Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS Samuel Gompers' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'USS Samuel Gompers' returned 4 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-cl-name-opinion
-
[2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS Samuel Gompers' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'USS Samuel Gompers' returned 14 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-cl-name-docket
-
[3]CourtListener opinion search: 'AD-37' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'AD-37' returned 385858 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-cl-hull-opinion
-
[4]CourtListener docket search: 'AD-37' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'AD-37' returned 569051 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-cl-hull-docket
-
[5]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr 1538461, Docket No. 13-33 087 (RO Muskogee, OK), decided 2015-09-09, Veterans Law Judge J. Parker [court_record]
- Locator
- Findings of Fact 1; discussion of M21-1 Part VI 7.21 / DVB Circular 21-88-8; ORDER (grant)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Board of Veterans' Appeals adjudication: service department records showed the veteran 'served as a hull technician aboard the U.S.S. Samuel Gompers (AD-37) during his naval service' (active duty June 1979 - September 1983). The Board found that '[e]xposure to asbestos and other hazardous chemicals is consistent with the conditions, circumstances, or hardships of the Veteran's service as a hull technician' and, resolving reasonable doubt in the veteran's favor, that 'there was exposure to asbestos during service.' ORDER: 'Service connection for asthma, to include COPD, is granted.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1979-1983 (service); decision 2015
- Population
- Hull technicians and repair-department personnel aboard AD-37 (1979-1983 service window adjudicated)
- Limitations
- VA administrative adjudication, not a civil tort judgment: the asbestos-exposure finding was made under the benefit-of-the-doubt standard (38 U.S.C. 5107; 38 C.F.R. 3.102) for a compensation claim, binds no product manufacturer, and does not itemize which asbestos-containing materials were aboard or their condition. It establishes that VA adjudicated in-service asbestos exposure for a hull technician aboard this specific hull and granted service connection for the claimed respiratory disability - a merits-level finding, stronger than a pleading allegation, narrower than a product-identification record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-01
-
[6]DANFS, Samuel Gompers (AD-37) - builder, dates, deployments, specifications (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Samuel Gompers' - full text; canonical NHHC URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/samuel-gompers.html (404 on access date)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS ship history: Samuel Gompers (AD-37) was laid down 9 July 1964 by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.; launched 14 May 1966 (sponsored by Mrs. Joseph Holmes); commissioned 1 July 1967, Capt. Harry Risch, Jr., in command. Home port San Diego. First WestPac deployment Nov 1967 - May 1968 without a prior shakedown: Yokosuka (54 ships' job orders in first month), Sasebo during the Pueblo crisis (71 ships serviced), Kaohsiung (17 ships). Second deployment Dec 1968 - Jun 1969 based at Subic Bay. Third Mar - Sep 1970 (Subic). Fourth Nov 1971 - Jul 1972 including two trips to Danang, South Vietnam, 9-16 April and 22-30 April 1972. Operated from Portland, Ore., mid-1973 to early Dec 1973; departed for another WestPac tour January 1974; 'into June 1974, still serves with the Pacific Fleet.' Specification block: dp. 20,260; l. 643 ft; b. 85 ft; dr. 22 ft 6 in; s. 20+ k.; cpl. 1,056; a. 1 5-in gun; class Samuel Gompers.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1964-1974
- Population
- Crew and repair department (approx. 1,056 complement); personnel aboard serviced ships alongside
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity, construction, and service through June 1974 only - the entry predates the ship's remaining 21 years of service, so later deployments (Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, homeport change to Alameda) rest on secondary sources and are not asserted here. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material information. Keel date conflicts with secondary sources giving 7 Sep 1964 (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-02
-
[7]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) page (milestones compiled from NVR; awards table; specifications block) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource AD-37 page - milestone list, Vietnam campaign table, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource milestone record (compiled from Naval Vessel Register data) for USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37): decommissioned 27 October 1995 at Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, VA; laid up at Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA; moved November 1995 to National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA; struck from the Naval Register 7 April 1999; custody transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal 7 April 1999; final disposition - disposed of as a target 21 July 2003 in the VACAPES OPAREA. Earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service (Vietnam Ceasefire, 9-16 and 22-30 April 1972). Specifications: 13,458 t (lt) / 20,132 t (fl); 643 ft x 85 ft; 20+ kts; complement 1,056; armament one single 5-inch/38 dual-purpose mount; propulsion one geared turbine, two boilers 600 psi, single propeller 20,000 shp.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1964-2003
