Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]Krik v. BP America, Inc., No. 2:11-cv-63473 (E.D. Pa., MDL-875 constituent, Robreno, J.), Doc. 108 - Marley-Wylain Company disclosure filing a physician causation letter (Preventive and Occupational Medicine, Guilford CT, Nov. 4, 2011, re: 'Charles Krik vs. Weil-McLain'), filed 2011-11-09 [court_record]
- Locator
- Krik v. BP America Doc. 108, occupational-history table (page ~2 of 10), plain_text via CourtListener recap-documents id 7805435
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Discovery-stage asbestos-litigation record naming this hull explicitly: the disclosure letter's occupational-history table recites that plaintiff Charles Krik 'served as a boilermaker in the US Navy' aboard 'USS Sproston DD 577, Jenkins DD 447, Taylor DD 468, and Walker DD 517 (Fletcher class destroyers); USS Bryce Canyon AD 36 ... USS Vulcan AR 5 ... and USS Tutuila ARG 4' - given under the heading of Krik's testimony 'regarding his occupational activities and associations with asbestos' (reviewing his 7/18/2011 deposition transcript and interrogatory responses). Hull attribution is explicit (hull number DD 517 plus class); during Krik's stated 1954-1970 Navy window the only commissioned USS Walker was DD-517.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1954-1970 (alleged service/exposure window); 2011 (disclosure); 2011-2013 (docket)
- Population
- Charles Krik (US Navy boilermaker, ship list 1954-1970); MDL-875 asbestos plaintiffs
- Limitations
- Discovery record (a defense expert-disclosure letter reciting plaintiff's sworn testimony), not a judicial finding: it documents that Krik testified to service aboard DD-517 in an asbestos case - it does not adjudicate that exposure occurred aboard, does not identify specific products, and does not quantify any exposure. The listed 'dates' read 1954-1970/16 years in the letter, while the published Seventh Circuit opinion in the parallel Krik case (870 F.3d 669) describes Navy service 1954-1960 aboard repair ships; the destroyers named here are part of the same plaintiff's ship list. Case terminated 2013-05-14; disposition of the claim not located. Per litigation-stage discipline this is classified as a discovery record, below trial finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-01
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[2]In re Asbestos Products Liability Litigation (No. VI), MDL No. 875 (JPML), Doc. 8539-2 - tag-along notice attaching the complaint in Pritchett et al. v. A.W. Chesterton Co. et al., No. 3:12-cv-01196-MEJ (N.D. Cal., removed from Alameda County Super. Ct. RG11-609491), filed 2012-03-20 [court_record]
- Locator
- MDL-875 Doc. 8539-2, attached complaint, ship-list paragraphs (plain_text via CourtListener recap-documents id 386429749, ~page 22 of 60)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Pleading-stage asbestos complaint naming this hull indirectly: the Pritchett complaint lists the ships plaintiff worked on for the U.S. Navy (USS Frontier, USS Kitty Hawk, USS Nassau) and alleges 'The USS Frontier was a repair ship which provided maintenance support to a flotilla of Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts, including but not limited to, the USS Walker.' Walker appears as a member of the flotilla the plaintiff's repair ship serviced - a second-hand exposure-pathway reference, not a ship the plaintiff is alleged to have served aboard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- service-era exposure window (WWII-1960s); 2012 (filing)
- Population
- Pritchett plaintiff (Navy repair-ship worker); crews of ships serviced by USS Frontier (alleged)
- Limitations
- Pleading allegation (unadjudicated complaint, terminated-tag-along posture) - the least-final litigation stage. Hull number not given; attribution to DD-517 rests on temporal exclusivity (the only commissioned USS Walker during Frontier AD-25's 1944-1968 service) and is plausible but not explicit. Does not establish that the plaintiff worked aboard Walker, that any Walker material reached him, or anything about materials aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-02
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[3]DANFS, Walker II (DD-517) (builder, dates, service narrative, striking; verbatim transcription - live NHHC page serves 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, specifications block + full service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down 31 August 1942 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 31 January 1943 (sponsor Miss Sarah C. Walker); commissioned 3 April 1943, Comdr. O. F. Gregor. Atlantic escort (43 U-boat survivors captured off Cuba; escorted Secretary of State Cordell Hull San Juan to Casablanca, October 1943); Pacific service Tarawa, Marshalls (Jan-Feb 1944), South Pacific escort, Marianas, Leyte (20 Oct 1944); Mare Island Navy Yard overhaul from Christmas Eve 1944; TF 58 Okinawa picket duty April 1945 (repeated kamikaze attacks; towed