USS Suribachi (AE-21)

Evidence

17 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-17).

1. [1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS Suribachi' [court_record]

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener opinion search 'USS Suribachi' returned 1 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-suribachi-ae21-cl-name-opinion

2. [2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS Suribachi' [court_record]

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener docket search 'USS Suribachi' 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-suribachi-ae21-cl-name-docket

3. [3]CourtListener opinion search: 'AE-21' [court_record]

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener opinion search 'AE-21' returned 4006 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-suribachi-ae21-cl-hull-opinion

4. [4]CourtListener docket search: 'AE-21' [court_record]

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener docket search 'AE-21' returned 184164 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-suribachi-ae21-cl-hull-docket

5. [5]DANFS, 'Suribachi (AE-21)' (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, verbatim transcription via hazegray/losthistory mirror; live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-22) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS AE-21 entry, full narrative and spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Suribachi (AE-21): laid down 31 January 1955 at Sparrows Point, Md., by Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc.; launched 2 November 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Lemuel C. Shepherd; commissioned 17 November 1956, Capt. Brooks J. Harral in command. Shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay; NATO exercises Seaspray, Strikeback, Pipedown (Sep-Oct 1957) as Underway Replenishment Group flagship; east coast/Caribbean operations and a yard overhaul through 1958; extended 6th Fleet tour Nov 1958-May 1960 (Service Squadron 2 flagship during Operation Lantflex, June 1959); further Med deployments Feb-Aug 1961 and Aug 1962-spring 1963; then Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Baltimore, for conversion to a Fast Automatic Shuttle Transfer (FAST) ammunition ship, in commission in reserve, with a helicopter platform added on the fantail; returned to full commission at Norfolk 15 December 1965; operational evaluation of the FAST system with Dewey (DLG-14) off Mayport Mar-Apr 1966; four more Med cruises Jun 1966-Jun 1972. Transited the Panama Canal 16 June 1972 to join the Pacific Fleet; rearmed and refueled 7th Fleet combat units off South Vietnam mid-July 1972 - 8 Feb 1973 with brief port periods at Subic Bay, Hong Kong, and Sattahip; returned via Yokosuka, Pearl Harbor, and the Canal mid-March 1973; one further Med deployment Jan-Jun 1974; operating with the 2d Fleet as of March 1975 (entry's coverage ends there). Spec block: 17,450 t; 512 ft x 72 ft x 29 ft; 19 k; complement 329; armament 4 3-in guns; class SURIBACHI.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1955-1975

   Population

   Ship's company, 1956-1994

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, dates, and service narrative; transcription mirror used because the canonical NHHC page is unreachable (standing NHHC link-rot note, BATCH-01-REPORT). Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim. Narrative coverage ends March 1975; post-1975 service documented in other rows. Spec-block displacement (17,450 t) and complement (329) differ from NVR figures - logged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-01

6. [6]Naval Vessel Register (NAVSEA/NAVSHIPSO), SHIPSDETAIL_AE_21 - live page returns site chrome only to automated fetch (detail table is script-rendered); Wayback Machine capture of the official page used [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR AE-21 detail page: vessel status, milestone dates, physical characteristics, program characteristics blocks; Comments field (Wayback capture 20240624052410)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Naval Vessel Register detail page for SURIBACHI (AE 21), Ammunition Ship, class AE 21, UIC 08821: status 'Disposed of by Navy title transfer to the Maritime Administration,' date status changed 03/31/2000; builder Bethlehem Steel Corp.; milestones - award 06/04/1954, keel 01/31/1955, launch 11/02/1955, delivery 11/01/1956, commission 11/17/1956, decommission 12/02/1994, stricken 12/12/1996. Characteristics: 511 ft overall / 486 ft waterline; beam 72 ft; max navigational draft 28 ft / draft limit 29 ft; light displacement 9,758 t, full 15,688 t; deadweight 5,930 t; steel hull and superstructure; one propeller; propulsion type 'Steam Turbines'; accommodations 20 officers / 324 enlisted. Register comment: 'MARAD SOLD SURIBACHI, AE 21 ON 8 JUN 09 TO INTERNATIONAL SHIPBREAKING LTD OF BROWNSVILLE, TX FOR SHIP RECYCLING.' Page last updated 06/11/2009.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1954-2009

