Santa Claus is coming to town. We know this because the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has once again commenced tracking the progress of the jolly old elf as he makes his appointed rounds on Christmas Eve.
NORAD is a joint military command shared by the United States and Canada that closely monitors virtually everything that flies over North America. Each year on December 24, its sophisticated surveillance array of satellites, radars and fighter aircraft is trained upon the North Pole awaiting the departure of Santa Claus and his gift-laden sleigh. Once airborne, Santa's progress is continuously updated throughout his nocturnal mission, to the delight of children of all ages.
So how did one of the world's most advanced military installations take on the mission of tracking St. Nick? By a fortuitous accident and the heart-warming response of a caring Air Force officer.
On Christmas Eve in 1955, the Sears store in Colorado Springs ran a newspaper ad inviting children to call Santa Claus directly on his personal phone line. In the event, the number printed in the paper was off by one digit. Instead of reaching the North Pole, the first young caller reached Col. Harry Shoup, the duty officer assigned to the emergency line at the Continental Air Defense Command (the predecessor of NORAD).
At first Col. Shoup assumed the call was a practical joke. He soon realized, however, what had happened, and decided to play along. First, he assigned several other airmen to take the incoming calls and report the latest known location of Santa. Then he called the local radio station to report an unidentified flying object that "looks like a sleigh." This was followed with hourly updates on the progress of the journey, and a charming holiday tradition was born.
Today, the tradition continues thanks to the generosity of a number of corporate sponsors and over 1,200 volunteers from the U.S. and Canadian military and civilian defense departments.
Interested parties (and who isn't?) can log on to the official NORAD tracking website at NoradSanta.com to learn more about Santa's annual mission, play games, and visit the virtual gift shop. The site also offers technical data regarding the sleigh and Santa's reindeer, as well as answers to (or more properly speculation regarding) frequently asked questions.
Of course, apps are available for the iPhone, Android and Windows phone as well. Updates are also available all day on Christmas Eve via email as noted on the website. And just as in 1955, children can still speak directly with a NORAD operations staff member by calling 1-877-446-6723 any time today after 3 a.m.
Col. Shoup's children recently recounted his story for the NPR StoryCorps project. They told of how he continued to carry a briefcase full of thank-you letters with him well into his 90s. And while he was an accomplished military officer, they noted that his role in establishing the long-lived tradition of tracking Santa was the thing of which he was proudest.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all.
Christopher A. Hopkins, CFA, is a vice president and portfolio manager for Barnett & Co. Advisors.