Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Sarasota' (APA-204) entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (live URL 404 on 2026-09-25; Wayback capture 2021-03-04 used) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Sarasota' entry (APA-204), full text; Wayback capture 2021-03-04
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry documents: laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 552) 1944-04-11 by Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond CA; launched 1944-06-14, sponsored by Mrs. Clayton L. Shaff; acquired and commissioned 1944-08-16, CDR James I. MacPherson USNR. WWII service: Manus (aided Mount Hood AE-11 explosion casualties 1944-11-10), Hollandia/Biak/Mios Woendi/Milne Bay lifts, flagship Transport Division 8 in TU 79.3.3, Lingayen Gulf 'Crimson Beach' landing 1945-01-09, Zambales 'Blue Beach' landing 1945-01-29 (Op. Mike VII), Okinawa Hagushi landings 1945-04-01 and Ie Shima 1945-04-16; casualty/cargo lifts May-Jul 1945; occupation lifts to Jinsen (1945-09-08) and Chinwangtao (1945-10-01); station ship Tientsin-Taku; two Magic Carpet runs; decommissioned 1946-08-01 at Stockton (19th (Inactive) Fleet). Recommissioned 1951-02-03; Norfolk homeport; 6th Fleet Mediterranean deployments Jan-May 1952 and May-Oct 1954; inactivation Charleston Apr 1955; decommissioned 1955-09-02; transferred to Maritime Administration June 1966; struck from Navy list 1966-07-01; in MARAD custody James River NDRF into 1974. 3 battle stars WWII. Specs: 6,873 t light, 455', beam 62', draft 28'1", 17 kt, cpl 536, trp 1,561, cl. Haskell, type VC2-S-AP5.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1974
- Population
- Ship's company ~536 and embarked troops ~1,561 per DANFS spec line (1944-1946); recommission-era crew 1951-1955
- Limitations
- Authoritative service history; contains no asbestos, insulation, or hazardous-material information. DANFS compresses the MARAD transfer as 'June 1966' while MARAD's own file records custody entry 1960-02-24 and title transfer 1960-06-30 - see ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-03/-04/-05 for the disposal-record conflict. DANFS text ends coverage at 1974.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-01
-
[2]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Sarasota (LPA-204) ex APA-204 page (campaign/medal tables, commanding officer list, specifications, MARAD-derived disposition transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 10/03/03204, campaign/awards/specification/disposition blocks, CO table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource compiles official-derived data for this hull: TransRon Fourteen / TransDiv Forty (flagship) assignment; campaign table (Lingayen Gulf landing 1945-01-09; Zambales-Subic Bay 1945-01-29 to 31; Okinawa Gunto 1945-04-01 to 22); Navy Occupation Service Medal periods (Asia 1945-09-02 to 28 and 1945-12-03 to 10; Europe 1952-01-24 to 05-08 and 1954-05-19 to 09-20); China Service Medal 1945-09-29 to 12-02; decommissioned 1946-08-05 at Mare Island NSY (differs from DANFS 1946-08-01 Stockton); Pacific Reserve Fleet Stockton Group; recommissioned 1951-02-03; decommissioned 1955-09-02 Charleston; Atlantic Reserve Fleet Charleston Group; MARAD custody 1960-02-24 James River NDRF Lee Hall VA; permanent transfer 1960-06-30; struck 1966-07-01; redesignated LPA-204 1969-01-01; final disposition: trade-out for scrapping 1983-08-01 to Waterman Steamship Corp. under Ship Exchange Contract, resold to Balbao Desquaces Maritimos for scrapping in Spain, removed 1983-11-15, scrapping completed 1984-04-25; complement listed 99 officers + 593 enlisted, troop accommodations 87 + 1,475.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1984
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled secondary archive quoting official sources (DANFS, MARAD status card, Navy photos, NVR); reliable for pointers but not itself a primary record. Decommission date (1946-08-05 Mare Island) conflicts with DANFS (1946-08-01 Stockton); TransDiv 'Forty' conflicts with DANFS 'Transport Division 8'. Complement breakdown (692 total) differs from DANFS cpl. 536 - likely different counting basis. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-02
-
[3]MARAD Vessel History database, SARASOTA (APA-204), Detail/4429 (milestones, fate, status-card scans held) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- MARAD vesselhistory Detail/4429, Milestones table and Status Cards section
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD's vessel-history record for SARASOTA (APA-204): builder Permanente Metals Corporation; MARAD type VC2-S-AP5; year built 1944; fate 'Scrapped'; milestones - Entry 1960-02-24, Acquisition 1960-06-30 ('MARAD took title'), Withdrawal 1983-11-15. Four status-card scans are held for the hull (image files; not text-indexed).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1960-1983
- Limitations
- Official MARAD record controlling the custody chain and scrapping outcome; the milestones table carries no event detail beyond dates, and the status-card scans are images not reviewed here (archival lead for condition/stowage notes). The 'Withdrawal' 1983-11-15 matches the NavSource removal date; the trade-out/exchange mechanics come from NavSource's status-card transcription, not this page. No asbestos or condition data on the public page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-03
-
[4]Naval Vessel Register, SARASOTA (APA 204) detail page, last updated 2001-04-16 (Wayback capture 2017-01-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR APA-204 detail page, Status block and Milestone Dates; Wayback capture 2017-01-06 of page last updated 2001-04-16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The NVR APA-204 entry records status 'Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise' with date status changed 11/01/1979 - i.e., a target-sinking disposition. It also carries UIC 01734, class APA 117, builder 'Permanite Metals Corp.', keel 1944-04-11, launch 1944-06-14, commission 1944-08-16, 455 ft, 62-ft beam, 24-ft draft, 6,873 lt / 14,837 fl tons, steel hull.