   Population

   Ship's company 1956-1994; NISMF/NDRF caretaker workforces 1994-2009

   Limitations

   Official Navy register - authoritative for milestones, status, and listed characteristics. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. NVR's '8 JUN 09' sale date conflicts with the MARAD milestone table's 'Scrap Sale 6/2/2009' - logged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-02

7. [7]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - SURIBACHI (AE-21), Ship History Detail 4722 (data block, milestone table, digitized status card 4722_10313AF, images index, documents tab) + MARAD press release MARAD 06-09 via maritime-executive.com [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 4722: characteristics block, Milestones tab, Status Cards tab (card 4722_10313AF), Images (62), Documents; MARAD 06-09 release reprint at maritime-executive.com/article/2009-06-25-james-river-fleet-ship-sold-recycling

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for SURIBACHI (AE-21), Detail 4722: year built 1956; shipyard Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding Division; 511.00 ft x 72.00 ft; 15,688 gross tons; lightweight displacement 9,758 t; MARAD type Military; fate 'Sold - Scrap.' Milestones: Entry/Acquisition 12/14/1999 'Title to MARAD f/scrap'; Acquisition 3/31/2000 'MARAD accepted title'; Interim Movement 3/31/2000; Scrap Sale 6/2/2009 'Vessel sold for dismantlement to International Ship Breaking of Brownsville, TX'; Withdrawal 6/17/2009. The record's digitized status card (Suribachi/Kilauea class reference card) lists AE-21 laid down 31 Jan 1955, launched 2 Nov 1955, completed 2 Nov 1956; class figures 7,470 t light / 10,000 t standard / 17,500 t full load; 488.5 pp / 512 oa x 72 x 29 max; steam turbines, 1 shaft, 16,000 hp = 21 knots; complement 316 (18 officers, 298 men); armament 8-3in/50cal AA (4 twin); and notes the class's FAST modernization ('Suribachi and Haleakala were the first of this class to be modernised'). Attached document: Suribachi-Class Booklet of General Plans (image-only scan). The 62 attached images are Bethlehem builder's photographs (Nov 1956 delivery-series cargo-handling views), not hazmat records. MARAD press release MARAD 06-09 (reprinted by maritime-executive.com) records the James River Reserve Fleet layup at Newport News, Va., the $20,001 purchase price by International Shipbreaking Ltd., and tentative departure July 2, 2009.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1955-2009

   Population

   NDRF caretaker workforce 2000-2009; International Shipbreaking dismantlement workforce 2009

   Limitations

   Primary government custody record - authoritative for MARAD custody milestones, the James River layup, sale, and withdrawal. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; the status card is a fleet-reference card (construction dates, characteristics, FAST-modernization note), not a hazmat document; supports no asbestos claim. 'Completed 2 Nov 1956' on the card vs NVR commission 17 Nov 1956 - completion vs commission distinction noted. Sale date 6/2/2009 (milestone) vs 8 Jun 2009 (NVR comment/press accounts) - logged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-03

8. [8]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Suribachi (AE 21) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, SCB/BuShips records, NARA RG 19 Entry P 62, and Miller 1996) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AE-21 class page: class data block, construction and disposition tables, class notes, ship notes (AE-21 line)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation (shipscribe.com, compiled from Navy registers, SCB/BUSHIPS files, and NARA RG 19 Entry P 62 boxes 6-7 and 94, plus Miller, 'Designing the U.S. Navy's Underway Replenishment System,' NSWC Port Hueneme 1996): Suribachi class (AE 21), SCB Project No. 114 - purpose-built ammunition ships developed inside the BUSHIPS Hull Design Branch from 1952 on the AF-58 hull/machinery baseline; approved characteristics promulgated 7 Jan 1953; contract drawings and specifications signed 12 May 1953; Bethlehem Steel received the design-services award 21 Oct 1953; late contract-design change from transverse to longitudinal framing (Dec 1953-Jan 1954). AE-21 line: ordered 4 Jun 1954; keel 31 Jan 1955; launched 2 Nov 1955; commissioned 17 Nov 1956. FAST conversion: SCB 232.63, ordered 21 Jun 1963, Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock, Baltimore, start 1 Apr 1964, completed 15 Dec 1965 (recommissioned). Class notes document that trials of Suribachi in November 1957 showed bridge visibility blocked by the centerline bow mounts, leading to athwartships guns on the later three ships. Disposition: decommissioned 2 Dec 1994; stricken 12 Dec 1996; to MA custody 14 Dec 1999; departed MA custody 17 Jun 2009 under sales contract with International Shipbreakers LLC of Brownsville, TX.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1952-2009

