Ronald Reagan Sailors Receive VIP Tour of Holocaust Museum

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Seventy-nine Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Sailors were challenged by Mark Talisman, vice chairman of the Holocaust Museum, to never forget during a VIP tour of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., April 7.

Talisman extended an invitation to Ronald Reagan Sailors to visit the museum while he was aboard for a Torah dedication ceremony last fall.

“Mr. Talisman has spent ample time working out the details of this visit since February,” said Cmdr. Steven L. Smith, a chaplain in the Religious Ministries Department. “This unique tour was offered to Ronald Reagan Sailors by Mr. Talisman to show respect for President Ronald Reagan, who is an old associate of Mr. Talisman."

Tickets to the Holocaust Museum are difficult to come by during Passover, and the crew appreciated Talisman’s contribution.

“Passover is the holy time for many Jewish individuals,” said Smith. “Tickets to the museum are reserved years in advance for this time of year, and we are very thankful for the opportunity.”

After a regal welcome by the museum’s staff, Sailors were escorted into an auditorium where Talisman prepared them for sights to come.

The museum exhibits are arranged in a timeline on each floor. The first exhibit, “The Nazi Assault,” portrays 1933 to 1939. This exhibit revealed every aspect of the Nazis’ rise to power and their plan of genocide.

The third Floor exhibit, “Final Solution,” displays the methods used by the Nazis in their genocidal campaign.

“This was a chance for Ronald Reagan Sailors to have their eyes opened to the world that could have existed,” said Smith. “It’s important for Sailors to realize that our duty of maintaining peace keeps tyrants in check. Without them, defeating these evils would be impossible.”

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