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](https://erepublic.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/35e1bef/2147483647/strip/true/crop/511x325+0+0/resize/840x534!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ferepublic-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F2b%2F05%2F15108a0f11d428849fcb53410300%2Fbig-picture-dec.jpg)