© Mark Ollig
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will once again be tracking Santa Claus and his reindeer team as they travel around the world this Christmas.
In 1955, NORAD was known as CONAD (Continental Air Defense Command) and was headquartered at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO.
It served as America’s first defense 24/7 against potential long-range bomber threats during the Cold War, as heightened tensions existed between the US and the Soviet Union.
CONAD assisted the US Strategic Air Command in detecting potential surprise attacks.
Its radar remained alert for any nuclear-armed Soviet Union bomber planes flying over the North Pole and approaching the United States through Canada.
In 1955, the Soviet Union was unable to launch a powerful enough rocket with a nuclear warhead to reach the United States — that is, until August 21, 1957, when it successfully tested the R-7 Semyorka, a multi-stage intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
CONAD’s primary purpose during this period was to provide enough warning of a Soviet bomber air raid, enabling Strategic Air Command to counterattack before being targeted and destroyed.
In the event of an impending attack, a senior Pentagon official or high-ranking general would contact CONAD using the red hotline telephone.
A Dec. 24, 1955, Colorado Springs morning newspaper advertisement for the Sears, Roebuck, and Co. department store in Colorado Springs, CO, marked the beginning of this story between NORAD and Santa Claus.
The printed ad features the image of a smiling Santa saying, “Hey, kiddies! Call me directly on my ME2-6681 Merry Xmas telephone. Just dial ME2-6681. I will talk to you personally any time day or night.”
However, the newspaper incorrectly printed Santa’s phone number by one digit and instead published the number for the red hotline telephone of the Central Defense Operations Command Center at CONAD.
Of course, you know what happened next.
On Saturday, Dec. 24, 1955, the Central Defense Operations Command Center’s red hotline telephone inside CONAD started ringing.
US Air Force Colonel Harry W. Shoup, a WWII and Korean War veteran, was the operations duty director at CONAD.
All eyes were on Colonel Shoup as he lifted the red phone’s handset.
He believed it to be a call from a high-ranking military official, such as a Joint Chiefs of Staff member or four-star General Earle E. Partridge.
“Yes, sir, this is Colonel Shoup,” he quickly says.
There is only silence on the other end of the telephone line.
“Sir, can you read me, alright?” Colonel Shoup asks.
He hears a small, hesitant child’s voice through the telephone receiver say, “Is this Santa Claus?”
The Colonel stopped for a moment, looking a bit confused.
Thinking it was a prank call, Col. Shoup firmly demands, “Would you repeat that?”
“Is this Santa Claus?” the child says.
Colonel Shoup then carefully looks around the room at the faces in the Central Defense Operations Command Center and loudly says, “Somebody’s playing a joke on me, and this isn’t funny!”
The personnel in the command center conveyed confused expressions, unsure if this was a serious situation or some bizarre joke.
Someone walked up to inform Colonel Shoup that the person on the phone was not a prankster but a child calling the Santa Claus telephone number advertised in the Sears, Roebuck, and Co. newspaper ad.
Colonel Shoup, a father of four, quickly pivots his emotions to a caring dad, and he cheerfully talks to the child as Santa Claus would, saying, “Have you been good this year?”
As soon as the child heard the sound of “Santa,” their spirits were lifted, and they began enthusiastically talking about the presents they hoped to receive for Christmas.
Later, Colonel Shoup spoke with the child’s mother to let her know the gifts the child asked for.
Soon after, the bright red phone rang continuously with excited children wanting to speak with Santa.
Colonel Shoup then had a change of heart and instructed the members of his defense operations center to take on the role of Santa’s helpers whenever a child called.
That’s right, folks. The Continental Air Defense Command hotline was doing double duty as the Santa Helpers hotline.
CONAD’s radar-tracking operations center personnel who took the children’s calls updated them about Santa and his reindeer’s whereabouts using ground radar and the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment Air Defense System (SAGE) computing network.
Since 1955, NORAD has tracked the worldwide Christmas journey of Santa Claus and his reindeer team.
The NORAD Santa Tracker website (https://www.noradsanta.org) features a countdown clock, games, movies, music, and a mobile app to track Santa.
On Sunday, Dec. 24, you can get updates from NORAD on Santa and his reindeer sleigh’s location by calling 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).
Colonel Harry Wesley Shoup, also known as “the Santa Colonel,” shared NORAD’s role in bringing joy to children worldwide until his passing March 14, 2009, at age 91 in Colorado Springs, CO.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
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| Colonel Harry Wesley Shoup |