US Coast Guard 'Christmas Ship' makes annual tree delivery at Chicago's Navy Pier

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The United States Coast Guard made its presence known Saturday morning at Navy Pier, delivering the sights and smells of Christmas ahead of Dec. 25.

The "Chicago Christmas Ship" has arrived for the 25th year.

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"The heart is warm. I was just sitting here looking back, it makes you smile. How is this not just a beautiful picture of who we are as a nation?" said U.S. Coast Guard MCPO Heath Jones.

One at a time, 1,200 Christmas trees were offloaded from the United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw.

The massive vessel and its crew, making the multi-day journey to deliver Christmas cheer from Cheboygan, Michigan.

"It's stressful. Big ship for a little spot," said U.S. Coast Guard Cdr. Jeannette Greene.

Greene is responsible for the Cutter Mackinaw and says the operation takes months of prep.

"It's a lot of pieces that mostly the Christmas Ship Committee takes care of. They do a lot of the heavy lifting. We're pretty much transportation," Greene said.

Once safely off the ship, the trees are loaded onto a convoy of nearby waiting U-Haul trucks.

The trees will then be passed out by Ada S. McKinley Community Services to nonprofit organizations across Chicago.

"It's warm and fuzzy to be able to know we are sharing that holiday season feeling, that feeling of warmth and joy and hope, with all our families," said Ada S. McKinley Community Services CEO Jamal Malone.

The "Christmas Ship" has delivered 30,000 trees over the years, making the mighty Mackinaw a beacon of light and joy ahead of the holidays.