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 young child in Colorado Springs who was following the directions in an advertisement printed in the local paper \u2013 the youngster wanted to know the whereabouts of ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.pelleys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/161024-F-ZZ999-303.jpg\")
Santa Claus.<\/p>\n
The ad said \u201cHey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number.\u201d However, the number was printed incorrectly in the advertisement and rang into the CONAD operations center.<\/p>\n
On duty that night was Colonel Harry Shoup, who has come to be known as the \u201cSanta Colonel.\u201d Colonel 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.<\/p>\n
Thus began a tradition carried on by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) when it was formed in 1958. Today, through satellite systems, high-powered radars and jet fighters, NORAD tracks Santa Claus as he makes his Yuletide journey around the world.<\/p>\n
Every year on December 24, fifteen hundred volunteers staff telephones and computers to answer calls and e-mails from children (and adults) from around\u00a0the world. Live updates are provided through the NORAD Tracks Santa Web site (in seven languages), over telephone lines, and\u00a0by e-mail to keep curious children and their families informed about Santa\u2019s whereabouts and if it\u2019s time to get to bed.<\/p>\n
Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa Web Site receives nearly nine million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers receive more than 140,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children around the globe.<\/p>\n
This year, children and the young-at-heart are able to track Santa through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. \u00a0To follow us on any of these Web sites, type in @noradsanta into the search engine and start tracking.<\/p>\n
NORAD Tracks Santa has become a magical and global phenomenon, delighting generations of families everywhere.<\/p>\n
For more information about NORAD Tracks Santa, please visit\u00a0www.noradsanta.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n So those of us who have young kids who still have the wonder of Santa Claus (and the older of us who still do!) we can still follow the Jolly Old Elf as he makes his trek around the world. (And, maybe, just maybe, get the kids in bed early!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thinking about this past year over the holiday season there seems to have been far too many tragic events that go against the \u201cPeace and goodwill towards men\u201d that Christmas season is supposed to take on. That being said, remembering … Continue reading