Crew of Mackinaw Offloads 1200 Christmas Trees in Chicago

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw unloads more than 1,200 Christmas trees that will be distributed to needy families by local organizations chosen with the help of the Christmas Ship Committee, Dec. 1, 2018. The Coast Guard and Mackinaw partner with the Committee and Chicago's maritime community each year to bring trees from northern Michigan during scheduled buoy retrieval operations, reenacting a tradition dating back to the late 1800s when Capt. Herman Schuenemann delivered trees from the north to the people of Chicago. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Master Chief Alan Haraf)