Did you know that the tradition of NORAD tracking Santa started in 1955 when a department store mistakenly posted an important NORAD phone number intended for national emergencies?
Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, who was on duty at the time, answered the phone from a young child wanting to talk to Santa. Shoup reassured the child that though he couldn’t connect the child with Santa, they could still “see” Santa through NORAD’s radar, satellites, and jets—part of the sophisticated system used to protect North America.
This encounter has led to a beloved holiday tradition that has continued for decades. Now, each year, thousands of volunteers from the United States and Canada rally to support the very important mission of tracking the jolly gift-giving friend from the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
One of the dedicated volunteers this year is our very own MC1 Luke McCall! With a background in television and film and a passion for creativity, MC1 volunteered this year to support this time honored tradition. As he puts it, “Not everyone wants to miss the holiday season, so I’m more than happy to volunteer to give the time back to our active-duty counterparts.”
MC1 has spent his time with NORAD assisting with media outreach and volunteer coordination. He speaks to the incredible hard work that military members, DOD civilians, and volunteers pour into the tradition to keep it alive.
“They will be here doing the difficult work of coordination, media outreach, and location preparations during times when most of the rest of the military will have some time off for the holidays with no greater benefit to themselves except that they just made someone else’s holiday special,” said McCall. “That’s what this season is supposed to be about, giving to others without the expectation of a return on the investment.”
The mission isn't just about spreading holiday cheer; it reflects the real-world NORAD mission to track the North American airspace twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
| Date Taken: | 12.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2025 13:07 |
| Story ID: | 488390 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tracking Santa: A Tradition of Vigilance, Readiness, and International Cooperation, by PO2 Jayme Bresnahan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
