USS Uvalde (AKA-88)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - cargo ships, attack (AKA) section, per-hull rows for UVALDE AKA-88 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AKA tables (dimensions; limiting-displacement/accommodations; machinery; armament/cargo; construction) + ship index + M.C. hull cross-index (PDF text-verified; OCR columnar, cross-checked vs DANFS/shipscribe/NavSource)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official wartime BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for UVALDE (ex-M.C. Hull 1188), AKA 88: length 459'2" overall / 435'0" waterline; beam 63'0"; trial speed 16.5 knots; trial displacement 13,910 tons; limiting displacement 14,200 tons; tons-per-inch immersion 50; limiting draft 26'4"; personnel 36 officers + 330 enlisted; largest boom capacity 30 tons; machinery 1 G.E. turbine, 6,000 shp, 2 C.E. (Combustion Engineering) header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F; armament 1 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm; non-refrigerated cargo column reads 440,000 cu ft; builder Moore D.D. Co., Oakland, Calif.; acquired and first commissioned 18 Aug 1944; year built 1944. Ship index and M.C. hull cross-index entries name 'Uvalde (ex-M.C. Hull 1188) AKA88.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   Construction and conversion workforce at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland (1944); Terminal Island post-shakedown availability workforce (1944); wartime crew and embarked troops

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, machinery plant, manning, builder, and commissioning date. OCR of the scanned columnar tables is partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS, shipscribe, and NavSource (garbled adjacent columns not asserted). Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-01

2. [2]DANFS, 'Uvalde (AKA-88)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (updated by Robert J. Cressman, 2021-02-04; live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20251209090339) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + spec block (Wayback capture 20251209090339 of the 2021-02-04 Cressman update)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC records: projected as the C2-S-B1 cargo vessel Wild Pigeon; laid down 27 Mar 1944 under Maritime Commission contract (M.C. Hull 1188) at Oakland, Calif., by Moore Dry Dock Co.; launched 20 May 1944, sponsored by Mrs. George J. Kean; commissioned 18 Aug 1944, Lt. Cmdr. William M. McCloy, USNR. Spec block: displacement 13,910 (trial); 459'3" x 63'0" x 26'4" (limiting); 16.5 knots; complement 366; armament 1 x 5-inch, 8 x 40mm, 18 x 20mm; class Andromeda; type C2-S-B1. Service: shakedown San Pedro/San Diego with Appling (APA-58); Terminal Island availability to 10 Oct 1944; Manus 6 Nov - witnessed the Mount Hood (AE-11) explosion (entry reads 'at 0820 on 11 November' - the established loss date is 10 Nov 1944, discrepancy logged in gaps) and sent medical assistance; Milne Bay/Oro Bay Sixth Army cargo; Lingayen Gulf assault 11 Jan 1945 (TG 77.9, first wave 0925) under kamikaze attack; Biak/Mindoro (TG 78.5); Okinawa 1-9 Apr 1945 - at 0559 on 3 Apr her gunners downed a suicider attacking Latimer (APA-152), official credit; Everett, Wash., drydocking and repairs 16-28 Jul 1945; at sea 14 Aug 1945 when the war ended; occupation and China service; Korean War shuttle operations (Sasebo/Yokosuka/Oakland; Sokcho Ri, Paengyong Do Mar 1952; Pohang May 1953); Mare Island repairs/alterations Jan-Apr 1951 and Dec 1952-mid-Feb 1953; Yokosuka drydock Nov 1952; Operation Passage to Freedom at Tourane Bay, French Indochina, 28 Aug-10 Sep 1954; mothballed 1957; to MarAd custody at Suisun Bay 10:15 a.m. 7 Jan 1960; permanently transferred to MarAd midnight 30 Jun 1960; stricken 1 Jul 1960; Berlin Emergency - permanently transferred back to the Navy at Suisun Bay 8:00 a.m. 3 Aug 1961, reinstated 1 Sep 1961, recommissioned 18 Nov 1961, Capt. Charles A. Baldwin; Atlantic Fleet/PhibLant, Norfolk homeport Feb 1962; attached to PhibRon 10, 22 Oct-5 Dec 1962, supporting the Fleet during the Cuban Missile Crisis quarantine; 6th Fleet deployment Feb-mid May 1963; Caribbean PhibRon 8 to late Feb 1964; Caribbean Jun-Sep 1964 incl. Exercise Steel Pike I (Gran Canaria/Tenerife); New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, repairs and alterations 7 Jan-28 Apr 1965; Dominican Republic 'bulk fuel control ship' 18-28 Jun 1965; second Mediterranean deployment (PhibRon 10, TF 61) autumn 1965-mid Mar 1966; rescue assistance to Danish merchantman Chilean Reefer mid-Atlantic Mar 1966; Mediterranean deployment Apr-Aug 1967; declared 'unfit for further service,' replaced by a Charleston (AKA-113)-class ship; decommissioned and stricken 1 Dec 1968; transferred permanently to MarAd at Little Creek 26 Jun 1969 and simultaneously sold for scrapping to Peck Iron & Metal Co., Inc., for $52,008.42, purchaser taking delivery at Norfolk 9:26 a.m. 22 Jul 1969. Awarded one battle star for WWII (Okinawa Gunto, 1-9 Apr 1945) and three for the Korean War.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1969