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of registry data - the NVR itself no longer lists this disposed hull, so NavSource is the accessible form of the NVR milestones. Disposal date stated as 21 July 2003 conflicts with 22 July (00:06) in other secondary accounts (Wikipedia, navysite.de, GlobalSecurity) - likely exercise-start vs sinking-completion, unresolved. Sinking longitude is garbled in the source ('7 deg 35.16 W'). Propulsion/armament figures are compiled specs, not primary-verified. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-03
-
[8]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr 1801667, Docket No. 14-06 934 (RO Milwaukee, WI), decided 2018-01-10, quoting the VA M21-1MR ship list [court_record]
- Locator
- Findings: list entry for USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37), Da Nang pier dockings April 1972
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- VA's official list of Navy and Coast Guard ships associated with Vietnam service includes USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) under 'Ships that docked to shore or pier in Vietnam' - 'specifically noted to have had multiple dockings to piers at Da Nang during April 1972.' Recited in a Board of Veterans' Appeals decision (the veteran's own AD-37 service, Dec 1972 - Apr 1973, postdated the docking window; his widow's herbicide-exposure death claim was denied).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1972 (docking window); decision 2018
- Population
- Crew present during April 1972 Da Nang dockings (not this claimant)
- Limitations
- Official VA adjudicative record confirming the ship's April 1972 Da Nang pier dockings (consistent with DANFS) - an herbicide-exposure ship list, not an asbestos record. Documents port calls and the docking fact pattern only; says nothing about shipboard materials. The claim itself was denied on unrelated grounds.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-04
-
[9]Gray v. McDonald, 27 Vet. App. 313 (2015), No. 13-3339 (U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; argued 2015-02-25, decided 2015-04-23, Judge Schoelen) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion Part I (Background) and n.2 - Roark moored to USS Samuel Gompers at Da Nang pier
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims recording, as conceded factual background, that USS Roark (DE-1053) was moored to USS Samuel Gompers 'while it was docked to a pier in Da Nang Harbor' - appellate-level corroboration of AD-37's April 1972 pier dockings at Da Nang, consistent with DANFS and the VA ship list.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1972 (events); opinion 2015
- Population
- AD-37 crew and alongside-ship (Roark) crew during Da Nang dockings
- Limitations
- Agent Orange presumption litigation, not asbestos: the AD-37 mention is conceded background about a co-moored ship. Corroborates the Da Nang pier docking as a judicially recorded fact; establishes nothing about shipboard materials or exposure conditions. The holding (vacated in part, remanded) concerns VA's 'inland waterway' definition, not this vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-05
-
[10]EPA general permit, MPRSA, 'Transport of Target Vessels,' 40 C.F.R. 229.2; EPA Marine Protection Permitting program page 'Transport of Target Vessels for Ocean Disposal'; Determination by the EPA and Agreement between the Navy and the EPA (January 2014) [federal_register]
- Locator
- EPA program page (permit requirements summary); permit text https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/part-229/section-229.2 ; 2014 Determination https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/2014_sinkex_agreement_508.pdf
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- The ex-Samuel Gompers's July 2003 disposal as a SINKEX target proceeded under the EPA general permit issued to the Navy under the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), codified at 40 CFR 229.2 ('Transport of Target Vessels'). The permit requires that before sinking, qualified personnel take appropriate measures to remove to the maximum extent practicable all materials which may degrade the marine environment - including emptying and flushing fuel tanks and lines essentially free of petroleum and removing other pollutants and readily detachable material capable of creating debris or contributing to chemical pollution; that target vessels be sunk at least 50 nautical miles from land in at least 6,000 feet of water; and that the Navy report each sunk vessel's name, tonnage, location, and date to EPA annually. EPA's program page additionally documents the January 2014 Determination and Agreement clarifying PCB-removal requirements (bulkhead insulation, wire and cable insulation, felt and rubber gaskets as potential PCB materials).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- Permit regime (1999 letter framework in effect 2003); sinking July 2003
