Sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan visit a Ventura County museum which celebrates his legacy

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John Holzhauer, Benjamin Meisner, Rosben Constant and Erica Bechard from the USS Ronald Reagan visit the namesake museum in Ventura County
Caroline Feraday

One of America’s newest aircraft carriers is the USS Ronald Reagan – named after the late president.

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is deployed in Japan.

But four sailors from the vessel had the opportunity to come to California to visit the namesake museum, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Ventura County, on Thursday.

Benjamin Meisner told KCLU that he enjoyed the exhibits at the museum.

"A wow moment for me was getting to see a portion of the Berlin Wall. It was overwhelming getting to see it and touch it and get some photos with it," he said.

They will also get to visit President Reagan’s vacation property, Rancho Del Cielo in Santa Barbara County, as part of their trip.

Sailors were selected to attend the namesake visit based on their shipboard assignments and recognized accomplishments while serving on the USS Ronald Reagan.

USS Ronald Reagan was commissioned in July 2003 and was homeported initially in San Diego, California.

In December 2015, the Ronald Reagan forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

Since 2015, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, continues to provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships, and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific Region.

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Caroline joined KCLU in October 2020. She won LA Press Club's Audio Journalist of the Year Award in 2022 and 2023.

Since joining the station she's won 10 Golden Mike Awards, 5 Los Angeles Press Club Awards, 2 National Arts & Entertainment Awards and a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Writing.

She started her broadcasting career in the UK, in both radio and television for BBC News, 95.8 Capital FM and Sky News and was awarded the Prince Philip Medal for her services to radio and journalism in 2007.

She has lived in California for eleven years and is both an American and British citizen - and a very proud mom to her daughter, Elsie.