   Limitations

   Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for identity, service history, custody chain, and disposal detail. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text. Internal defect: the Mount Hood explosion is dated '11 November' in this entry vs the established 10 Nov 1944 loss date (NHHC's own AE-11 entry; the ship's 1968 decommissioning program) - logged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-02

3. [3]Board of Veterans' Appeals, Citation Nr. 0925943 (decided 2009-07-10; docket 06-11 072; appeal from VA RO Waco, Texas) [court_record]

   Locator

   BVA decision 0925943 - Introduction (service dates); Reasons and Bases (February 2005 memorandum recital, sleeping-quarters and pipe-removal allegations, decommissioning-removal allegation); concession paragraph ('it is conceded that the Veteran was likely exposed to asbestos during service'); Finding of Fact; Order (denial)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Official VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decision naming this hull: the veteran served on active duty in the U.S. Navy June 1955-June 1958; his February 2005 memorandum states that his duties aboard USS Uvalde AKA-88 as a Seaman Boatswain's Mate required him to scrape, wire-brush, and paint with lead-based paint ('read lead' prime coat, 'Haze or Battleship Grays' finish, spray paints; no gloves, respirators, or masks; brushes cleaned in turpentine). He maintained that his top-tier (fourth) bunk was within 30 inches of eight asbestos-covered steam pipes in his sleeping quarters, that he participated in removal of asbestos coverings on steam pipes without respiratory protection, and that he was exposed to asbestos when his ship was decommissioned, 'at which time, the asbestos was removed and replaced' - consistent with Uvalde's January 1958 decommissioning inside his service window. The Board wrote: 'it is conceded that the Veteran was likely exposed to asbestos during service' and found no reason to doubt his statements regarding proximity and duration. The claim - service connection for bladder cancer and prostate cancer claimed as secondary to asbestos and lead-based-paint exposure - was DENIED: the claimed cancers are not among the asbestos-associated pulmonary diseases and no nexus was shown.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   Service 1955-1958; claim history 2005-2009; decision 2009-07-10

   Population

   One Navy veteran claimant, Seaman Boatswain's Mate aboard AKA-88 (service June 1955-June 1958)

   Limitations

   Stage discipline: a VA benefits adjudication, not a tort finding - exposure was conceded under the benefit-of-the-doubt standard at the service level (the decision does not separately find that the asbestos described was aboard AKA-88 versus another duty station, though the veteran's own statements attribute it to this hull and his stated service window matches her final active period). It establishes that one claimant's credited account describes asbestos-covered steam-pipe lagging and its removal aboard this ship; it is not a hull survey, establishes no material inventory, no exposure for other crew, no causation, and the claim was denied on nexus grounds.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-03

4. [4]USS Uvalde (LKA-88) Decommissioning Program, Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Norfolk, Va., 29 November 1968 (official ceremony program; scanned copy hosted in the NavSource amphibious archive) [museum_official]

   Locator

   NavSource-hosted scan 02088b.pdf - cover, ship's history page, statistics block, schedule of events, CO roster, citations page

