In 1955, Sears Roebuck & Co. ran an advertisement with a phone number that children could call to speak with Santa. Due to a misprint, the number connected to Col. Harry Shoup’s desk at the Continental Air Defense Command. That unexpected call set in motion a holiday tradition beloved by millions.
Col. Shoup answered the call of a child asking for Santa, initially annoyed but then wittily entertained. With his airmen, they began tracking Santa’s sleigh as it flew across the night sky, generating excitement among the kids and the military staff.
Next thing you know, Dad had called the radio station and said, ‘This is the commander at the Combat Alert Center, and we have an unidentified flying object. Why, it looks like a sleigh.’ The stations started checking in about Santa's whereabouts every hour, weaving NORAD into Christmas folklore.
Col. Shoup's initiative turned into an annual program where thousands of volunteers answer phones and track Santa’s progress, illustrating how a simple mistake led to a cherished aspect of Christmas celebrated around the world.
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