TECUMSEH –  The North American Aerospace Defense Command is in its 69th year of tracking Santa this year, but got its start in 1955 with the help of a Tecumseh man.

NORAD’s Santa tracking service allows people to follow his Christmas journey through its noradsanta.org website. It includes data on miles flown and gifts delivered. The system was activated at 6 a.m. Christmas Eve.

CNN news says the tracking will help people identify Santa’s sleigh from unwelcomed drones over portions of the United States.

 

NORAD says the tracking started by accident when a local newspaper advertisement informed children they could call Santa directly, only the contact number was misprinted. Instead of ringing Santa, they called the Continental Air Defense Command Center in Colorado Springs. The tradition continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.

Tecumseh’s Col. Barney Oldfield is credited for helping get the tradition started.

Judy Coe of Tecumseh says most of the credit goes to Harry Shoup, the Santa colonel, when someone on his staff put a picture of Santa Claus on a board used to track unidentified air craft. Coe says Oldfield was the one who informed the media that Continental Air Defense Command was tracking Santa’s route.

 

Oldfield announced that the armed forces would track and guard Santa Claus on his trip to and from the United States against possible attacks from those who do not believe in Christmas.

Coe said Shoup did not want to repeat the stunt, but Oldfield convinced him of its public relations value.