Operation Christmas Drop Was Filmed Exactly Where the Real Event Happens: Guam

Netflix’s Operation Christmas Drop is loosely based on a true story, so it only makes sense that the setting sticks close to the truth, too. If you watched this Christmas film and wondered to yourself what that stunning tropical backdrop was, they actually mention it in the movie. However, it wasn’t glaringly obvious, so you might have missed it. Operation Christmas Drop takes place in Guam, and Netflix actually filmed on location there.

The real military-run Operation Christmas Drop is run out of Andersen Air Force Base each year, which is located in Yigo, Guam. Since 1952, the Department of Defense has been running this program to airlift supplies and gifts to islands all around Guam each holiday season. To stay true to the real operation, Netflix filmed along the beaches of Guam for the movie as well. In fact, they actually were granted permission to film at the Air Force base. Director Martin Wood said in a statement to Stars and Stripes, “There is no way to build an Air Force base for a movie – you just have to move onto one.” He added that the Navy provided helicopters and ships “to portray an air-to-air sequence of travel to a distant island.”

Though they had to build some sets, the backdrop is genuine and even includes some of the islands that the real Operation Christmas Drop helps each year. Ahead, see some stunning shots of Guam to get even more of a feel for this island territory.

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