>>> DESERVING DADS IS BROUGHT BY
NETJETS.
WORLDWIDE LEADER.
>> YOU MIND IF I JUST PUT MY ACTION FIGURE HERE?ST PUT MY
ACTION FIGURE HERE? >> I DONT KNOW IF THAT IS
SUITABLE FOR MORNING TELEVISION.
THE BOTTOM OF THAT.
>> RIGHT.
>> WITH FATHERS DAY ON SUNDAY,
AL ROKER ON THE ROAD, SURPRISING
SOME DESERVING DADS ONCE AGAIN.
>> HIT A HOME RUN YESTERDAY,
GIVING A BALTIMORE ORIOLES FAN
THE GIG OF A LIFETIME.
TODAY, A DAD WHO HAS CELEBRATED SO MANY MILESTONES, IT WASRATED
SO MANY MILESTONES, IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SURPRISE
HIM.
HIM.
LETS GO DOWN TO THE BAHAMAS.
HEY, UNCLE AL. >> HEY, WELL SCORE A HOLE IN
ONE WITH THIS ONE.
WE HAVE ANOTHER AMAZING DAD.
HIS NAME IS HARTMAN REID.
FRIENDS CALL HIM HARDY.
HE TURNS 88 TODAY.
NAVY VETERAN FROM THE KOREAN
WAR, BREAKING COLOR BARRIERS
DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT, A FIREFIGHTER AND ALSO
A BUSINESSMAN.
A BUSINESSMAN. AND STILL PURSUING THE LOVE OF
GOLF WHILE RAISING FOUR KIDS.
MAKING HIM OUR DESERVING DAD
TODAY.
TODAY.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A SPECIAL
OCCASION FOR SOON-TO-BE 88-YEAR-OLD HARTMAN REID OF
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
WITH ALL THE HUGGING AND SINGING. THE HUGGING AND
SINGING.
AND DOING A DANCE HEART CALLS
THE RUSTY DUSTY. >> NOT MUCH OF A DANCE.
JUST SHAKING YOUR BOOTY.
>> Reporter: HARTS FAMILY SAYS
THEY DONT NEED A REASON TO
CELEBRATE HIM.
CELEBRATE HIM.
THEY JUST DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>> I THINK MY DAD IS ONE IN A
MILLION.
HE HAS SUCH AN AMAZING LIFE.
HES SO INSPIRATIONAL TO US.
>> I WILL AGREE THAT I HAVE DONE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.E DONE
A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST PART OF
LIFE.
LIFE.
>> Reporter: THIS INCREDIBLE
LIFE BEGAN IN A SMALL TOWN
OUTSIDE OF PITTSBURGH.
>> MOST EVERYBODY IN THE TOWN
WERE POOR.
THAT WAS A FEAR THAT IVE HAD
OVER THE YEARS, THAT I NEVER WANTED TO BE POOR AGAIN.EVER
WANTED TO BE POOR AGAIN. >> Reporter: THAT FEAR TURNED
INTO A FUEL TO PROVIDE A BETTER
LIFE FOR HIS WIFE AND FOUR KIDS.
FIRST, JOINING THE NAVY IN 1948.
THEN FOUR YEARS LATER, IN THE
EARLY DAYS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT, BECOMING ONE OF THE
FIRST PAID BLACK FIREFIGHTERS IN
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
>> THE FEELING WAS, A BLACK
DIDNT HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE A FIREMAN.VE THE COURAGE TO BE A
FIREMAN.
WE TRIED HARDER TO DO BETTER.
>> Reporter: BETTER HE DID.
GOING ON TO BECOME THE FIRST BLACK STATION COMMANDER SOUTH OF
THE MASON-DIXON LINE.
>> 27 YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE TO SAY, I LOVE THAT JOB.
YOU LEARN TO LOVE HELPING
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: SAVING PEOPLE BY
DAY AND DRIVING A TAXI AT NIGHT
TO MAKE ENDS MEET. EVENTUALLY, BECOMING A PARTNER
IN ONE OF THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN OWNED TAXICAB
COMPANIES IN VIRGINIA, WHICH HE
STILL RUNS TO THIS DAY.
