Battleships were used to attain command of the sea and played an important role in early US military conflicts from 1875 up until WWII. As technology advanced significantly during WWII and we began to rely more heavily on air power and guided missiles, the heavily armed battleships were no longer seen as an efficient way to wage warfare. The last battleships were removed from the Naval Vessel Registry in 2006. While these battleships played an important role in our military history many are laden with asbestos containing products, which have been known to cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer affecting the lining of the lungs and other vital organs; unfortunately many veterans were exposed to the materials during their duty on these ships.
The following is a partial list of United States Navy Battleships:
| USS Alabama | USS Maryland | USS Pennsylvania |
| USS Arkansas | USS Massachusetts | USS South Dakota |
| USS California | USS Mississippi | USS Tennessee |
| USS Colorado | USS Missouri | USS Washington |
| USS Idaho | USS New Jersey | USS West Virginia |
| USS Indiana | USS New Mexico | USS Wisconsin |
| USS Iowa | USS Oklahoma | USS Wyoming |