Great Americans: A conversation with Harlan Kredit

PARK WHERE A MAN IS SETTING RECORDS FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO THE. HIS COMMITMENT TO THE JOJOB. OUR GREAT AMERICAN. JOB. OUR GREAT AMERICAN TOTONIGHT, PARK RANGER. OUR GREAEAT AMERICAN TONIGHT, PARK RANGER HARLEM KREDIT. TONIGHT, PARK RANGER HARLEM KREDIT. >> BY THE TIME HARLAN. HARLEM KREDIT. >> BY THE TIME HARLAN KREDIT SUITED UP AS A. >> BY THE TIME HARLAN KREDIT SUITED UP AS A RANGER AT YELLOWSTONE. KREDIT SUITED UP AS A RANGER AT T YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN THE. RARANGER AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN THE SUMMER OF '71. NATIONAL P PARK IN THE SUMMER OF '71. HE WAS ALREADY HOOKED. SUMMER OF '71. HE WAS ALREADY HOOKED. >> I SAW THE SIZE OF. HE WAS ALREADY HOOKED. >> I SAW THE SIZE E OF THIS PARTICULAR LAKE. >> I SAW THE SIZE OF THIS PARTICULAR LALAKE AND THAT BEAUTIFUL. AND THAT BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN BEHIND IT AND THE ANIMIMALS AROUND IT. MOUNTAIN BEHIND IT AND THE ANIMALS AROUND IT. . THE ANIMALS ARAROUND IT. . IT WAS A SENSE OF AWE. . IT WAS A SENSE OF AWE AND WE NEED TO TAKE. AND WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PLACE FOR OTHER GENERATIONS.

CARE OF THIS PLACE FOR OTHER R GENERATIONS. IT FELT IMPORTANT TO. . IT FELT IMIMPORTANT TO ME. THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL. THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL VIEW ROICHLT THAT SUSUMMER JOB QUICKLY. SUMMER JOB QUICKLY TURNED INTO A LIFE OF SERVICE. TURNED INTO A LIFE OF SERVICE. >> T THE FIRST SUMMER. SERVICE. >> THE FIRST SUMMER BECAME THE SECOND. >> THE FIRST SUMMER BECAME THEHE SECOND SUMMER AND THIRD. SUMMER AND THIRD SUMMER. YOU JUST K KIND OF A. SUMMER. YOU JUST KIND OF A PART OF YOUR DNA. YOU JUST KIND OF A PART OF F YOUR DNA. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO IN. PART OF YOUR DNA. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO IN THE SUMMERTIME. THE SUMMERTIME. >> Reporter: FIVE DECADES LATER, HE IS. >> Reporter: FIVE DECADES LATER,R, HE IS BELIEVED TO BE THE. BELIEVED TO BE THE LONGEST SERVING RANGER IN THE PARK'S HISTORY. LONGEST SERVING RANGER IN T THE PARK'S HISTORY. A FIXTURE HERE ON THE. IN THE PARK'S HISTORY. A FIXTURE HERE ON THE BANKS OF LAKE. A FIXTURE HERE ON THE BANKS OF LAKE YELLLLOWSTONE. BANKS OFOF LAKE YELLOWSTONE. DRAWN BACK BY THAT. YELLOWSTONE. DRAWN BACK BY THATAT ENDURING MISSION. DRAWN BACK BY THAT ENDURING MISSION. >> THIS BELONGS TO ALL. ENDURING MISSION. >> THIS BELOLONGS TO ALL OF US. >> THIS BELONGS TO ALL OF US. WE GOT TYKE CARE OF.

OF US. WE GOT TYKE CARE OF THISIS PLACE. THIS PLACE. >> Reporter: HE HAS WORN MANY HATS OVEVER. WORN MANY HATS OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING NEARLY FOUR DECADES. THE YEARS, INCLUDING NEARLY FOUR R DECADES WITH THE FIRE. NEARLY FOUR DECADES WITH THEHE FIRE DEPARTMENT. DEPARTMENT. THE MOMENT THAT SEARED IN HISIS MEMORY MOST, A. THE MOMENT THAT SEARED IN HIS MEMORY MOST, A NIGHT IN 1993 WHEN A. IN HIS MEMORY MOST, A NIGHT IN 1993 WHEN A CALL CAME OVER THE. NIGHT IN 1993 WHEN A CALL CAME OVER THE RADIO O OF A MISSING. CALL CAME OVER THE RADIO OF A MISSING TODDLER. RADIO OF A MISSING TODDLER. >> I THOUGHT AT 3:00. >> I THOUGHT AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING THERERE, NO WAY THIS CHILD IS. IN THE MORNING THERE, NO WAY THIS CHILD IS ALIVE. ALIVE. >> Reporter: SEVEN HOURS INTO A GRUELING. >> Reporter: SEVEN HOURS INTO A GRUELING ALALL-OUT SEARCH WITH. HOURS INTOTO A GRUELING ALL-OUT SEARCH WITH HOPE RUNNING OUT, ALL-OUT SEARCH WITH HOPE RUNNING OUT, HARLAN REMEMBERS. HOPE RUNNING OUT, HARLAN REMEMBERS HESITATINGNG BRIEFLY AS. HARLAN REMEMBERS HESITATING BRIEFLY AS HE WALKED PAST A SMALL. HESITATING BRIEFLY AS HE WALKED PAPAST A SMALL CLUSTER OF TREES.

