The City of Beloit is welcoming some very special visitors this week.

The crew of the USS Beloit is in town to meet the people of the community that their ship was named after.

The USS Beloit is a U.S. Navy combat ship. Its namesake recognizes the relationship between the Navy and Fairbanks Morse Defense, which builds engines and ships for the Navy and Coast Guard.

The community got to know the crew at Telfer Park Sunday afternoon. They enjoyed shaved ice and played yard games. It was a unique experience for all.

“Normally it’s your big cities, like you might have Los Angeles or USS New York or Minneapolis, and here you’ve got little Beloit, Wisconsin, in the Midwest that has a ship, a U.S. Navy ship, named after it,” said Patrick Bussie, vice president of business development at Fairbanks Morse Defense. “It’s pretty special.”

“It’s crucial for me to bring the crew members here, because the more they know about the barber shops and the history and the ballgames, all of that stuff of what makes Beloit, the more they are going to serve with pride when we actually commission our ship,” added Commander Leandra Kissinger of the USS Beloit.

The crew will be touring the City of Beloit on Monday, as well as the manufacturing building.