Operation Christmas Drop kicks off

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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  Editor's note: The following is a speech given by Bill Hagen, a long-time volunteer and supporter of Operation Christmas Drop during a Push Ceremony Dec. 15 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to mark the start of Operation Christmas Drop. Team Andersen members and representatives from the local community were on hand to assist in loading boxes onto a C-130H, in essence preparing the first sortie's load of donations for delivery.

Santa from the Sky

General Ruhlman, Col Hicks, distinguished guests and participants and volunteers of Christmas Drop 2009.

Several years ago while visiting with the Rotary Club of Pohnpei I happened to mention the Rotary Club of Guam's annual donations to the Christmas Drop. From the other side of the table a middle aged man stood up and looking off as if he were recalling a dream, from fragments, and started to talk about the Santa who lived in the sky with God.

It was probably in the early 1960s when Melner, who is an insurance agent in Pohnpei, recalls running naked along the beach yelling and waving with the other children chasing the presents which fell out of the sky. He was about 3 years old and believes that those were the best days of his life leaving images in his mind which would last a life time. For the next 10 years that Melner remained on Pingelap Atoll Christmas Drop was that one special and magical day of the year.

Melner continued to speak as the fragments of his memory became words, "The radio operator would announce the time and the day and warn us to stay away from the drop area but we of course always hid in the trees next to the beach and ran out as the plane made it first, second and sometimes third pass.

As the box slowly drifted to the beach or the shallow water we all went laughing and screaming wanting to be the first to touch the precious cargo and help pry open the box. Eventually the elders took control and once everything had been opened, unloaded and counted the distribution was made. There was always something for everyone."

This year thanks to the efforts of everyone here, and many others, the children from 51 remote islands in Micronesia will experience and remember the day that presents fell from the sky.

Over the years I've had the opportunity to visit a number of the outer islands. I've lived with them, eaten their food and assisted in their churches and I find that, especially among the youth, there is a special naivety and innocence which I wish all children could experience for a time in their lives.

There is no broadband on these islands which means no Paris Hilton, CNN or profane music, the digital violence so easily available to our children on TV and in games does not exist in these remote locations. They know their neighbors, they know who the chief is and they don't have to lock the doors which most of them do not have anyway. They have respect for their elders and for the traditional authority handed down for countless generations and they live green.

95% of what they eat they grow and when they're done, it's all recyclable. Even the rice bags will be used in the schools for paper and later in the outhouses. There is no power, running water or litter, no graffiti and no pollution except for the plastic and Styrofoam which wash up on their beach after drifting for thousands of miles.

No, it's not the Garden of Eden as the weather constantly challenges their existence but there is a certain comfort in allowing oneself to be absorbed into their culture if even for a few day at a time.

For most of us Christmas falls on specific days in our calendar but this year, on 51 islands, Christmas will begin as it has for over half a century, when you, the Unites States Air Force show up carrying Santa in the Sky.

On behalf of the tens of thousands of children who's lives you affect, anonymously, Thank You.