>> I DIDNT KNOW THAT THE WORLD
THOUGHT MY DAD SHOULDNT BE A
FIREFIGHTER OR SHOULDNT OWN A
CAB COMPANY.
CAB COMPANY. IT WAS ALWAYS, WHATEVER YOU WANT
TO DO, DO IT.
>> Reporter: THAT INCLUDED
CADDYING PART TIME AT A
SEGREGATED GOLF CLUB.
SNEAKING BACK IN AFTER DARK TO
PLAY A ROUND ON THE BACK NINE
WITH ONE BALL AND ONE CLUB.
>> WE WOULDNT WANT THE
SUPERINTENDENT OR ANYBODY TO
THINK THAT WE WERE PLAYING WHEN
WE WERE OUT THERE, THEY CAUGHT
US.
US.
>> Reporter: GOLF IS STILL HARTS PASSION, BUT HIS TRUE
LOVE IS BEING A FAMILY MAN.
>> MY SISTER AND I WOULD WAIT
FOR HIM TO COME HOME FROM WORK.
HED COME IN THE HOUSE, AND HED
OPEN HIS ARMS WIDE.
HED SAY, POPS LITTLE GIRLS.
WED JUMP FROM THE TOP OF THE
STEPS INTO HIS ARMS.
HE NEVER DROPPED US.
I THINK ABOUT THAT, IN TERMS OF
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE.
WHERE HE SAYS, GO AHEAD AND
JUMP.
GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
IM WITH YOU.
I GOT YOU.
>> Reporter: AND ON THIS DAY, HART REID, WERE COMING FOR YOU.
WERE ASKING HIM TO PUT HIS
TRUST IN US FOR THE SURPRISE OF
A LIFETIME.
A LIFETIME. HELLO.
HELLO. HARTY REID.
HARTY REID. >> AL ROKER.
LOOKS LIKE YOUVE BEEN WITH NBC
AS LONG AS IVE BEEN ON EARTH.
>> Reporter: I AM AN OLD MAN.
HERES THE DEAL.
WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU AS A
DAD.
DAD.
OUR FRIENDS AT NETJETS WILL PUT
YOU ALL ON A PLANE, AND WERE
FLYING TO THE BAHAMAS. >> WERE GOING TO THE BAHAMAS!
>> Reporter: READY TO DO THE
RUSTY DUSTY IN THE BAHAMAS?
READY TO GO?
LETS GO!
LETS GO! >> OVERWHELMED.
>> OVERWHELMED. >> Reporter: THANKS TO DAD AIR
TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO WHERE
ITS BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS!
THATS RIGHT.
THATS RIGHT. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY. AS PART OF THAT, FOLKS HERE AT
THE ROYAL BLUE GOLF CLUB, THIS
IS THEIR GOLF PRO, THEY HAVE A
BRAND-NEW SET OF CLUBS FOR YOU.
SHES TAKING YOU OUT ON THE
COURSE TODAY.
COURSE TODAY.
>> GREAT.
>> Reporter: JACK NICKLAUS
INVITED YOU NEXT WEEK AT THE
CREIGHTON INVITATIONAL TO BE YOUR GUEST.NVITATIONAL TO BE
YOUR GUEST. YOULL BE WITH YOUR HERO.
YOU DIDNT THINK WED GET AWAY
WITHOUT A BIRTHDAY CAKE.
WE HAVE A BIRTHDAY CAKE FROM THE
FOLKS HERE.
FOLKS HERE. IT IS A GREEN CAKE.
THE GOLF BALL IS EDIBLE,
ACTUALLY.
ACTUALLY.
WELL BE EATING FOR A WHILE.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE VALLEY BOYS BAND TO PLAY "HAPPYALLEY
BOYS BAND TO PLAY "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" FOR YOU, HARTY REID.
♪
♪ >> AL, THAT WAS AWESOME.
GREAT.
GREAT.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> WOW.