   Population

   Ship's company; Bethlehem Sparrows Point construction workforce (1955-56); Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock FAST-conversion workforce (1964-65)

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official register and design records, not the registers themselves; figures used where consistent with NVR/DANFS/MARAD. Names this hull with construction, conversion, and disposition dates. Contains no asbestos information; FAST-conversion details describe function, not materials.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-04

9. [9]USS Suribachi (AE-21), U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, August 1962, Vol. 88/8/714 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Proceedings Aug 1962 ship profile: propulsion-plant and characteristics paragraphs (text via search-index verbatim excerpt; usni.org returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Contemporaneous ship description published while Suribachi was in early service: USNI Proceedings, August 1962, Vol. 88/8/714 - quotes the General Description in 'Specifications for Construction of an Ammunition Ship AE21-22, Department of the Navy, Bureau of Ships, 12 May 1953' and describes this hull's plant: 'a single screw, driven by geared steam turbine with steam supplied from two Combustion Engineering, Inc., 675 psi boilers, which are two-drum, bent-tube, single-furnace, forced-draft type with economizer, superheater, and internal desuperheater featuring automatic combustion control. Electrical power is furnished by three General Electric impulse type Turbo-Generators. This plant produces a normal shaft horsepower of 12,500 with a resultant sustained sea speed of 18.5 knots for a cruising radius of approximately 10,000 miles.' Overall length 512 ft, beam 72 ft, max draft 28 ft, loaded displacement 17,400 t.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1953-1962

   Population

   Ship's company, 1962 profile date

   Limitations

   Contemporaneous professional-press ship profile quoting the 1953 BuShips construction specification - ship-specific machinery detail. The article prints keel 31 January 1954 / launched 2 November 1954 - one-year-early typos contradicted by NVR, DANFS, MARAD, and shipscribe (all 1955); flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; the boiler/turbine description supports era inference only. Does not establish what insulation was installed aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-05

10. [10]Voelker v. Alfa Laval, Inc. (In re Eighth Judicial Dist. Asbestos Litig.), 2015 NY Slip Op 32575(U), Index No. 801886/2013 (Sup. Ct. Erie County, Dec. 18, 2015) (Chimes, J.) - decision text via vLex case-law database (partial paywall); verdict and post-trial disposition corroborated by trial-counsel firm publications (Lipsitz Ponterio; Simon Greenstone Panatier, July 28, 2015) [court_record]

    Locator

    2015 NY Slip Op 32575(U): recital of ship service period and causation; verdict recital (July 23, 2015); additur analysis. Corroborating accounts: sgptrial.com verdict release (2015-07-28); lipsitzponterio.com case note (Dec 18, 2015 order - $600,000 conditional additur)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Tried and adjudicated asbestos case with this hull in the factual record: Voelker v. Alfa Laval, Inc. (In re Eighth Judicial District Asbestos Litigation), Index No. 801886/2013, N.Y. Supreme Court, Erie County (8th Jud. Dist.), Justice Deborah A. Chimes - 2015 NY Slip Op 32575(U) (Dec. 18, 2015), NYSCEF Doc. No. 576. The order recites that William R. Voelker's mesothelioma 'was caused by exposure to asbestos which occurred, for purposes of this motion, during Mr. Voelker's service in the United States Navy, aboard the USS Chukawan from January 1968 to October, 1968 and the USS Suribachi from October 1968 to early 1971.' At trial (opened July 10, 2015; John Crane Inc. sole remaining defendant of 50+ originally sued), the jury's July 23, 2015 verdict found: decedent was exposed to asbestos from the use of a product manufactured and/or sold by John Crane; John Crane was negligent in manufacturing, selling or supplying a product without adequate warning; that negligence was a substantial factor in causing Voelker's injury; John Crane was held 100% responsible. Award: $250,000 past pain and suffering; $422,445.35 stipulated past medical expenses; $500,000 stipulated future lost wages; $250,000 loss of consortium (~$1.42M total). Post-trial order of Dec 18, 2015: plaintiff's additur motion granted conditionally (verdict set aside unless defendant stipulated to increase past-pain-and-suffering to $600,000); defendant's cross-motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict denied (plaintiff counsel's professional biography records the JNOV opposition as successful on choice-of-law grounds). Trial evidence per contemporaneous accounts: Voelker, enlisted 1967-1971, performed routine maintenance of asbestos-containing boilers and associated equipment and worked with and around pumps, valves and compressors containing asbestos gaskets and packing (John Crane products).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1968-1971 (exposure period); 2013-2015 (litigation)

