St. George welcomes St. Nick

Landing a C-17 on St. George Island is no simple task, but Operation Santa Claus made it look easy. On Nov. 7, the Alaska National Guard overcame an undersized runway, poor weather, and the St. George airport's lack of deicing equipment to bring the Clauses to this Bering Sea island of about 110 people.

When the plane touched down there were a row of pickups and a small crowd of excited villagers waiting to greet their visitors. After a five-minute drive to the school, a military band started up with the Christmas tunes and the celebration was under way. Time was short, so a line in front of Santa and Mrs. Claus formed right away, and a hot dinner and sundaes were served as presents were handed out.