92-Year-Old Man Volunteers With NYPD

92 AND STILL EXPLORING HIS
OPTIONS.
CBS 2'S DANA TYLER INTRODUCES
US TO THIS ORDINARY MAN WITH
AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.
WHEN DID YOU PLAN TO
RETIRE?
I DON'T.
[ LAUGHTER ]
Reporter: IT'S NO LAUGHING
MATTER TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
47th PRECINCT IN THE BRONX.
EUGENE IS A FIXTURE FOUR DAYS
A WEEK VOLUNTEERING AS A
CAPTAIN OF THE AUXILLIARY
POLICE PROGRAM.
HE BRINGS A WEALTH OF
KNOWLEDGE AND LIFE EXPERIENCE.
Reporter: LIFE EXPERIENCE,
AMASSED OVER 92 YEARS, THAT'S
SO INCREDIBLE, HIS SON EDDIE
SAYS, IT COULD BE RIGHT OUT OF
A MOVIE!
.
WHEN YOU TELL THAT TO
PEOPLE, THEY THINK YOU'RE
FORREST GUMP.
Reporter: YOU COULD SAY
EUGENE'S LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF
CHOCOLATE.
MY DAD WAS A WORLD WAR II
VETERAN AT OKINAWA.
HE WAS ON THE USS MIDWAY
DURING THE KOREAN WAR.
HE WAS CALLED TO GO TO THIS
TOP SECRET ORGANIZATION.
Reporter: THIS BROOKLYN
NATIVE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE IN
THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT
TIME.
WHEN HE WAS 16, HE TRIED TO
JOIN THE MARINES.
THE RECRUITER SUGGESTED THE
ARMY, EUGENE ENDED UP IN THE
NAVY.
SO I SIGNED THE PAPERS.
Reporter: SETTING IN MOTION
A COURSE OF EVENTS HE NEVER
COULD HAVE EXPECTED.
TELL ME WHAT THIS PICTURE,
GENE.
THAT'S THE PHILIPPINES WHEN
MACARTHUR WAS COMING ASHORE
AND I'M IN THAT PICTURE THERE.
Reporter: TODAY, WE MIGHT
CALL IT PHOTO BOMBING.
IN THE ICONIC WORLD WAR II
IMAGE A FIVE-STAR IMAGE OF
DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, LOOK TO THE
FAR RIGHT.
THREE SAILORS THAT WERE
SOAKING WET.
HE IS IN THE MIDDLE.
IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING.
Reporter: REMEMBER THAT TOP
SECRET ORGANIZATION EDDIE
MENTIONED?
TODAY, WE KNOW IT IS NASA.
DAD HAS HIS NAME ON THE
MOON.
Reporter: EUGENE WAS
RECRUITED AS ONE OF THE
ORIGINAL ENGINEERS TO WORK ON
THE LUNAR MODULES FOR GRUMMAN
AIRCRAFT IN BETHPAGE.
THE MODULES CARRY ASTRONAUTS
TO AND FROM THE SURFACE OF THE
MOON WHERE THEY LEFT A SCROLL
SIGNED BY ALL OF THE PEOPLE
WHO WORKED ON THE PROGRAM
INCLUDING YOU GUESSED IT
EUGENE FASTOOK.
YOU'RE STILL ON THE MOON!
Reporter: THERE FOREVER.
[ LAUGHTER ]
Reporter: NOTHING BROUGHT
HIM MORE PRIDE THAN HIS
FAMILY.
HE WAS MARRIED TO HIS WIDE
LYDIA FOR 66 BEFORE SHE DIED
IN 2015.
AND, OF COURSE, THEIR SONS
JAMES AND EDDIE.
THE VALUES THAT WERE
INSTILLED BY BOTH MY MOM AND
MY DAD ARE JUST PART OF THAT
GENERATION.
Reporter: VALUESEN THAT
COURAGE JAMES TO BECOME AN
ATTORNEY -- THAT ENCOURAGED
JAMES TO BECOME AN ATTORNEY
AND EDDIE THE NYPD AND LATER
THE DIRECTOR OF TEAM SECURITY
FOR THE YANKEES.
IT WAS HIS SON DEDICATION TO
THEIR JOBS THAT INSPIRED THEIR
DAD TO GET HIS NEXT CALLING.
THERE'S NO BETTER
ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE
AUXILIARY PROGRAM THAN FOLKS
LIKE GENE.
Reporter: 36 YEARS LATER HE
IS STILL SERVING THE RESIDENTS
OF THE COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE LIVE HERE, THEY GET
A LOT OUT OF THIS COUNTRY, DO
SOMETHING TO GIVE BACK.
Reporter: WHAT DOES THE
NEXT CHAPTER HOLD FOR EUGENE?
YOU'VE LIVED QUITE A LIFE.
INTERESTING.
[ LAUGHTER ] INTERESTING.
RIGHT.
I WOULDN'T WRITE A BOOK ABOUT
IT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
Reporter: YES, BUT YOU
COULD WRITE A BOOK.
EUGENE ALSO DROVE ASTRONAUT
JOHN GLENN AROUND WHILE THEY
WORKED TOGETHER FOR THE SPACE
PROGRAM IN BETHPAGE.
TODAY EUGENE STILL DRIVES
HIMSELF, 92 YEARS OLD, FOUR
DAYS A WEEK TO HIS BRONX
PRECINCT WHERE HE MENTORS NEW
RECRUITS AND HAS PLENTY OF
STORIES TO TELL.
HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS
MAN?
WELL, IT WAS -- AND WHAT,
AND WHAT?!
ON TOP OF ALL THAT, IN HIS
NEIGHBORHOOD, EDDIE WAS SAYING
EVERYBODY USED TO GO OVER TO
THE FASTOOK HOUSE BECAUSE
EUGENE COULD FIX ANYTHING.
CAN YOU FIX THE REFRIGERATOR?
CAN YOU FIX THE, YOU KNOW,
THE IRON?
BECAUSE HE WORKED ON THE
MODULE FOR NASA.
[ LAUGHTER ]
IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WONDER WHAT HE DIDN'T GET
TO TELL YOU.
THERE'S SO MUCH MORE.
I KNOW.
I KNOW.
HE IS REALLY -- IT WAS
WONDERFUL TO TALK WITH HIM.
NOTHING HE CAN'T DO.
AND AGAIN, WHY WE ALL

92-Year-Old Man Volunteers With NYPD

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