WEBVTT 00:01.640 --> 00:03.751 well thank you general for taking the 00:03.751 --> 00:05.807 time to talk to us out here . Yeah , 00:05.807 --> 00:08.029 we're in sacramento California . And uh 00:08.029 --> 00:10.084 my first question is , how long have 00:10.084 --> 00:12.307 you guys been tracking santa ? How many 00:12.307 --> 00:15.600 years has it been ? So NORAD has been 00:15.600 --> 00:18.460 tracking Santa for 66 years . We 00:18.470 --> 00:22.050 started um 66 years ago 00:22.060 --> 00:25.610 uh an ad in a local paper was put in by 00:25.610 --> 00:28.940 a local department store um giving kids 00:28.940 --> 00:31.970 a phone number to call on christmas eve 00:31.980 --> 00:33.870 to track santa turns out that the 00:33.870 --> 00:36.092 number that they put into the newspaper 00:36.092 --> 00:38.148 was a wrong number and they actually 00:38.148 --> 00:40.370 gave the number to NORAD headquarters . 00:40.370 --> 00:42.940 Uh so colonel shoup understanding what 00:42.940 --> 00:44.773 was happening , provided all the 00:44.773 --> 00:46.940 information to the child who called in 00:46.940 --> 00:49.162 and that started a tradition that we've 00:49.162 --> 00:51.550 been uh keeping alive for 66 years now , 00:52.740 --> 00:54.907 wow , that's amazing . I had no idea . 00:54.907 --> 00:57.018 That's how it started . Um Also maybe 00:57.018 --> 00:59.190 back back then the security risk for 00:59.190 --> 01:01.301 maybe a little lower and you can just 01:01.301 --> 01:03.412 dial up a wrong number and get Nora . 01:03.412 --> 01:07.270 That's that's interesting . Well so 01:07.270 --> 01:09.548 tell me tell me this committee general , 01:09.548 --> 01:11.659 um where does the santa usually start 01:11.659 --> 01:13.881 at the same location every year ? Where 01:13.881 --> 01:15.714 do you , where do you guys start 01:15.714 --> 01:15.430 picking them up ? I understand you know , 01:15.430 --> 01:17.990 NORAD with it maybe in our hemisphere 01:17.990 --> 01:20.101 up here , but where where do you guys 01:20.101 --> 01:22.268 traditionally start picking up santa . 01:22.268 --> 01:22.170 Where does it usually end up at the end 01:22.170 --> 01:25.650 of the night ? So the the flight 01:25.650 --> 01:28.510 plan . So it's it's an enterprise that 01:28.510 --> 01:30.621 takes all year to plan . So the elves 01:30.621 --> 01:32.788 do a fantastic job of making sure that 01:32.788 --> 01:34.899 they plant santa's route every year . 01:34.899 --> 01:37.121 It takes them all year to do that . And 01:37.121 --> 01:39.121 the , the route varies a little bit 01:39.121 --> 01:41.600 every year based on different weather 01:41.600 --> 01:44.250 systems . But he essentially , he 01:44.250 --> 01:46.417 starts from the North Pole obviously . 01:46.417 --> 01:48.420 Uh , and he works his way from the 01:48.420 --> 01:51.410 international date line , going east to 01:51.410 --> 01:54.270 west , hitting all the time zones uh , 01:54.270 --> 01:58.170 and usually arrives between uh , 9 01:58.170 --> 02:01.860 45 and quarter to 12 on christmas eve . 02:03.640 --> 02:05.862 Gotcha . Is that the same ? Is that the 02:05.862 --> 02:07.751 same kind of time frame for us in 02:07.751 --> 02:10.550 northern California as well ? It is . 02:10.560 --> 02:14.080 Uh , so anytime after nine o'clock is 02:14.080 --> 02:16.310 as when you can expect him to be in 02:16.310 --> 02:18.532 California . So it's important for kids 02:18.532 --> 02:20.560 to get to bed early . Uh , santa 02:20.570 --> 02:22.670 delivers his gifts once everybody in 02:22.670 --> 02:24.614 the house is in bed and sleeping . 02:27.240 --> 02:29.296 What is your , what is your favorite 02:29.296 --> 02:31.462 part of this , this tradition that you 02:31.462 --> 02:33.573 guys have obviously been going on for 02:33.573 --> 02:35.684 over 60 years . What is your favorite 02:35.684 --> 02:39.120 part of all this ? Uh , the kids 02:39.130 --> 02:41.690 talking to the kids and uh , you know , 02:41.690 --> 02:44.100 hearing the magic in their voice and 02:44.100 --> 02:46.350 their anticipation that that's the best 02:46.350 --> 02:49.220 part for us . Do you guys still take 02:49.220 --> 02:52.660 phone calls ? We do . We've 02:52.660 --> 02:55.260 got , we've got an army of volunteers 02:55.260 --> 02:57.810 here . Uh , santa helpers that are 02:57.810 --> 03:00.300 going to be on the phone uh , 03:00.310 --> 03:02.700 throughout the day , right up until 12 03:02.700 --> 03:05.700 o'clock tonight . Uh , so , so we will 03:05.700 --> 03:07.700 be answering questions all day . We 03:07.700 --> 03:09.922 started early this morning and we'll be 03:09.922 --> 03:13.020 here all day . That's awesome . What is 03:13.020 --> 03:15.370 your , what is your christmas message 03:15.370 --> 03:17.703 to our viewers and to uh , to the world ? 03:20.040 --> 03:22.320 Just have a very merry christmas and 03:22.330 --> 03:26.090 enjoy , you know , good health family 03:26.100 --> 03:29.820 if if you can uh , and just enjoy 03:29.820 --> 03:32.450 the peace that that's offered uh , 03:33.040 --> 03:36.180 throughout the year , you're well , 03:36.180 --> 03:38.402 thank you so much . I really appreciate 03:38.402 --> 03:40.513 you taking the time to talk to us and 03:40.513 --> 03:42.791 you have a good happy holiday yourself , 03:42.791 --> 03:42.130 sir , and thank you for your service . 03:43.840 --> 03:46.062 Thank you very much . Merry christmas . 03:46.640 --> 03:49.860 Take care . Thank you .