    Population

    William R. Voelker (U.S. Navy enlisted, aboard USS Suribachi Oct 1968 - early 1971); mesothelioma, diagnosed Aug 2013, died Dec 25, 2013

    Limitations

    Litigation-stage discipline applied: this is a TRIAL finding - the jury found asbestos exposure from John Crane products during Navy service aboard the two hulls named (USS Chukawan Jan-Oct 1968; USS Suribachi Oct 1968-early 1971), and the verdict survived post-trial motions. It is not allocated ship-by-ship: the verdict does not state which exposures occurred aboard Suribachi versus Chukawan, and the court's ship list is a recital of the service period 'for purposes of this motion.' The slip opinion is unpublished (Miscellaneous-unreported, '(U)') but is a docketed order (NYSCEF Doc. 576). No appellate review located; the additur increased the pain-and-suffering award conditionally, not the exposure finding. Press/firm accounts of trial testimony (boiler maintenance, gaskets and packing) are corroborating detail, not the order's own findings; the precise products aboard this hull attributable to John Crane are not enumerated in the located text. Does not establish presence or quantity of asbestos aboard generally, exposure of any other individual, or legal eligibility for others.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-06

11. [11]Naval Historical Center FAQ 'Grenada: Operation Urgent Fury (23 October - 21 November 1983)' (faq95-1.htm; live page unavailable - Wayback Machine capture used) [nhhc_danfs]

    Locator

    NHC FAQ 95-1, task-group composition paragraph naming AE-21

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    NHHC official FAQ on Operation Urgent Fury names this hull in the assault task group: 'Out of sight in the darkness, the USS Independence (CV-62) task group, including USS Richmond K. Turner (CG-20), USS Coontz (DDG-40), USS Caron (DD-970), USS Moosbrugger (DD-980), USS Clifton Sprague (FFG-16) and USS Suribachi (AE-21), steamed into position off the coast of Grenada' (operation 23 Oct - 21 Nov 1983). Secondary accounts (NavSource; Wikipedia) describe Suribachi diverted en route from NWS Earle, Leonardo, N.J., to Guantanamo refresher training into the Independence task group as the operation's only ammunition ship, with Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal awarded - plausible but unverified against an official source.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1983

    Population

    Ship's company during October-December 1983 Grenada service

    Limitations

    Official Navy historical-office page naming this hull in the Urgent Fury task group - documents an operation, not materials or conditions aboard. Contains no asbestos information. The 'only ammunition ship' and medal details come from secondary sources and are flagged as unverified.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-07

12. [12]Naval Historical Center, Online Library of Selected Images, 'USN Ships - USS Suribachi (AE-21)' (ibiblio HyperWar mirror of history.navy.mil photo page NH 97245-97249) [nhhc_danfs]

    Locator

    NHC AE-21 photo page: ship summary paragraph and photo captions (NH 97248, NH 97249-KN)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Naval Historical Center Online Library page for USS Suribachi (AE-21) records: Atlantic Fleet assignment with frequent Mediterranean deployments; 1963 modernization with FAST underway-replenishment gear and helicopter deck; one Far East deployment 1972-73 supporting Vietnam operations; 'in the Summer of 1990 she steamed to the Persian Gulf area to participate in Operation Desert Shield'; decommissioned December 1994; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register two years later; at page-writing time 'still in Navy custody, at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.' Photo captions include NH 97249-KN - 'Transiting the Suez Canal, en route to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Desert Shield, 8 August 1990' (official U.S. Navy photograph by PH3 Frank A. Marquart) - and NH 97248 noting her guns removed by 30 November 1989 (alongside USS Abraham Lincoln, Atlantic UNREP).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1990; 1994-2000

