class), within which the USS Harlan Dickson fell, specifies the use of amosite felts and asbestos cloths,' and quotes a report estimating 'a partial tally of the weight of the asbestos-containing thermal insulation and lagging products in the fire ... and engine rooms of a ship belonging to the USS Allen M. Sumner (DD 692) and USS Gearing (DD 710) classes of destroyers is 30.3 tons.' Documents that asbestos-containing insulation/lagging was specified on machinery of the destroyer design family DD-847 was built to.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1940s design era; opinion filed 2018-09-28
- Population
- Destroyer fire/engine-room crews (class level)
- Limitations
- Litigation-record recital covering the class design, not an adjudicated finding and not hull-specific to DD-847 - the case concerns a different vessel (Harlan R. Dickson, DD-765). The drawing covers the Sumner DD-692 machinery group shared with Gearing; the 30.3-ton figure is an expert partial tally for fire/engine rooms, not a ship inventory. Underlying exhibits not retrieved. Goodrich is a plaintiff-surname record only - no party or vessel in the case is this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-05
-
[7]Atlas shipyard dataset (shipyards.json) yard-level records: 'bath-iron-works' (builder; tier 2, era industrial-hygiene study of pipe-covering shop); 'boston-naval-shipyard' (commissioning 1946 + ~1949 overhaul); 'norfolk-naval-shipyard' (summer 1960 overhaul); 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard' (FRAM I 1963-64 + inactive berthing 1974-77) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipyards.json records 'bath-iron-works', 'boston-naval-shipyard', 'norfolk-naval-shipyard', 'philadelphia-naval-shipyard'
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Yard-level context: every documented work site for this hull is a documented asbestos-exposure site in the Atlas dataset - builder Bath Iron Works (yard-level documentation includes a 1940s-era industrial-hygiene study of pipe-covering shop dust risk); Boston Naval Shipyard hosted the 1946 commissioning availability and a ~1949 overhaul; Norfolk Naval Shipyard hosted the summer 1960 overhaul; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard hosted the 1963-64 FRAM I conversion and berthed the inactive hulk 1974-77 (NavSource captions). All four slugs resolve in shipyards.json.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1945-1977 (hull events); 1940-2010 (yard studies/litigation)
- Population
- BIW construction trades 1945-46; Boston NSY workforce 1946/1949; Norfolk NSY workforce 1960; Philadelphia NSY workforce 1963-64 and inactivation workforce 1974-77
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation only - establishes that the sites performing documented work on or hosting this hull were asbestos-exposure sites, not that specific asbestos work occurred on DD-847 or that any crew member was exposed. The 1951 Philadelphia NY caption documents presence, not a documented availability. Read as context for ev-04, not as ship-specific evidence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's extensive shipboard asbestos insulation use with substitution not beginning until the early 1970s - this hull's entire U.S. lifecycle (construction 1945-46, service 1946-74, FRAM I conversion 1963-64) falls inside the documented asbestos-use era, which is the period context for the class/era inference row.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era context for 1945-1974
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program level)
- Limitations
- Program-level era context only; does not name this hull or class. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch - standing defect since batch-01); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-07
-
[9]Keating v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. et al., No. 1:18-cv-10439 (S.D.N.Y.), Defendants CBS Corporation (successor to Westinghouse Electric) and Foster Wheeler LLC's Notice of Removal, ECF No. 1 (filed 2018-11-09), removed from N.Y. Sup. Ct., N.Y. County Index No. 190384/18 [court_record]
- Locator
- ECF No. 1 (Notice of Removal) paras. 3, 6-8 - plain_text of RECAP doc 45159255 (gov.uscourts.nysd.504473.1.0)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Filed federal removal notice naming this hull by hull number with an asbestos-exposure allegation and defendant equipment confirmations: the notice recites that plaintiff Francis J. Keating Jr.'s interrogatory responses 'include allegations that Mr. Keating was exposed to asbestos from various products while employed by the United States Navy as a machinist's mate at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and at the Norfolk Navy Yard, and while serving aboard the USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-847), from 1953 to 1974,' and that 'Foster Wheeler confirmed that it manufactured the economizers and Westinghouse confirmed that it manufactured the turbine-generators, all aboard the USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-847)' - offered as the basis for federal-officer removal under 28 U.S.C. 1442(a)(1). Documents (a) a pleading-stage exposure allegation naming this hull, and (b) defendant recitals identifying their own equipment aboard this hull. Case posture: asbestos personal-injury action (NOS 368) removed 2018-11-09, removal withdrawn by defendants 2018-11-12, federal case administratively closed 2018-11-28 - the state-court action's merits history is not in the federal record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1953-1974 (alleged exposure window); 2018 (litigation)
- Population
- Francis J. Keating Jr. (USN machinist's mate; Navy employment 1953-1974 incl. Brooklyn NY, Norfolk NY, and service aboard DD-847)
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage record: the exposure allegation is recited from interrogatory responses, never adjudicated in the located record; the Foster Wheeler/Westinghouse equipment identifications are defendants' own recitals supporting removal jurisdiction, not adjudicated findings - but they are defendant statements that their equipment was aboard this specific hull. The '1953 to 1974' span appears to cover the plaintiff's overall Navy employment (shipyards plus shipboard); the ship-specific service window within it is not stated. Removal withdrawn and federal case closed 19 days after filing - no merits adjudication exists here; state-court outcome not located. Does not establish causation, quantity, or remaining material.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-08
-
[10]Agena v. Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. et al., No. 1:19-cv-00089-DKW (D. Haw.), Complaint (Hawaii First Circuit Civ. No. 19-1-0074-01, Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman LLP), ECF No. 11-4 (filed 2019-02-28; state-court complaint attached to removal transmittal) [court_record]
- Locator
- ECF No. 11-4 (Complaint) para. 14 - plain_text of RECAP doc 224780931 (gov.uscourts.hid.143298.11.4), 48 pp.
