Strangers pitch in to buy air conditioner for 95-year-old Texas man

last updated 15 June 2017

This summer won't be a sweltering one for Julius Hatley, 95, who received a new air conditioner from two Fort Worth police officers and employees at a local Home Depot.

Last week, Hatley called 911 for an emergency — his central air conditioning and window unit were both broken, and he felt overheated. When officers William Margolis and Christopher Weir arrived at his home, they discovered it was about 90 degrees inside, and it was only 8:30 a.m. They didn't know how to fix the window unit, so they went to the Home Depot for a new one, and while there, they shared Hatley's story. Several employees donated $150 to the cause, and the officers went back and installed the unit for a grateful Hatley.

"He said he knew if he needed help to call 911 and we actually were able to help him," Margolis told CBS News. "So, he was really excited about it." Weir's wife shared the story on Facebook, and a company came forward and said they would fix Hatley's central air conditioning for free; others offered to replace his windows, paint his house, and make sure he has groceries every week. Margolis said he plans on keeping in touch with Hatley, and will stop by occasionally. "He's 95 years old and he's a World War II veteran," he said. "He's a hero. In our eyes, he's our hero." Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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