- Verification
- disputed
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2001 (entry), 1979/1983 (disputed events)
- Limitations
- DISPUTED/CORRECTED: the 1979 fleet-training-exercise disposal is contradicted by MARAD's vessel file (hull withdrawn 1983-11-15, fate 'Scrapped') and by contemporaneous Sarasota Herald-Tribune reporting placing the hull in the James River NDRF in November 1983. Treated as an NVR data-entry error and retained as a documented discrepancy; does not establish the ship was sunk.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-04
-
[5]Naval Vessel Register, SARASOTA (LPA 204) detail page, last updated 2007-03-05 (Wayback capture 2017-01-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR LPA-204 detail page, Status block and Milestone Dates; Wayback capture 2017-01-06 of page last updated 2007-03-05
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The NVR LPA-204 entry (ex-APA 204, class LPA 117, 'Amphibious Transport') records status 'Disposed of by MARAD exchange' with date status changed 05/01/1982; printed stricken date 07/01/1960; decommission date 09/02/1955; same physical characteristics as the APA-204 entry. The LPA-204 redesignation itself (1969-01-01) is corroborated by NavSource.
- Verification
- disputed
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2007 (entry), 1960/1982 (disputed dates)
- Limitations
- DISPUTED: the 05/01/1982 'MARAD exchange' date does not match MARAD's milestones (withdrawal 1983-11-15; trade-out 1983-08-01 per status-card transcription), and the printed stricken date 07/01/1960 conflicts with the 1966-07-01 stricken date carried by DANFS and NavSource - both appear to be NVR data errors on a disposed-hull record. Consistent with MARAD on the outcome (MARAD disposal), inconsistent on dates.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-05
-
[6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (Jan 1945), APA machinery table, APA-117 Haskell row (shipscribe.com scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 APA machinery table, Haskell (APA-117) row; NavSource APA-204 Propulsion block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 documents the class plant for the lead ship APA-117 Haskell: single Westinghouse geared steam turbine, 8,500 shp, two Babcock & Wilcox boilers, steam conditions 465 psi / 750 F - the standard VC2-S-AP5 machinery fit applicable to this hull. NavSource's APA-204 specification block lists the same plant (one Westinghouse geared turbine; two B&W header-type boilers 465 psi 750 F; double Westinghouse main reduction gears; single propeller, 8,500 shp).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Engine-room crew (machinist's mates, boilermen, enginemen) - class context
- Limitations
- Official class-level data read from the lead-ship row; applied to this hull as design/type data consistent with the NavSource hull spec block, but not a hull-specific machinery survey. Establishes the steam-plant configuration relevant to era insulation inference; contains no asbestos statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-06
-
[7]Class/era inference basis: BuShips Ships' Data 1945 VC2-S-AP5 plant (above) plus documented WWII shipbuilding practice; wartime federal allocation reserved asbestos for shipbuilding (see O'Brien record ev-ss-jeremiah-obrien-01 for the manual-era parallel) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 APA machinery table (design data); no hull-specific materials document located
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The documented class plant (two superheated B&W boilers at 465 psi/750 F, geared steam turbine, steam distribution to auxiliaries) is of the configuration and construction era (1944, wartime emergency yard) in which asbestos-containing thermal insulation, pipe lagging, gaskets, packing, and insulation felts were standard shipbuilding materials. No hull-specific material schedule, survey, or work order names this ship.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (construction); 1944-1955 (service)
- Population
- Construction trades (Richmond Yard No. 2, 1944); engineering crew 1944-1955
- Limitations
- INFERENCE, not ship-proven: derived from class machinery data and wartime construction practice, not from any document naming APA-204. Does not establish that asbestos was installed on this hull, its quantity, location, condition, or any abatement history; cannot support 'documented aboard this hull' wording.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-07
-
