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International guests and Operation Christmas Drop participants pose for a photo while attending the Operation Christmas Drop push ceremony at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 9, 2024. The tradition began during the Christmas season in 1952 when a B-29 Superfortress aircrew saw islanders waving at them from the island of Kapingamarangi, 3,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. In the spirit of Christmas, the aircrew dropped a bundle of supplies attached to a parachute to the islanders below, giving the operation its name. Today, airdrop operations include 58 islands throughout the Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jarrett Smith)