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The official decommissioning program (read verbatim from the scan): cover styles the ship 'U.S.S. UVALDE (LKA-88)'; ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Norfolk, Va., 29 November 1968 - 'Decommissioned LKA-88 29 November 1968'; VADM L. C. Heinz, Commander Amphibious Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet; CAPT R. S. Smith, commanding officer. Program ship's history: built by Moore Drydock Co., Oakland; acquired and renamed before commissioning for Uvalde County, Texas (home of former Vice President John Nance Garner); provided assistance after the Mount Hood (AE-11) explosion 'on 10 November 1944'; credited with downing a Japanese suicide plane attacking USS Latimer (APA-152) during the Okinawa assault on 3 April 1945; June 1945 drydock repairs at Everett, Wash.; February 1946 stateside yard overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard; Korean-conflict UN service; August 1954 Passage to Freedom operations ('600,000 Vietnamese civilians evacuated'); 'the first AKA to be re-activated for the Berlin Crisis' in November 1961; 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis 'American Blockade' component; 1964 PhibRon 8 standby during the Panamanian riots; Dominican Republic duty twice (bulk fuel control ship June 1965; withdrawal of American forces August 1966); four Mediterranean and three Caribbean deployments since 1961, returning from Mediterranean exercises August 1968. Program statistics: 459 ft overall, 63 ft beam, 16.5 knots, 26 ft limiting draft, complement 36 officers + 330 enlisted, armament four twin 40mm AA mounts. Full CO roster: commissioned 18 Aug 1944 (LCDR McCloy) through CAPT R. S. Smith ending 29 Nov 1968; 'DECOMMISSIONED 2 JANUARY 1958 / RECOMMISSIONED 18 NOVEMBER 1961.' Citations listed: Okinawa 1 star; Communist China Aggression 1 star; Second Korean Winter 1 star; Korea Summer-Fall 1953 1 star; Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia); China Service Medal (extended); UN Service Medal; Korean Service Medal; Korea PUC; State of Vietnam PUC; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1968

   Population

   Decommissioning-era crew and Atlantic Fleet amphibious personnel (1968)

   Limitations

   Official ceremony program - a period Navy document, but a summary rather than an operational record; details not in DANFS (the August 1966 Dominican withdrawal call, a fourth Mediterranean deployment returning August 1968, the Panama-riots standby) come only from this program and are carried as program-stated. Cover/roster 'LKA-88' styling predates the formal 1 Jan 1969 AKA-to-LKA reclassification (the ship was stricken 1 Dec 1968); sponsor printed 'Mrs. George J. Kern' vs DANFS 'Kean'; statistics block prints 'Standard Displacement 19,910 Tons,' inconsistent with every other source (13,910 trial) - not asserted. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-04

5. [5]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Andromeda (AKA-15) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AKA-15 class page: characteristics block, construction table, disposition table, class notes (9 Nov 1943 JCS program paragraph), ship notes (AKA-88 row)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the class tables: AKA-88 UVALDE, MC hull 1188 - acquired/commissioned 18 Aug 44, keel 27 Mar 44, launched 20 May 44, builder Moore DD, Oakland. Disposition row: decommissioned 29 Nov 68, struck 1 Dec 68, disposal 26 Jun 69, fate MA/S, MA sale 26 Jun 69. Ship note: 'Ex merc. WILD PIGEON. In USN reserve 1957-60. To NDRF 7 Jan 60, stk. 1 Jul 60, to MA 30 Jun 60, reinst. 1 Sep 61, from MA 3 Aug 61. To buyer 22 Jul 69.' Class-level context: design MC C2-S-B1; class displacement 7,132 light / 14,200 limiting; 459.25' oa x 63.0' x 26.3' lim; 16.5 kts; 6,000 hp G.E. turbine, 1 screw; class notes record that under the 9 Nov 1943 JCS program for 30 standard AKAs, 'six (AKA 88-93) were acquired from Moore as duplicates of the AKA-53 type. These were converted by the builder at Oakland' - i.e., unlike the incomplete-tow C2-S-AJ3 group, this hull was converted in place by her builder.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1969

   Population

   Moore Dry Dock Oakland construction/conversion workforce (1944); NDRF Suisun Bay caretakers (1960-61); 1969 breaking-yard workforce

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records, not the registers themselves; figures used where consistent with NHHC/SDB/MARAD. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-05

6. [6]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - UVALDE (AKA-88), Ship History Detail 4984, incl. scanned vessel status cards (4984_9188AF.jpg, 4984_9188AB.jpg, 74J_01.png, 4984_AF.jpg - not individually retrieved) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 4984 - registry block, milestones table, status-card tab (four scans listed, unreviewed), eight ship-imagery scans

