Airmen bring holiday cheer to remote village

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connie Bias
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ARCTIC VILLAGE, Alaska (AFPN) --  Every now and then, people see the true embodiment of the Christmas spirit -- gifts given with no associated commercialism, joy shared with no negative undercurrents and help offered with no expectation of return.

The airmen and spouses of the 517th Airlift Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, made those tidings happen Dec. 15 during their annual trip to Arctic Village, a native village 75 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Weighted with food and presents, almost 40 participants from the squadron arrived here for the 37th year of a growing union.

The squadron began the Arctic Village flights in 1967, when the Porcupine caribou herd, the village’s primary food source, changed its migratory route. People at the squadron, then known as the 17th Tactical Airlift Squadron, flew village hunters to the herd and returned them with their meat. Since then, the visits have grown to a yearly drop-off of medical and school supplies, requested gifts for the children, basic food staples and special items needed by the village council.

“It’s a pleasure to have you here -- it’s a unique thing,” said Evon Peter, former village chief. “Living in a village, you’re living in a world that seems separate from the rest of the world. When a plane comes with Santa and gifts, it’s very exciting for the village. It’s the highlight of the year for many of the young people.”

There are about 60 children in the village of 150, and a large portion of them were waiting for the squadron's C-130 Hercules when it landed on a small patch of snow-covered land. Santa received a festive welcome -- adults and children alike clamored to hug, photograph and speak with the guest.

After the initial greeting in wind chills hovering near minus 20 degrees, villagers took the airmen on a 10-minute snow-machine ride from the makeshift landing pad to the village community hall. There, the rest of the villagers offered the guests a feast of local cuisine and handmade gifts.

Besides villagers’ modest homes, the village consists of two small stores, a post office and a school. These surroundings evoked widespread awe amongst the visitors. Exclamations of excitement and wonder rippled through the group during the visit.

“I am simply amazed that people in today’s world still live such simple lives,” said Carmen Handy, 517th AS spouse. “If I could come back, I definitely would. It was definitely a great experience.”

Handy was one of the many people who helped make the trip a success, officials said. The trip’s planning is a joint effort between the squadron’s spouses and airmen, and started in June. The airmen solicited donations from local businesses, and once the donations were received, the spouses auctioned the donations.

This year, the auction raised more than $7,000, and that money was spent on the food and gifts for the village. The airmen held a pretrip gift-wrapping party, and gifts were ready to be delivered.

The food will be used to supply a daily meal during the Christmas break, said Trimble Gilbert, the current village chief, who provides guidance and ceremonial leadership. The holiday meals and festivities, also held in the community hall, are “where we make our community ties stronger,” Gilbert said. The entire village will participate in daily holiday get-togethers from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2.

“The gifts and food you bring us sparks off the Christmas holiday, because it’s right before Christmas and our holiday break,” Peter said.

“The biggest impact I’ve come away with is how willing the Elmendorf community is to go out of its way to support an unknown entity,” said Tech. Sgt. Peter Dibbern, 517th AS loadmaster superintendent. “I think that’s a testament to the quality of the people we have here.”