[8]CourtListener API v4 searches (authenticated, fleet-paced), 2026-09-25: 'USS Sarasota' type=o = 0 results; 'APA-204' type=o = 1 result (Philadelphia Citizens in Action v. Schweiker, 527 F. Supp. 182 (E.D. Pa. 1981), unrelated public-assistance case - string collision); 'LPA-204' type=o = 1 result (Catalyst Advisors Investors Global Inc. v. Catalyst Advisors L.P., Del. Super. 2024 - 'L.P.' collision); 'Sarasota asbestos' type=o = 32 results, all Florida-venue cases (county, condominium, premises defendants), none naming the vessel; docket search 'USS Sarasota'/'APA-204'/'LPA-204' = 16 fuzzy hits, none naming the vessel [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-sarasota-apa204-07 through -11
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming USS Sarasota (APA-204 / LPA-204) was located in CourtListener: zero opinions for the exact ship name; single 'APA-204' and 'LPA-204' hits are unrelated string collisions (a 1981 welfare-benefits case; a 2024 Delaware limited-partnership dispute); all 32 'Sarasota asbestos' hits are Florida-venue premises/county litigation with no vessel naming; docket search returned only fuzzy non-matches.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- CourtListener coverage is limited to its indexed corpora; absence of a docketed opinion does not prove no claim was ever filed (settled/unreported cases, MDL-875 pleading-stage vessel lists, and state filings may not surface). A name match is not an asbestos finding; no pleading-stage or trial-stage exposure finding exists for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-08
-
[9]California DTSC Site Cleanup Program, Kaiser Richmond Shipyard project page (Richmond Harbor Restoration Project; asbestos-containing materials documented in site soils/structures per the Atlas shipyard record ev-kaiser-shipyards-epa-01; DTSC Site ID 400137001); EPA Superfund profile PORT OF RICHMOND SHIPYARDS CAD981982432 [other_primary]
- Locator
- DTSC Kaiser Richmond Shipyard site-cleanup page; EPA cumulis profile CAD981982432
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The builder, Permanente Metals Corp. Yard No. 2, was one of the four Kaiser Richmond shipyards; the wartime Kaiser Richmond complex is a documented contaminated-site cleanup under California DTSC oversight with asbestos-containing materials recorded among site contaminants, and an EPA non-NPL Superfund profile exists for Port of Richmond Shipyards.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1940-1945 (operations); remediation era per DTSC/EPA
- Population
- Wartime construction workforce, Kaiser Richmond complex (site-level)
- Limitations
- Yard-level environmental record only - documents the construction-site context in which this hull was built; does NOT establish asbestos aboard the ship, hull-specific installation, or any exposure. DTSC page returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-09-25; content description follows the Atlas shipyard dataset record for kaiser-shipyards.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-09
-
[10]Batch-2276 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC, NavSource, NVR (x2 entries via Wayback), MARAD vesselhistory, CourtListener opinion search, VA/BVA decision search, NARA catalog, DTSC/EPA yard records [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-sarasota-apa204-01 through -15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazardous-material disclosure, material schedule, or docketed case naming USS Sarasota (APA-204/LPA-204) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The MARAD status-card scans for the hull exist but are unreviewed images.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 wartime steam auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing insulation. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-10
-
[11]Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Russ Nugent, 'Visitor Remembers USS Sarasota 1951 invasion of Lido Beach' (1983-11-28, pp. 1B/3B) and Mark Zaloudek, 'Ex-Sailors Won't Scrap Memories of Ship' (1988-07-04, p. 3BCE) - Google News archive scans [reputable_press]
- Locator
- news.google.com/newspapers nid=1755 dat=19831128 (Nugent, pp. 1B/3B); nid=1755 dat=19880704 (Zaloudek, p. 3BCE)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous local-press coverage of the namesake ship: the 1983-11-28 article describes the hull then still berthed in the James River National Defense Reserve Fleet under MARAD storage, and the 1988-07-04 article reports a Navy spokeswoman confirming the ship was sold for overseas scrapping in 1983 - both consistent with the MARAD withdrawal milestone (1983-11-15) and inconsistent with the NVR 'fleet training exercise' 1979 disposal entry.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1983, 1988
- Limitations
- Google News archive scan pages located but returned HTTP 429 to text fetch; article content characterization follows the scans' documented descriptions and is corroborated independently by the MARAD milestones record (ev-03). Press accounts are corroborating color, not primary disposal documents; does not itself establish scrapping dates.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sarasota-apa204-11