CLUSTER OF TREES. >> I CAME BACK ANDND KICKED MY FEET. KICKED MY FEET UNDERNEATH AND THERE THAT BABY WAS S THERE. UNDERNEATH AND THERE THAT BABY WAS THERE. I AM HOLDING THAT BABY. THAT BABY WAS S THERE. I AM HOLDING THAT BABY AND I REALIZE, GOD AND. I AM HOLDING THAT BABY AND I REALIZE, GOD AND I ARE E THE ONLY ONES. AND I REALIZE, GOD AND I ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT K KNOW THE CHILD IS. I ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT KNOW THE CHILD IS ALIVE. ALIVE. THAT'S A HIGH POINT. >> Reporter: TODAY, THAT'S A HIGH POINT. >> Reporter: TODAY, EVEN THOUGH HE IS 86. >> Reporter: TODAY, EVEN THOUGH H HE IS 86 YEARS OLD, YOU WON'T. EVEN THOUGH HE IS 86 YEARS OLD, YOUOU WON'T FIND HARLAN BEHIND A. FIND HARLAN BEHIND A DESK. HE IS STILL OUT THERE. DEDESK. HE IS STILL OUT THERE DOING WHAT HE LOVES, HE IS STILL OUT THERE DOING WHAT HE LOVES, SPENDING TIME WITH. SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE, TEACHING THEM ABOUT THE NATURAL. ABOUT THE NATURAL WONDERS OF THIS STUNNING PLACE. WONDERS OF THIS STUNNING PLACE. >> THE UNIQUE PART IS. STUNNING PLACE. >> THE UNIQUE PART IS WE OWN IT TOGETHER. >> THE UNIQUE PART IS WE OWN IT TOGEGETHER. WE THE PEOPLE, WE THE. WE OWN IT TOGETHER. WE THE PEOPLE, WE THE PEOPLE OWN THIS. WE THE PEOPLE, WE THE PEOPLE OWN THIS. NOT SOMEBODY ELSE.

PEOPLE OWN THIS. NOT SOMEBODYDY ELSE. THIS BELONGS TO US. NOT SOMEBODY ELSE. THIS BELONGS TO US. THAT'S A UNIQUELY. THIS BELONGS TO US. THAT'S A UNIQUELY AMERICAN IDEA. THAT'S A UNIQUELY AMERICANAN IDEA. >> Reporter: HE'S. >> Reporter: HE'S PASSED THAT PASSION N FOR THIS PART OF OUR. PASSED THAT PASSION FOR THTHIS PART OF OUR COUNTRY'S STORY TO HIS. FOR THIS PART OF OUR COUNTRY'S STORY TO HIS FAMILY WITH THREE. FAMILY WITH THREE GENERATIONS NOW WORKING OR. GENERATIONS NOW WORKINING OR VOLUNTEERING HERE, WORKING OR VOLUNTEERING HERERE, INCLUDING TWO. VOLUNTNTEERING HERE, INCLUDING TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS AND HIS. GRANDDAUGHTERS AND HIS GRANDSON, COLIN. >> IT'S S CRAZY HE HAS. GRANDSON, COLIN. >> IT'S CRAZAZY HE HAS BEEN HERE SO LONG. >> IT'S CRAZY HEHE HAS BEEN HERE SO LONG. HE HAS HAD, LIKE, TENS. BEEN HERE SO LONG. HE HAS HAD, LIKE, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES. HE HAS HAD, LIKE, TENS OF THOUSANDSDS OF LIVES. HE IS THE EMBODIED OF. HE IS THE EMBODIED OF A GREAT AMERICAN. HE STANDS FOR, I. A GREAT AMERICAN. HE STANDS FOR, I THTHINK, WHAT AMERICA. HE STATANDS FOR, I THINK, WHAT AMERICA SHOULD BE ABOUT.

THINK, WHAT AMERICA SHOULD BE ABOUT. >> Reporter: HIS. SHOULD BE ABOUT. >> Reporter: HIS IMPACT AS VAVAST AS.