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Filed multi-plaintiff asbestos personal-injury complaint naming this hull by hull number: paragraph 14 recites that decedent Homer W. Means 'served in the United States Navy as a steward and was assigned to the USS WALTON (DE-361) from 1953 to 1956, homeported at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and also temporarily assigned to the USS RENSHAW (DD-499) for about 2 months ... then the USS HOLDER (DD-819) from 1956 to 1959, then the USS ROBERT L. WILSON (DD-847) from 1959 to 1960, then the USS BAINBRIDGE (DLGN-25) from 1963 to 1965, then the USS LEAHY (DDG-16) from 1965 to 1966, then the USS CHUKAWAN from 1966 to 1968 and then the USS GUADALCANAL (LPH-7) from 1972 to 1974' - plaintiff Grace R. Means sues as legal representative of his estate for alleged asbestos injury. Documents a pleading-stage allegation that a crew member served aboard this hull 1959-1960 in a complaint framed as toxic tort/asbestos personal injury.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1959-1960 (alleged service window); 2019-2021 (litigation)
- Population
- Homer W. Means (USN steward aboard DD-847 1959-1960); estate plaintiff Grace R. Means
- Limitations
- Pleading-stage allegation only - service aboard is recited; the complaint's general allegation is exposure to defendants' asbestos products during the listed service, but no ship-specific exposure finding was adjudicated. Federal docket NOS is coded 470 (RICO) though the attached state complaint is styled 'Toxic Tort/Asbestos Personal Injury' - coding anomaly noted, complaint text controls classification. Case terminated 2021-08-31; final disposition per-plaintiff not itemized in the located record. Does not establish causation, quantity, or which materials aboard were asbestos-containing.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-09
-
[11]CourtListener API v4 authenticated search sweep (opinion index type=o and RECAP docket index type=r) for this vessel's exact name and hull number [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-08 through -11
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Opinion-index queries '"USS Robert L. Wilson"' and '"DD-847"' returned 0 published opinions each (2026-09-28) - no adjudicated or reported opinion names this hull. RECAP docket-index queries for the same strings returned the same two dockets: Keating (S.D.N.Y. 1:18-cv-10439, asbestos PI) and Agena (D. Haw. 1:19-cv-00089, asbestos PI styled toxic tort) - both resolved by full-text review to qualifying pleading-stage allegations naming this hull (ev-08, ev-09). No other docket names this hull or hull number in indexed text.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Population
- none identified
- Limitations
- CourtListener indexes opinions and PACER/RECAP dockets, not state trial filings beyond what removals/transmittals captured, VA/BVA claims, asbestos trust claims, or settled/unreported matters - the two located dockets are pleading-stage and the absence of further hits does not prove no other claim was ever filed (e.g., underlying state-court actions without federal removal, trust claims). 'Robert L. Wilson' is a common-name collision risk - both hits were screened by hull number and verified in document text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-10
-
[12]Batch-3814 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback + hazegray transcription; NavSource; VA ships list (2018 edition); Atlas shipyard dataset; GAO; asbestos-record web sweep; NARA deck-log index [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-01 through -15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying non-litigation ship-specific asbestos record located: no hull ACM survey, abatement contract, material callout, SINKEX hazmat disclosure, NVR detail page (hull stricken 1974 and disposed 1980, before live-register coverage), or museum record naming this hull with asbestos data was found in the public sources searched. The hull's end-state - sunk as a target in the 1980 Harpoon test program - means no U.S. disposal-condition, museum, or donation documentation was ever generated for it, and the sinking predates the EPA/Navy SINKEX environmental-compliance regime (1999+), so no pre-sinking material survey exists in that channel either.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2026-09-28
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - for a 1945-46 steam-plant destroyer, era-standard asbestos materials are the inference, not a ship-proven fact. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-robert-l-wilson-dd847-11