    Population

    Ship's company during 1990 Desert Shield deployment; NISMF caretaker workforce

    Limitations

    Official Navy historical-office content (verbatim mirror of NHC page) - documents Desert Shield deployment and post-strike NISMF Philadelphia layup. Contains no asbestos information. The page's present-tense custody statement reflects its writing date (pre-MARAD-transfer, ~1999-2000).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-08

13. [13]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 1825336 (26 Apr 2018), docket no. 14-14 953 [court_record]

    Locator

    BVA decision: issues list; remand item 5 (Agent Orange verification aboard USS Suribachi)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    A docketed Board of Veterans' Appeals decision names this hull on a non-asbestos issue: Citation Nr. 1825336 (decision 26 Apr 2018, docket 14-14 953; Atlanta RO). A veteran with active service August 1967-August 1971 claimed service connection for prostate cancer on a herbicide theory - 'he was exposed to Agent Orange while onboard the USS Suribachi (AE21); he claimed to have handled ammunition supply on ships deployed to Vietnam which exposed him to herbicides.' The Board remanded, inter alia, for verification of the claimed Agent Orange exposure via JSRRC and a formal finding - unadjudicated on that issue. No asbestos or respiratory claim appears in the decision.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1967-1971 (service); 2005-2018 (adjudication)

    Population

    One veteran claimant alleging 1967-71 service aboard

    Limitations

    NOT an asbestos claim - classified 'other litigation' per batch litigation-stage discipline; carried because it is a docketed record naming this hull and documents a claimant's 1967-71-era service aboard. The herbicide claim was remanded for verification - unadjudicated; the decision neither verifies service aboard nor any exposure. Establishes no asbestos fact.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-09

14. [14]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 0529444 (2 Nov 2005), docket no. 99-07 400 [court_record]

    Locator

    BVA decision: remand section (January 2004 records-request recital naming USS Suribachi)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    A second docketed Board of Veterans' Appeals decision references this hull in a records context: Citation Nr. 0529444 (decision 2 Nov 2005, docket 99-07 400; Oakland RO). In a January 2004 statement the veteran requested that 'records/ships logs from the USS Suribachi (AE21), now decommissioned' be obtained, among other records (Monmouth County arrest records 1980-84; drug/alcohol treatment records from a Rota, Spain facility dated 1980-82). The Board remanded the PTSD-related claim for records development. No asbestos, respiratory, or exposure issue appears in the decision.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    2005 (decision); service period referenced ~1980-82

    Population

    One veteran claimant

    Limitations

    NOT an asbestos claim - classified 'other litigation'; the hull appears only in the claimant's records-request list (alongside 1980-82 Rota items, suggesting a ~1980s service connection). A records request is not an adjudication of service aboard and establishes no asbestos fact.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-10

15. [15]Franke, K., and Paustenbach, D., 'Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: A state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970),' Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20 (2011), PMID 22200078 + documented machinery/construction data (ev-02, ev-04, ev-05) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Inhalation Toxicology 23(sup3):1-20, 1930-1959 and 1960-1970 analysis blocks

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    As completed (1956), Suribachi's propulsion was a geared-steam-turbine plant with two boilers and a single screw, with associated steam piping - machinery of a type and era for which the U.S. Navy specified asbestos-containing thermal insulation, gaskets, and packing. Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that the Navy required and used asbestos-containing materials aboard ships throughout the period spanning this hull's design (1952-53), construction (1955-56), and entire service life (1956-1994) - the analysis blocks covering 1930-1959 and 1960-1970 - and that naval ships carried amosite and chrysotile insulating materials extensively from the late nineteenth century well into the 1950s and beyond. The hull additionally underwent documented maintenance/conversion events of the kind that disturb installed materials: the 1958 yard overhaul (DANFS), the 1963-65 FAST conversion at Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock (in commission in reserve), and routine repair availabilities across 38 years of service.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1955-1994

    Population

    Bethlehem Sparrows Point construction workforce (1955-56); ship's company and conversion/overhaul workforces (1956-1994)

