About a dozen-and-a-half people stepped out of a small bus, walked to the back of a truck and began unloading turkeys.

In minutes, 22 turkeys had been off-loaded and were headed into the 16th Combat Aviation Battalion's headquarters.

"This is a small way to give back," Steve Bevins said, as he laid a couple of bags on a table in the brigade's conference room.  

"My heart tells me it is the right thing to do; this is a responsibility I have."

For the past six years, local chapters of The Association of the United States Army, the Air Force Association, and the Pierce Military Business Alliance and other community leaders have ensured that all servicemembers have a good Thanksgiving.

Dubbed Operation Turkey Drop 2015, its mission this past Monday was to distribute over 450 turkeys to various battalion and brigade headquarters across Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Camp Murray for distribution to junior servicemembers.

Over 40 companies and organizations donated money.

The funds raised went towards the purchase of the turkeys used in Monday's operation and for hams to be used during the Christmas season for Operation Ham Grenade.

"We've been doing this for six years," commented Carlene Joseph, vice president for community development, Harborstone Credit Union.

"Each command has identified soldiers and airmen who can use a bit of help this holiday season, and we're here to help out."

With each turkey came a flyer with directions on how to make an apple crumble with cardamom-vanilla caramel sauce.

"It's a really nice thing these folks do for our men and women in uniform who serve here," said Capt. Brian Harris, the 16th CAB's public affairs officer.

Edward Winslow would agree.

One of the original pilgrims to cross on the Mayflower, Winslow left correspondence that indicated that turkey may have been hunted prior to the first Thanksgiving celebrated in 1621.

What is definitely known is that on that November day, the Pilgrims sat down to feast "on beef and fowl" with the Wampanoag Indians in thanks for the help they had received from the Native Americans.

Later in history, President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving Day a national holiday in 1863.

Many note that magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had A Little Lamb", prodded Lincoln to do so.

In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt established the current date of observance, the fourth Thursday of November.

What is known on this Thanksgiving Day is that JBLM servicemembers will enjoy a good Thanksgiving much like the early Pilgrims did.

For information about the upcoming Operation Ham Grenade, contact Joseph at Carlene.Joseph@harborstone.com.