'IS THIS SANTA CLAUS?' HOW A WRONG NUMBER INSPIRED A COLONEL TO START THE NORAD TRADITION
When Harry Shoup joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what his goals were or what he thought he’d get out of it. However, it’s probably safe to say that his service to our nation would include the beginnings of a wonderful holiday tradition. Col. Harry Shoup would go on to have a decorated military career spanning multiple wars but a typo and the Christmas spirit forever changed his legacy.
Col. Harry Shoup Protects America From Nuclear War
A native of Bessemer, Pennsylvania, Col. Harry Shoup served in the U.S. Army Air Corps fighting in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War.
Operating in what would become the branch we now know as the Air Force, Col. Shoup’s impressive career included earning a Soldier’s Medal after he saved a man’s life.
Overall, Shoup would defend our nation for 28 years; however, it was his time during the Cold War that would go down in infamy.
With nuclear war a possibility at any given moment, Shoup found himself stationed at the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) in Colorado.
Similar to how the Army Air Corps came to be before the USAF, CONAD is known today as North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
The purpose of CONAD was to warn the United States of a potential bombing from the Soviet Union while controlling nuclear air defense weapons.
If a warning was found through CONAD, a counterattack could be launched to protect American weapons.
This is why any phone calls coming into the station were typically of a very serious nature. However, one holiday season, an accident would change everything and a place focused on national security would have to substitute as the North Pole.
A Misprint Births 'The Santa Colonel'
Working at CONAD was serious business, and that fit Shoup perfectly because it turns out he was a pretty serious guy.
So, you can imagine that receiving a prank phone call one night when national security was on the line, wasn’t well received.
“Is this Santa Claus?” It was these four words that would spark the now wildly popular tradition, NORAD Tracks Santa.
This was the voice of a young child asking an honest question only to be met with an angry Colonel Shoup demanding to know who dared prank their post.
However, instead of laughter or a Soldier confessing their mistake, Col. Shoup heard a much different reply—a crying child.
At this moment, he realized that he wasn't dealing with a bold yet misguided attempt at humor but rather an innocent kid just looking for St. Nick.
At this point, Shoup realized his mistake and comforted the child, posing as Santa, engaging in a spirited conversation, and then speaking to the child’s mother.
While she was embarrassed, it turns out that a local Sears ad was running a campaign for children to call and talk to Santa. However, the number was misprinted and the military’s unlisted number was sent out instead.
Shoup realized that more calls could come in for Santa and ordered the CONAD staff to report Santa’s location should a child call.
Thus began a new holiday tradition that is still in practice today. Known as 'The Santa Colonel', Shoup’s kind gesture spread holiday cheer and created a legacy that continues to evolve.
Col. Harry Shoup Changed Christmas Forever
It’s been 69 years since the first call on Christmas Eve came through and started it all. Today, CONAD might be NORAD but the tradition lives on.
Radio took over in the 1960s, finding location details from NORAD along his journey and the next decade would give way to infomercials on TV.
By the time the ‘90s came around, the Internet was becoming more widespread acceptance, and users could track Santa’s location through the World Wide Web.
These days, you can still track online, through various social media accounts, and yes, a good old-fashioned phone call.
Volunteers help answer more than 100,000 calls per year for NORAD helping curious kids track Santa’s journey in the hope of presents under their tree on Christmas morning.
Col. Harry Shoup may have retired in 1968 and passed away in 2009 but 'The Santa Colonel’s' legacy lives on. To enjoy some holiday cheer, click the link to track Santa online this year.
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