In an era when American military engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to generate controversy at home and abroad, the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program provides a surprising--and surprisingly long-term--dose of goodwill from Uncle Sam. This week Cnet reported on the heartwarming history of the program.

It all began due to a cold-war typo that could have started World War III. According to Cnet, in 1955 a Sears store in NORAD's Colorado Springs headquarters location published a holiday ad
with a phone number for kids to call Santa Claus. The number was a misprint--instead of Santa, the number actually led to the "red phone" at NORAD reserved for signaling a Soviet missile attack.

Luckily, NORAD staff figured out why a a stream of children were calling the number asking for St. Nick, and eventually began playing along. Ever since, NORAD has provided a phone number for kids--and adults--around the world to call to learn Santa's status on Christmas Eve. The hotline became a website in 1998.

This year, Christmas Eve visitors to the NORAD Tracks Santa site can enjoy real-time Google Earth tracking and Youtube video flybys of the jolly old elf, and can also follow along via a new Santa-tracker Facebook page and Twitter account.

Is a holiday website to track Santa an appropriate use of U.S. tax dollars? (Even if, as Cnet notes, the project includes a heavy volunteer effort?) Looking at the alternative military uses for the money Americans have been looking at all year, who would be Grinch-y enough to say no?