Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 630-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-sumner-county-lst1148-pkt-630-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Sumner County (LST-1148) - updated Robert J. Cressman, 5 March 2024 (construction, WWII occupation duty, Korea service, 1955 naming, Vietnam service, inactivation and disposal) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Sumner County (LST-1148) entry, full narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 15 February 1945 by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, Ill.; launched 22 May 1945; sponsored by Mrs. H. M. Fay; commissioned 9 June 1945, Lt. Richard Goodhart, USCGR, in command. Shakedown Galveston Bay 19 June-1 July 1945; New Orleans to Pacific via Panama Canal; Pearl Harbor 27 August; Buckner Bay 25 October; Sasebo 30 October; occupation-era cargo circuit Okinawa/Saipan; San Pedro 30 January 1946; inactivated at Astoria and placed in reserve, out of commission, 11 May 1946, berthed Columbia River. Recommissioned 3 October 1950 at Astoria; two Far East tours operating between Japanese ports and Inchon, Koje Do, Sokcho-Ri, and Pusan; three-month San Francisco overhaul early 1952; Mare Island Naval Shipyard 23 November 1953 - 2 February 1954; evacuated 3,000+ refugees Haiphong to Tourane 29 August - 24 September 1954; named Sumner County 1 July 1955 for counties in Kansas and Tennessee; Operation Tradewinds and Kodiak voyage 1957; San Diego overhaul January-February 1958; HIRAN project Marshall Islands early 1959; Operation Totem Pole Kodiak November 1959; Bureau of Ships project Alaska June-July 1963; Danang 16 August 1965 supporting Coast Guard patrol boats on Operation Market Time; coastal cargo shuttle; broached at Tuy Hoa 20 January 1966, drydocked Sasebo 8-24 February 1966; MAG-15/MAG-17 lifts and Danang-Chu Lai shuttle 1966; final WestPac 7 May - 24 December 1968 shuttling Danang to Tan My and Cua Viet. Decommissioned 9 October 1969 at Orange, Texas, Atlantic Reserve Fleet; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 15 September 1974; disposed of by Navy sale for non-transportation use to Frank Gantner of Newport, R.I.; utilized as a barge until February 2004, when derelict, and broken up for scrap. Earned six engagement stars for Vietnam War service. Spec block: dp. 3,960; l. 328'0"; b. 50'0"; dr. 11'2"; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 119; trp. 147; a. 8 40mm.; cl. LST-542.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-2004
- Population
- CB&I Seneca construction trades (1945); USCG crew (1945-46); Navy crew and embarked troops (1950-69); reserve-fleet caretakers Orange TX (1969-75); barge-period handlers and 2004 scrapping crews
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history only; contains no asbestos or material content. Entry is the detailed 2024-updated version; a shorter parallel DANFS entry under the hull number conflicts on launch date (23 vs 22 May) and award counts (see ev-02 and gaps). Buyer surname printed 'Gantner' here vs 'Ganter' in NavSource. The stricken-but-mothballed interval (Sep 1974 - Aug 1975 sale) reflects custody vs register status. Page verified live 2026-10-02 via render fetch; plain scripted GET returned 404 to this network - a blocking artifact, not link rot.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-01
-
[3]DANFS, LST-1148 (short-form hull entry) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-1148 short entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The parallel short-form DANFS entry under the hull number conflicts with the detailed entry on two points: launch date 'launched on 23 May 1945' (vs 22 May in the Sumner County entry and NavSource) and awards 'one battle star for the Korean War, and one award of the Meritorious Unit Commendation and 10 battle stars for the Vietnam War' (vs four Korean campaigns tabulated by NavSource, engagement-star codes K6/K8/K9 in the NHHC awards-manual listing, and 'six engagement stars' for Vietnam in the detailed entry). It also adds occupation duty 'until mid-December 1945' and prints the sponsor as 'Mrs. Helen M. Fay'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1969
- Limitations
- Documents intra-DANFS inconsistencies, not a material claim. Carried values: launch 22 May 1945 (detailed entry + NavSource concur); Vietnam six engagement stars (detailed entry + NavSource ribbon rack); Korean star count unresolved across sources (see gaps). Page verified live 2026-10-02 via render fetch; scripted GET 404s - blocking artifact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Sumner County (LST-1148) - designation timeline, WWII USCG manning, campaign tables, CO list, photo captions, disposal detail, specifications [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/161148.htm header block, awards list, campaign tables, CO list, photo captions, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ship-specific detail beyond DANFS: 'manned by a US Coast Guard crew during World War II'; WWII assignment LST Flotilla 34 / Group 102 / Division 203; occupation service 17 October - 12 December 1945; Korean War campaign table (Communist China Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall); Vietnam campaign table (Vietnam Defense; Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive Phase II; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive Phases IV-V); Combat Action Ribbon dated 25 June 1968; Meritorious Unit Commendation; 16-officer CO list including future flag officers (LTjg W. F. McCauley, later VADM; LT D. M. Jackson and LT R. C. Avrit, later RADM); caption-documented Mare Island drydocking and sandblasting January 1954, Naha Okinawa 16 February 1957, Danang 1965, Phan Rang January 1966, Cua Viet 2 July 1968, underway off Oahu 17 May 1968; final disposition - sold for non-commercial use 1 August 1975 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service to Frank Ganter, Newport, R.I., used as a barge until February 2004 when derelict and scrapped. Specifications: 1,625 lt / 4,080 fl; 328' x 50'; two GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, Falk main reduction gears, three 100 kW diesel-drive generators, twin screws 1,700 shp; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-2004
- Population
- Crew 1945-69; Mare Island yard trades January 1954; scrapping crews February 2004
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones track DANFS/NVR but conflicts exist (see gaps): buyer spelled 'Ganter' (DANFS 'Gantner'); the Korea campaign table labels the third column 'Korea, Summer-Fall 1953' while listing May-September 1952 dates; several table dates predate the ship's arrival in theater per DANFS. The 1975 DRMS sale predates asbestos-handling regulation and the 2004 scrapping postdates it, but no hazmat or material record for the breakup was located. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-03