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory registry record for this hull: Year Built 1944; Shipyard 'Moore Shipbuilding Company' (registry wording; Navy sources name Moore Dry Dock Co. - variance logged); General Type Naval Auxiliary; Specific Type 'AK Cargo Ship'; MARAD Type C2-S-B1; length 459.00 ft; beam 63.00 ft; gross 8,161 t; cargo capacity 424,938 (sq ft per registry label); fate 'Sold - Scrap.' Milestones tab itemizes the 1960-61 reserve-fleet interlude only: Entry/Acquisition 7 Jan 1960 (NDRF lay-up, matching NHHC's 10:15 a.m. 7 Jan 1960 Suisun Bay turnover); Disposition/Withdrawal 3 Aug 1961 annotated 'BERLIN EMERGENCY' (matching NHHC's 8:00 a.m. 3 Aug 1961 transfer back to the Navy).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1969

   Limitations

   Authoritative MARAD registry for government-custody milestones and characteristics; the milestone table does not itemize the 1969 disposal sale or the post-1961 Navy period - those come from NHHC/shipscribe/NavSource. Status-card scans exist on the record (four images listed) but were not individually retrieved or legibility-checked. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-06

7. [7]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Uvalde (AKA-88), file 10/02/02088 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 02088.htm - timeline block, awards/campaign tables, spec block, CO table, photo captions (Mare Island photo nos. AKA 88 1394-46, 33629-3-57, 33632-3-57; Norfolk NH 72672)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource corroborates DANFS and adds campaign tables, a commanding-officer roster, and dated yard-presence photo captions: WWII assignment TransRon Fourteen / TransDiv Forty-One; Asiatic-Pacific campaign Okinawa Gunto assault and occupation 1-9 Apr 1945; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods (25 Oct-1 Nov 1945; 27 Jun-6 Jul 1946; 25-30 Aug 1946; 3-13 Sep 1948; 1-10 Jan 1951) and China Service Medal (extended) periods (7 Jul-21 Aug 1946; 6 Nov-7 Dec 1946; 30 Sep-12 Oct 1947; 31 Jan-15 Apr 1948); Korean campaigns Communist China Aggression 16-21 Dec 1950, Second Korean Winter 21 Feb-1 Mar 1952, Korea Summer-Fall 1953 24 May-26 Jul 1953; awards include Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic) and Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation. Photo captions document yard periods beyond DANFS: under repair at Mare Island 6 Feb-12 Mar 1946; in drydock at Mare Island 7 Feb-4 Mar 1957; at Norfolk Naval Shipyard 3 Jan 1963 preparing for deployment. Spec block: 36 officers + 330 enlisted; largest boom 30 t; two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers 450 psi/750 deg F, one GE geared turbine, 6,000 shp, one propeller. Final disposition line: sold for scrapping to Peck Iron and Metals Company, Inc., 26 Jun 1969, delivered 22 Jul 1969. Radio call signs NHLP (WWII) / NMZF (1968); JANAP tactical call 'Kosher' 1950-53.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1969

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with NHHC/SDB/MARAD/program on all overlapping points. Data defects logged in gaps: narrative line 'Decommissioned in 1957' vs its own CO roster and the program's 2 Jan 1958; spec-block 'sixteen single 20mm' vs DANFS/shipscribe 18x20mm wartime fit. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-07

8. [8]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + C2-S-B1 type data (shipscribe AKA-15 class page) + documented yard/repair periods (DANFS, decommissioning program, NavSource photo captions) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table, AKA section (UVALDE row); https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AKA/AKA15.html class data; DANFS and program yard-period entries

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-turbine steam plant (one G.E. turbine, two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F) built and converted in place in 1944 at Moore Dry Dock, Oakland - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Documented disturbance-relevant yard periods: Terminal Island post-shakedown availability (to 10 Oct 1944); Everett, Wash., drydock repairs (16-28 Jul 1945); Mare Island Naval Shipyard repair/overhaul periods (Feb-Mar 1946; Jan-early Apr 1951; Dec 1952-mid-Feb 1953; drydock Feb-Mar 1957); Yokosuka drydock (Nov 1952); New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, repairs and alterations (7 Jan-28 Apr 1965); reserve lay-up at Suisun Bay NDRF (Jan 1960-Aug 1961); inactivation/decommissioning work (late 1957-Jan 1958 and Nov-Dec 1968); and the 1969 breaking after sale to Peck Iron & Metal Co.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1969

   Population

   Construction/conversion trades at Moore Dry Dock, Oakland (1944); Terminal Island, Everett, Mare Island, Yokosuka, and New York Naval Shipyard repair workforces (1944-1965); wartime and Korean-era crew and embarked troops; NDRF Suisun Bay caretakers (1960-61); 1969 breaking-yard workers

