I've had many jobs since I turned sixteen (a "few" years ago). It's been an amazing journey with lot's of variety. I started out flipping burgers at Wendy's. Then I went on to become a Boiler Technician, and after that- I became a Boiler Operator. Now I am a Boiler Plant Operator. How's that for variety!

My most favorite job was more of an assignment. Special Assistant to Major Motion Picture Star/Director Leonard Nimoy. RangerSAtMMPSDLNDan... that was my job title for a week or so back in the eighties. For some reason, no one called me that though. They gave me the endearing nickname of "gofer" instead.

The movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, had several scene's from the USS Ranger. They used their Hollywood magic to turn it into the USS Enterprise- by changing the banner draped across the gang way. Or whatever that stairway leading onto the ship is called. Hey, it's been awhile, and I've lost a few brain cells since then. At any rate, they wanted the Enterprise. Make's no sense to me, seeing as how the Ranger was the finest ship afloat. I believe it had something to do with a story line from the Star Trek TV show.

Long movie story made short:

The crew of the Enterprise must go back in time to save a whale, in order to save themselves. They're also short on nuclear fuel. What to do? Why just sneak aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprize and zap some into your handheld electronic device. It's all good! Except for the fact that the United States Military doesn't show off their nuclear reactors for just anyone. Not even Hollywood.

Nuclear Reactors and Boilers do the same thing. They generate steam. So if you can't film inside of a Reactor Room.. go for the Boiler Room. They did.

I was ordered to pick one person who would assist and stand watch while they were filming. Hummm, tough question. After seconds of thought I picked the best person. Me.

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Lt. Uhura and Mr. Chekov had the job of collecting nuclear material (from the core of a reactor) aboard the Aircraft Carrier. The scene is three minutes long in the movie, but it took a week to set up. They filmed for three days after that. All for a few minutes in a two hour film.

The first person I met was my new boss, Leonard Nimoy. AKA Mr. Spock. He was there to look at the Machinery Room and get a feel for the upcoming scene. In the movie, Mr. Spock is off in another part of California looking for a whale (and learning cuss words). In the scenes from the Ranger- Mr. Nimoy was directing the movie, so I didn't get to see his Vulcan ears.

My first inpression was- he's one of the nicest guys you'd ever hope to meet. Smart, funny, hard working, and just an all around great guy. He signed alot of autographs for me. Be it for the AmeriSister or my fellow Shipmates... Just give him some paper and a name and he would sign it. I had at least three different camera's on me at all times. He would always "strike a pose". He knew I was taking pictures for myself, AmeriSister, and my fellow Crew Members. He was happy to do it.

Next up: I met Michelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) and Walter Koenig (Mr Chekov). They were just as nice and down to earth as Leonard Nimoy. I think Michelle had the hots for me, but that's just my opinion. I report, you decide.

I had two "huh?" moments though.

I was giving them a tour that finished in the Control Room. We were looking at a large console that contained gauges. knobs, switches, etc. Mrs. Nichols said that she was sorry Scottie wasn't there to see it, and how much he would enjoy it. Huh? He's an actor. He's James Doohan, an actor- what would he care or even know about Propulsion Engineering? I just smiled and nodded agreement.

In researching for this post (yes I do some research- if only to get the correct spelling of "Uhura") I found that he was a very dedicated Actor. He would have studied his role very hard. So yes, he would have been interested. I now stand corrected. I was also reminded that he stormed Juno Beach on D Day June 6th, 1944. He was shot six times and lived to tell about it, and later become Scottie.

The second "huh?" was the Assistant Director. He had a chip on his shoulder and didn't like me at all. How you could not like AmeriDan (then known as RangerDan) is beyond me, but there it was. Whenever I was standing close to a garbage can- which were all over the place- he would walk up and look me in the eye.... and make a big production of throwing his lit cigarette in the trash can. What a guy! Make the uneducated sailor (according to jon carrey) throw some water in the can, so that you can prove to him that you da man. Somehow, he never convinced me.

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The best times where when a Captain (not the Captain of the Ship, he was the Chief Engineer) said to me... "what do you need?".
I mentioned that in the last Star Trek movie, Spock had been promoted to Captain; so why not give him the proper insignia? A Captain's Eagle for his collar. So for what surely was the first time in Naval history- a Captain in the United States Navy (a man very close to getting command of his own ship) almost flew up the ladder to go get one, all on the advice of a 3td Class Petty Officer. He was back within minutes and said....you give it to him. It was even in a small box with felt lining.

In front of several high ranking Officers, Hollywood Actors and that lowly assisant director, I told Mr. Nimoy that we were glad to have him aboard. BUT- he was out of uniform (he was wearing an Hawaiian shirt) because no one knew his rank. I then gave him the "bird". A shiny eagle. He was inpressed, and thanked me and everyone else. He then disappeared, but I saw were he went to. That was my Machinery Room and you can't hide from me in my "space". He went behind a Boiler and pinned his "bird" to his collar. He wore it the rest of his time aboard the Ranger and I bet he still has it.

I also saved the day when a fake gauge panel that was placed outside of the reactor (which in real life was the before mentioned Control Room) was deemed to not have enough gauge's. RangerDan to the rescue! I whipped out two pressure gauge's that cost about a hundred bucks apiece. Captain/Director Nimoy said that they looked good, but were showing zero pressure. No problem. I removed the face plates and pulled the pointers off and put then in a position to show pressure. That was another first, because you do not screw around with gauges or thermometers on a ship. Period. Unless there's a movie being filmed and the gauge is not connected to anything.

So if you're ever at the video store and need something to watch. I highly recommend Star Trek IV: The Journey Home. I'm not into Sci-Fi much anymore, but this movie has them on earth during the eighties. A delightful fish out of water movie. Plus they have some awesome and very believable gauge manipulation. Folk's, whoever was the Petty Officer in Charge of gauge calibration for that Machinery Room was some kind of genius/wizard.

If you watch the movie, when Uhura and Chekov use their handy dandy handheld device to transfer nuclear fuel from the reactor, the bottom two round gauges where mine. Or at least my responsibility since I was the Petty Officer in Charge of gauge calibration. I forget who, but someone once described me as a genius/wizard at it.

Also in that scene, notice the door to the left of the panel and the window above it. They used lights to make an orange glow in the window, so there's some serious nuclear reaction going on in there obviously. There's also a door that you can walk right on into the core of the reactor!

Do Lt. Uhura and Mr. Chekov get caught and then escape against impossible odds? Does Captain Kirk meet up with a good looking Lady? Does the Crew of the Enterprise complete their life or death mission sucessfully? 

I'll not spoil the ending in case you haven't seen it yet. Just know that in the scene from the "Reactor Room".
Good ole Ameri/RangerDan is right off to the side of the camera. With my boss Leonard Nimoy, and my cup of water to put out any trash fires.
 
Also, the Marine's that may or may not capture Uhura and Chekov where real Marine's.

NOTE: I never got my gauge's back. I wonder what the bean counter's thought when they saw my inventory that year. 

Lost or damaged equipment: Two high pressure gauges
  
Reason: Star Trek  

                                         -AmeriDan  (11/05/06   10:40)