Episode 259 - The Santa Colonel: 70 Years of Christmas Magic
This week Dianne and Jennie are getting into the holiday spirit with the heartwarming story of Colonel Harry Shoup, the Air Force officer who answered a mistaken phone call from a little girl looking for Santa. His kindness sparked a tradition that's tracked Santa for 70 years! Ever wondered how NORAD got involved? Tune in to hear the Ordinary Extraordinary, magical Christmas tale!
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It may not be Christmas Eve yet, but read stories, play games and more, and of course, track Santa with NORAD on Christmas Eve at:https://www.noradsanta.org/en/
Images of Col. Harry Shoup and the Sears Santa add are in the Public Domain. Image of Col. Shoup's grave taken by Jennie Johnson.
Resources used to research this episode include: DME Interns. "Harry Shoup: The Santa Colonel ." https://news.va.gov/. 24 Dec. 2021. news.va.gov/98635/harry-shoup-the-santa-colonel/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Young, Olivia. "Colorado woman recalls phone call that transformed father into NORAD's "Santa Colonel" ." https://www.cbsnews.com/. 24 Dec. 2024. www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-woman-recalls-phone-call-transformed-father-norads-santa-colonel/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
Multiple Contributors . "NORAD Tracks Santa ." https://en.wikipedia.org/. 6 Nov. 2024. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORAD_Tracks_Santa. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
The Gazette . "Harry Wesley Shoup ." https://obits.gazette.com/. 18 Mar. 2009. obits.gazette.com/us/obituaries/gazette/name/harry-shoup-obituary?id=23024681. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
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