Haggard DD-555 to Kerama Retto); 3d Fleet bombardments incl. Kamaishi 18 July 1945; Tokyo occupation. Out of commission in reserve San Diego 31 May 1946; recommissioned 15 September 1950 and converted to escort destroyer, in yard overhaul to 27 February 1951; atomic Exercise Greenhouse, Eniwetok (to June 1951); Escort Destroyer Squadron 1, Pearl Harbor; UN Blockading Force Korea (Nov 1951-Mar 1952); nine WestPac deployments through 29 December 1963; Mercury recovery ship 28 September 1962; Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard overhauls 31 January-30 April 1964 and 19 September 1966-3 February 1967; Vietnam gunline and Sea of Japan Soviet-ship collisions 10-11 May 1967 (minor damage both ships); final deployment August 1968-February 1969. Decommissioned and stricken 2 July 1969; sold to Italian Navy as Fante; 'Fante was retired from service in 1977.' Six WWII, two Korea, three Vietnam battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1942-1977
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1942-43; wartime and postwar crew (design complement 329); yard workers at Mare Island (1944-45), the conversion yard (1950-51), and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (1964, 1966-67)
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history and specifications, not materials or asbestos content. The conversion yard is not named ('remained in yard overhaul'); the Italian pennant prints 'D-516' while reference sources give D 561 - carried in gaps. Mirror transcription cited because live NHHC pages return 404.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-03
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[4]Marina Militare (Italian Navy), official mezzi storici page: 'Fante - Cacciatorpediniere' (data block + class note) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Marina Militare mezzi storici, EFGHI/fante.aspx - technical data block and class note
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Italian Navy record for this hull's post-USN phase: 'Ex USA (Walker) classe Fletcher ceduto all'Italia nel 1969-70' - former USS Walker, Fletcher class, transferred to Italy 1969-70; builder Bath I.W. (USA); incorporamento (fleet incorporation) 1969; radiazione (struck from register) 1975; formed a three-unit class with sister ships Geniere (ex-Prichett) and Lanciere (ex-Taylor); described as already heavily worn units that served only briefly ('unita molto usurata che ha prestato servizio per poco tempo'). Data block: 4 boilers, 2 turbines, 2 shafts, 60,000 HP, 33 knots, complement 250; Italian armament refit (4 x 127/38, 4 x 76/50, ASW rocket launcher, hedgehog, depth-charge rack, 6 torpedo tubes).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1969-1977
- Population
- Italian Navy crew 1969-1975; disposal/scrapping trades circa 1977
- Limitations
- Confirms identity continuity (ex-Walker = Fante) and the 1969-70 transfer / 1975 striking; the page's construction-year cells are imprecise (prints 1942 for laying, launch, and completion - the DANFS dates govern). Does not address materials, asbestos content, or disposal-method detail; pennant number not shown on the fetched page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-04
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[5]NHHC photographic record K-36401: Soviet Kotlin-class destroyer BESSLEDNYI (pennant 022) photographed from USS WALKER (DD-517) shortly before the two ships collided, Sea of Japan, morning of 10 May 1967 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC image catalog, K-36401 caption
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC photo-catalog entry names this hull and dates the 10 May 1967 Sea of Japan collision, corroborating the DANFS narrative of the Cold War 'shouldering' incidents in which Walker collided with Soviet units while screening Hornet (CVS-12) on 10 and 11 May 1967.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1967-05-10
- Population
- Crew aboard DD-517, 10 May 1967
- Limitations
- Photo caption documents the incident, not materials or asbestos. The Soviet ship's identity is disputed in later scholarship (a 2005 account by her commander identifies the ship as Veskii, not Besslednyi) - the NHHC caption reflects the contemporary U.S. identification; carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-05
