Navy Shipmate Program

If you served aboard a U.S. Navy ship during the asbestos era, your testimony may help document shipboard asbestos exposure — information that can support VA disability and asbestos trust fund claims. This program is entirely voluntary, private, and free.

Why Shipmate Testimony Matters

Asbestos trust fund and VA disability claims are strengthened by corroborating evidence — specifically, testimony from other veterans who can confirm that asbestos-containing products were present and in use aboard a specific ship. Buddy statements, former crew accounts, and product-identification records are among the most valuable supporting documents in an asbestos claim.

This program creates an anonymous, moderated record of veterans who have reported serving aboard specific ships. That aggregate information may be used in claims research and legal product identification — always with appropriate protections for your privacy.

How It Works

  1. Find your ship — Use our ship search tool to locate your vessel. Each ship page includes a shipmate opt-in form.
  2. Submit voluntarily — Provide the years you served, your rating, and optionally your name and contact information. All fields except years aboard and privacy acknowledgment are optional.
  3. Moderation — Every submission is reviewed before any information is used. We verify that submissions are plausible (matching hull number, class, and service era) before approving them.
  4. Public display — The only information displayed publicly is an anonymized count: "N verified veterans have reported serving aboard this ship." Your name, contact information, and diagnosis status are never published.
  5. Connections — If you consent and another veteran consents to connect, we may broker a connection through the site. Contact details are never shared automatically.

Privacy & Your Rights

Full Privacy Policy ›   Request Data Removal ›

Find Your Ship to Submit

Navigate to your ship's page to find the shipmate form. Use the search tool to locate your vessel:

Find Your Ship ›

Asbestos.cam may refer submitters to licensed attorneys. This site is not a law firm. Submission does not create an attorney-client relationship. Not legal or medical advice. Attorney advertising: prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.