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Operation Christmas Drop Delivers Surprises to Micronesia

U.S. airmen play Santa Claus for the people of Micronesia.

[Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brian Kimball]

In Operation Christmas Drop, U.S. airmen play Santa Claus for the people of Micronesia. The drop is a tradition that dates back to 1952, when an aircrew flying out of Guam decided to drop gifts over the small island of Kapingamarangi. In this image, a giant crate of gifts and decorations is dropped from a C-130 aircraft. The island is just one of many in Micronesia that receive donated gifts delivered by "air mail."

 

Big Picture December 2008