Operation Falling Snow was a major American military operation initiated on January 29th, 1953, only nine days after the inauguration of President Richard Russell. The operation involved the air-dropping of 40,000 American soldiers as far as fifteen miles beyond areas of Wales already under control of Americans at the beginning of 1953, with the goal being the securing of central Wales. Falling Snow was initiated 36 hours after Operation Cruiser, in which a further 65,000 soldiers staged an amphibious landing at Cardigan Bay between New Quay and Aberstwyth, securing a section of coastline previously uncontrolled by American soldiers.