On Dec. 24, 1955, a call was made to the
Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in
Colorado Springs, Colo. However, this call was not from the
President or a general, it was from a girl in Colorado
Springs who was following the directions in an advertisement
printed in the local paper – she wanted to know the
whereabouts of Santa Claus.
The ad said
“Hey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the
correct number.” However, the number was printed
incorrectly in the advertisement and rang into the CONAD
operations center.
On duty that night was Col. Harry Shoup, who
has come to be known as the “Santa Colonel.” Col. Shoup
received numerous calls that night and rather than hanging
up, he had his operators find the location of Santa Claus
and reported it to every child who phoned in that night.
Thus began a tradition that rolled over to
the North American Aerospace Defense Command when it was
formed in 1957. Today through satellite systems,
high-powered radars and jet fighters - Canadians and
Americans track Santa Claus as he makes his Yuletide journey
around the world.
More than 350 volunteers man telephone
hotlines and computers to answer calls and e-mails from
children (and adults) from around the world every Christmas
Eve. Live updates are provided via the NORAD Tracks Santa
Web Site (in six languages) to keep curious children and
their families informed about where Santa really is and if
it’s time to get to bed.
In November and December 2005, the NORAD
Tracks Santa Web Site clocked nearly 1 billion web hits from
204 countries and territories around the world. About
563,000 people called the Tracks Santa hotline, and
volunteers received nearly 7,000 e-mails from children
around the globe.
NORAD Tracks Santa has become a truly,
magical and global phenomenon, delighting generations of
families everywhere.
Please visit
www.noradsanta.org
beginning November 17, 2006.
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NORAD
tracks Santa!