BELOIT, Wis. (WIFR) - The USS Beloit is the U.S. Navy’s newest ship and it’s named in honor of a town with a long history of building naval vessel engines as Fairbanks Morse is located in Beloit. The manufacturer has been building engines for the Navy since the 1930s.

The ship will go to sea Saturday with “Challenge Coins,” which symbolize good luck to the sailors. The City of Beloit called for artists with ties to the armed services to design these coins for the event. Miguel Olivera attends Beloit Memorial High School and will join the navy after graduation. He says one of his former elementary school teachers inspired him to pursue this journey.

Olivera says, “It’s like the past, the future and the present are coming together. It’s very happy and I’m very honored to see these veterans from World War II and Vietnam. It’s very good to meet them and be a part of this.”

The USS Beloit will be officially christened Saturday in Marinette, Wisconsin. It is not open to the public.

Source and Video: WIFR