    Limitations

    Era/program-level scholarship combined with this hull's documented steam plant - establishes that asbestos-containing insulation was Navy-standard practice in Suribachi's design, construction, and service era, NOT that a survey or record confirms asbestos aboard this specific hull beyond the Voelker record (ev-06). No hull-specific insulation specification, survey, or removal record was located; the listed yard events are documented work on the hull whose asbestos scope is inference, not record. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure for others, or causation.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-11

16. [16]Batch-488 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live 404; mirror used); NVR (live script-rendered; Wayback capture); MARAD ShipHistory 4722 + digitized status card + plans booklet; shipscribe class data; NHHC Command Operation Reports (own-ship reports not digitized; sister-ship 1983 report names this hull); SECNAV FOIA reading room (WAF-blocked); vLex slip opinion; VA BVA decisions index; CourtListener API/web (rate-limited/blocked); Google Scholar; general web index; asbestos trust ship-list check; NARA catalog [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-suribachi-ae21-01 through sl-uss-suribachi-ae21-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Aside from the Voelker verdict (ev-06), no ship-specific asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or additional adjudicated exposure finding naming USS Suribachi or hull AE-21 was located in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was sold for dismantlement in 2009, after documentation-era practices began, but no MARAD sale-contract hazmat annex or shipyard disposal survey for this hull surfaced in the public record. The litigation surface located consists of the Voelker trial finding plus two non-asbestos BVA decisions. Direct CourtListener API searching on 2026-09-22 was rate-limit blocked (HTTP 429, shared 2,800/day quota, ~66-min reset window exceeded during session); the CourtListener web UI returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch; secondary web-index and Google Scholar searches returned the Voelker order, name collisions (Mount Suribachi/Iwo Jima battle and geology literature), and law-firm marketing ship lists (excluded source class).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    2026-09-22

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public survey does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1955-56 steam auxiliary in service to 1994 is era-consistent with asbestos-containing insulation, and the Voelker verdict establishes asbestos product exposure during 1968-71 service. The litigation check is partial: CourtListener's index could not be queried directly (throttled at collection time) and the negative rests on vLex, Google Scholar, the VA BVA index, and secondary web indexes; a re-run of CourtListener 'USS Suribachi' / 'AE-21' queries remains an open step. 'Suribachi' is a moderate-collision name (Iwo Jima volcano/battle literature) - name matches were classified individually. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-12

17. [17]MARAD ShipHistory Detail 4722 documents tab (Suribachi-Class Booklet of General Plans.pdf, retrieved and inspected); NARA catalog (catalog.archives.gov) digitized RG 19-NN 'AE-21 Suribachi' still-picture items; NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 24/RG 19 record-group descriptions; NHHC Command Operation Reports collection [other_primary]

    Locator

    MARAD documents/773c9e28-bbb7-409f-b9d8-299113eac806.pdf (image-only); catalog.archives.gov query 'Suribachi' (20+ AE-21 still-picture items); archives.gov RG 24/19 guides; NHHC command-operation-reports collection

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival material located and leads not retrieved: (retrieved) the Suribachi-Class Booklet of General Plans attached to this hull's MARAD record (Detail 4722 documents tab, PDF 773c9e28) - an image-only scan of the class general plans reflecting the FAST-conversion configuration; programmatic text extraction confirms no text layer, so no asbestos/insulation annotation is retrievable from it. (Located, digitized) NARA catalog lists 20+ digitized Bureau of Ships still photographs of this hull (RG 19-NN series, 'AE-21 Suribachi,' e.g., naId-bearing items 6927598-6927631, Box 1534) - builder/construction-era photographs, not materials records. (Not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs for this hull; the ship's own command histories - none located digitized at NHHC's Command Operation Reports collection; NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) SCB-114 design files (the ship-design compilation cites Entry P 62 boxes 6-7 and 94); Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock records for the 1963-65 FAST conversion; International Shipbreaking Ltd. dismantlement records for the 2009 scrapping (TCEQ/EPA NESHAP-era documentation is the disposal-period lead).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1952-2009 records

    Limitations

    Repository mapping plus retrieved documents - the plans booklet is a class-level (AE-21) general-arrangement document, image-only; the digitized NARA items are photographs, not materials surveys. Existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-suribachi-ae21-13