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[5]NHHC online image collection, National Archives photograph USN 1132514 (PH3 R. Ferraro) - USS Sumner County (LST-1148) underway off Oahu, Hawaii [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC USN 1132514 catalog record (title, caption, accession/catalog numbers, creator)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC-cataloged NARA photograph of this hull underway off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, crew manning the rails - catalog metadata (accession USN, catalog USN 1132514, creator PH3 R. Ferraro, copyright owner National Archives). NavSource's caption dates the photo 17 May 1968, consistent with the opening transit of the ship's final 1968 WestPac deployment.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1968
- Population
- Crew photographed underway off Oahu (May 1968 per NavSource caption)
- Limitations
- Physical-presence documentation only; the NHHC catalog entry carries no photo date (17 May 1968 is NavSource's caption). No asbestos content. Page verified live 2026-10-02 via render fetch; scripted GET 404s - blocking artifact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-04
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[6]NARA Catalog - ~1,450 digitized file units for this hull, predominantly RG 24 monthly deck logs scanned under the Veterans Benefits Administration / Blue Water Navy Deck Log Project (sampled: NAID 284644087, 'Sumner County (LST-1148) - December 1960', 66 images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search 'LST-1148' (1,458 results, ~1,452 flagged available online); file unit NAID 284644087
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The National Archives Catalog holds this hull's deck logs as digitized monthly file units - sampled units span at least October 1956 through October 1969 (the decommissioning month is itself scanned). The scans were produced under the VA Blue Water Navy Deck Log Project, i.e., they exist online because the records support Vietnam-era veterans' claims research. The logs document daily operations, availabilities, and personnel - the primary source for reconstructing yard periods and any material-removal events.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1956-1969 (sampled coverage)
- Population
- Crew and yard trades documented in logs (1956-69 sampled span)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: file-unit pages verified live (catalog search + December 1960 unit), but the log contents were not read - deck logs record operations and availabilities, not asbestos work packages. Coverage boundaries were sampled, not enumerated; pre-1956 coverage (WWII, first Korea tour) was not confirmed in this pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block (LST-542 class); NavSource specifications (2x GM 12-567A diesels, no steam plant); LST-1-series class profile (BuShips SD-1945 v2 LST-542 design grouping, 2x GM 12-567A); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (see ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block; NavSource specifications block; lst-1-class class profile (design grouping); GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 1945-built LST-542-class diesel tank landing ship sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a diesel amphib of this type and period were thermal insulation in machinery spaces, diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, deck covering, and brake linings on winches and windlass. As a diesel ship she carried no steam propulsion plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-2004
- Population
- CB&I Seneca construction trades (1945); crew and embarked troops (1945-69); yard trades at San Francisco 1952, Mare Island 1953-54, San Diego 1958, Sasebo 1966; 1975 DRMS disposal and 2004 scrapping crews
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, or work package located for LST-1148. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-06
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[8]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 entire construction (1945) and service career (1945-46, 1950-69) and her reserve-fleet layup (1969-74).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- 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 returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, confirmed 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description, same standing defect as prior batches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-07
-
[9]Navy Department Library (NHHC), Navy-Marine Corps Awards Manual (rev. 1953) - ships eligible for the Korean Service Medal, 'LST 1148 (Sumner County)' row [other_primary]
- Locator
- ships-l.html, 'LST 1148 (Sumner County)' table row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official awards listing for this hull: Korean Service Medal eligibility windows 21 Mar-23 Nov 51; 8 Oct 52-18 Apr 53; 26 Apr-27 Jul 54, with engagement-star dates 20 Oct-3 Nov 51 (K6), 4-17 Jan 53 and 11-14 Feb 53 (K9), 14-20 Mar 53 (K8) - the authoritative engagement-code record for her Korean War service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1951-1954
- Population
- Crew during Korean War eligibility windows (1951-54)
- Limitations
- Medal/engagement eligibility record only, no asbestos content. The manual predates the ship's naming - the row is keyed by hull number with the later name in parentheses. Engagement-star granularity differs from NavSource's four-campaign table and DANFS's 'one battle star' - the count conflict is carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-08
-
[10]Batch-6637 search ledger (this record): CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweeps (type=o completed; type=r fleet-paced, not completed); secondary web litigation sweep [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum/registry material record, or docketed case naming USS Sumner County / LST-1148 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion sweeps: '"LST-1148"' returned zero results; '"Sumner County" asbestos' returned seven opinions, all geographic name collisions (Sumner County TN/KS matters - e.g., Thompson v. Southland Constructors, Tenn. Ct. App. 2020; Hernandez v. Pistotnik, Kan. Ct. App. 2021; Wheeler v. Boyer, Kan. 1933), none naming the vessel. CAVEAT: CourtListener docket-index (type=r) sweeps could not be completed - the fleet-paced request budget was spent across repeated attempts this session; logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (e.g., a landing-ships listicle asserting asbestos aboard tank landing ships generally) - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and the docket-index search is a genuine open gap (paced, not run). Digitized deck logs (ev-05), CB&I Seneca build records, DRMS disposal file, and any 2004 scrapping contract are open leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-sumner-county-lst1148-09