- Population
- SINKEX preparation personnel at Navy/certified facility (2003)
- Limitations
- Program-level regulation, not a hull record: the permit does not name AD-37, and no hull-specific pre-sink hazmat inventory or preparation checklist for ex-Samuel Gompers was located. The permit regime targets petroleum, debris, and PCB-containing materials - asbestos is not named in the permit text, the EPA page, or the 2014 Determination. Establishes the regulatory pathway of the disposal, not what materials remained aboard when the hull sank.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-06
-
[11]Mangold, C., et al., 'Aerosol and asbestos exposure in naval shipyards' literature record for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard: peer-reviewed report (PMID 1065583) on airborne asbestos during overhaul/rip-out/installation 1962-1972, and internal study DTIC AD0715808 (1970) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PMID 1065583 (study abstract); companion https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/AD0715808
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed industrial-hygiene literature documents airborne asbestos exposure at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard during ship overhaul, insulation rip-out, and installation work in 1962-1972 - the same yard and window in which this hull was built (laid down July 1964, launched May 1966, outfitted through commissioning July 1967). The study documents amosite and chrysotile exposure, preformed magnesia block insulation (~15% asbestos), asbestos cements, and asbestos cloth, with the 5 mppcf reference standard routinely exceeded and peak concentrations approximately 10x TLV during insulation cutting and handling. The companion internal shipyard study (DTIC AD0715808, Mangold et al., March 1970) found pulmonary abnormalities in 21% of surveyed workers and 40-150 fibers/cc during rip-out operations.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1962-1972 (study); hull construction 1964-1967
- Population
- Puget Sound Naval Shipyard construction/outfitting trades (pipe coverers, insulators, boilermakers, shipfitters, machinists, welders), 1964-1967 build window
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation, not a hull record: the studies characterize asbestos exposure conditions at the builder yard during this hull's construction window but do not name AD-37 and do not establish that asbestos-containing materials were installed aboard this specific hull, nor quantity or condition. Shipyard-worker exposure is established at the program level; any inference to materials aboard the completed ship is era inference only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-07
-
[12]Batch-465 search ledger (this record): BVA decisions database; CAVC opinions; MARAD ShipHistory; EPA MPRSA records; CourtListener API v4 (throttled); web discovery for civil litigation naming the hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-01 through sl-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No hull-level material documentation located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, pre-sink hazmat inventory, or museum/NRHP record exists for this hull (it was sunk in 2003). MARAD ShipHistory holds no record for AD-37 (the only 'Samuel Gompers' record is the unrelated 1942 Liberty ship, Detail 4348). No qualifying civil asbestos tort case naming the hull was located through alternate discovery (CourtListener API was rate-limited - see search_ledger); located litigation consists of the BVA asbestos-exposure adjudication (ev-01) and non-asbestos Vietnam-service records (ev-04, ev-05).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2026-09-19
- Limitations
- Scoped negative finding: no material survey or civil tort record was located - it does not negate the BVA adjudicated exposure finding (ev-01) and does not prove absence of asbestos-containing materials aboard (a 1960s steam-driven naval auxiliary is era-consistent with them). The sunken hull is unavailable for survey. Absence of a located record is not evidence of absence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-08
-
[13]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs); NHHC archives (command operations reports); NAVSEA inactive-ships program; MARAD vessel-disposal records [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 24 deck-log guidance; NDRF/MARAD custody path per NavSource milestones
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37), 1967-1995, including the April 1972 Da Nang docking periods - deck logs are the underlying source behind VA's ship-list entry; (b) NHHC ship Command Operations Reports for AD-37 covering post-1974 service not addressed by DANFS; (c) NAVSEA/NISMF inactivation and SINKEX-preparation records for ex-Samuel Gompers (Portsmouth, 2003) - the likeliest repository for any hazmat removal checklist prepared under the MPRSA permit; (d) MARAD custody/disposal file for the 1999-2003 NDRF James River custody period.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1967-2003 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether any SINKEX hazmat checklist or asbestos itemization exists for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-samuel-gompers-ad37-09