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[6]Fletcher-class machinery design (4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 General Electric geared steam-turbine sets, 60,000 shp, 2 shafts - BuShips Ships' Data 1945 class block via class profile) + Atlas shipyard dataset, Bath Iron Works record (Drinker 1942 pipe-covering shop dust study, PMID 21016030; OSHA 1987 inspection) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v1.pdf DD design section (class block); shipyards.json record 'bath-iron-works' ev-bath-iron-works-02 (PMID 21016030)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/yard inference: a WWII Fletcher-class destroyer built to the class-standard four-boiler/60,000-shp steam plant would have carried period-standard asbestos insulation, lagging, gaskets, packing, and fireproofing; builder Bath Iron Works is documented at yard level in the Atlas dataset (tier 2) - including a contemporaneous 1942 Harvard/Drinker industrial-hygiene study recording 'fairly serious dust risk' at levels up to ten times the safe threshold in BIW pipe-covering shops, conducted while this hull was under construction (laid down Aug 1942-commissioned Apr 1943). Documented yard products include Kaylo pipe covering, asbestos felt, and gaskets.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 1942-1969
- Population
- Bath Iron Works construction trades 1942-43; crew 1943-1969
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - NOT a hull-specific materials finding. The 1942 yard study documents yard shop conditions, not materials installed aboard DD-517; no hull-specific materials schedule or insulation spec was located. Does not quantify material or establish any individual's exposure. The ship-specific findings for this hull are the litigation rows ev-01 and ev-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-06
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[7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- 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 - placing this hull's entire U.S. career (built 1942-43, stricken 1969) inside the documented asbestos-use era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- 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 report text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-07
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[8]CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweep (type=o opinions, type=r dockets, type=rd recap documents), 2026-09-27 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-walker-dd517-04, -09 through -14
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Full sweep accounting: opinion queries ('USS Walker' + asbestos; 'USS Walker'; 'DD-517'; 'Walker' + 'DD-517') returned ZERO hits. Docket queries returned hits resolved by full-text review of the underlying recap documents: (1) Krik v. BP America, 2:11-cv-63473 (E.D. Pa., MDL-875) Doc. 108 - QUALIFYING discovery record naming 'Walker DD 517' (see ev-01); (2) In re MDL-875 Doc. 8539-2 - Pritchett complaint, indirect pleading-stage naming (see ev-02); (3) United States v. Lunsford, 1:12-cr-00243 (M.D. Ala.) - NAME COLLISION, Judge Susan Russ Walker signature, criminal judgment, not the ship; (4) Roger C. v. Valleyview Public School District 365-U, 1:08-cv-01254 (N.D. Ill.) - NAME COLLISION, OCR artifact in a school student-referral form, not the ship; (5) W.R. Grace & Co. ch.11, 01-01139 (Bankr. D. Del.) Doc. 286-1 - NAME COLLISION, 'Suite DD-517' creditor-mailing address in bankruptcy schedules, not the ship.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 2026-09-27
- Limitations
- Coverage limited to CourtListener-indexed opinions and federal RECAP docket text; unindexed state-court filings, settled MDL-875 claimant records, and any Italian-proceedings records are outside coverage. No search proves the absence of all litigation. Walker is a high-collision surname; hull-number attribution in qualifying hits verified at full text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-08
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[9]Batch-3495 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription (ibiblio); Marina Militare mezzi storici (Fante page); NHHC photo catalog; Atlas shipyard dataset; CourtListener sweep; NavSource photo index; NVR [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-walker-dd517-01 through sl-uss-walker-dd517-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos MATERIALS record located for DD-517: no ACM survey, abatement contract, material schedule, insulation specification, or museum hazmat disclosure was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The ship's only ship-specific asbestos-relevant records are litigation namings (ev-01 discovery, ev-02 pleading). The hull was sold abroad and scrapped in Italy (struck 1975, demolished 1977) - there is no museum, memorial, or U.S. custodial phase that might have generated a hull survey. The Fletcher-class profile records the same class-wide outcome: no qualifying materials-level ship-specific record for any Fletcher hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-27
- Study period
- 2026-09-27
- Limitations
- Absence of a located materials record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1942-43 steam-destroyer build is era-consistent with asbestos insulation (see ev-06), and litigation namings indicate claimants placed themselves aboard. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. NARA RG 19 General Information Book and overhaul work packages remain unretrieved archival leads.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-walker-dd517-09