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and documented repair/lay-up events - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AKA-88 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. The only ship-named material descriptions are the claimant allegations in the BVA decision (ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-03).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-08

9. [9]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and Maritime Commission construction program under which this C2-S-B1 attack cargo ship was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-09

10. [10]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]

    Locator

    PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and type.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    survey ~1944-45; published 1946

    Population

    WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)

    Limitations

    Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether Moore Dry Dock, Oakland was among the surveyed contract yards is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-10

11. [11]Batch-1071 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; hazegray older-edition mirror; NavSource 02088 + hosted PDF scans (decommissioning program read verbatim; war diaries image-only); MARAD ShipHistory Detail 4984; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipscribe AKA-15 class page; CourtListener API v4 (four sweeps + one refined sweep, all authenticated, all completed clean); VA BVA index; indexed-web litigation check; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-uvalde-aka88-01 through sl-uss-uvalde-aka88-16

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No ship-specific asbestos survey, abatement contract, insulation specification, hazmat disclosure, or court finding naming USS Uvalde / AKA-88 / MC hull 1188 / SS Wild Pigeon was located in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The only ship-named adjudication found is the VA benefits decision BVA 0925943 (ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-03): it conceded likely in-service asbestos exposure on credited allegations naming this hull but made no vessel-materials finding and denied the claim on nexus grounds. CourtListener results: 'Uvalde' type=o returned 3,227 opinions - all reviewed hits are name collisions (Uvalde County and City of Uvalde, Texas, government entities incl. post-2022 litigation; Uvalde County Appraisal District; Uvalde County Hospital Authority; Uvalde Country Club; San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf R.R.; Uvalde-surnamed litigants; and the Uvalde Rock Asphalt Co. of Houston, a building-products asbestos defendant) with no vessel reference; '"Uvalde" AND asbestos' returned 24 reported hits (20 returned) - all collisions, dominated by the Uvalde Rock Asphalt Co. products-liability corpus (Irving v. Owens-Corning, 5th Cir. 1989, and progeny/citations) plus Texas place-name and citation mentions, none maritime; '"AKA-88" OR "AKA 88"' returned 0; exact-phrase '"USS Uvalde"' returned 0; refined '"Uvalde" AND asbestos AND (ship OR navy OR vessel OR naval)' returned 17, all within the reviewed collision set. Law-firm marketing pages assert era-typical asbestos content for this hull without primary support (asbestos-ships.com dedicated 'USS Uvalde (AKA-88)' page; simmonsfirm.com generic navy-ship list; mesotheliomaveterans.org amphibious list) - excluded as sources per the no-law-firm-sources rule and logged in the batch report.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    2026-09-22

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 C2-S-B1 steam auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her documented repair periods, reserve-fleet lay-up, decommissioning, and 1969 breaking are undocumented disturbance phases (one claimant alleged asbestos removal during the 1958 decommissioning - allegation level only). Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener opinion coverage (type=o) does not index district dockets/RECAP filings comprehensively - a pleading-stage case naming the hull could exist outside the opinion corpus; the 'Uvalde' corpus is dominated by Texas county/city and Uvalde Rock Asphalt collisions.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-uvalde-aka88-11

12. [12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration); NavSource-hosted USS Uvalde (AKA-88) War Diaries August 1944-October 1945 + Ship's History scan (02088a.pdf); MARAD ShipHistory documents/status-card sections for this hull [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://www.navsource.net/archives/10/02/pdf/02088a.pdf (image-only scan); https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/4984 (status-card scans)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): USS Uvalde war diaries Aug 1944-Oct 1945 plus ship's history (NavSource hosts an 11 MB scan, image-only pages with no text layer - page-level review not performed); Navy deck logs 1944-1958 and 1961-1968 (RG 24, NARA College Park - deck logs for this era are also on NARA's catalog partner); BuShips records incl. C2-S-B1 contract plans and Booklet of General Plans (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 1188 at Moore Dry Dock, Oakland (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the Jan 1960-Aug 1961 Suisun Bay lay-up, the Aug 1961 'BERLIN EMERGENCY' withdrawal, and the Jun-Jul 1969 Peck Iron & Metal sale (RG 357) - the sale file is the most promising disposal-era hazmat lead; the unreviewed MARAD status-card scans on Detail 4984 may carry additional custody entries.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1944-1969 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; 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-uvalde-aka88-12