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June 03, 2004
Sailors earn 15 seconds of fame on TV's "The West Wing"
by JOC Daniel Charles Ross
Naval Facilities Engineering Command
The Waterline
Dozens of U.S. Navy members on leave or liberty -- and hundreds more allied military and local civilians -- descended on historic St. Anne's Church May 10 to play small roles as "extras" in a filming of the popular television program "The West Wing."
The program involves the fictional administration of "President Jed Bartlet," played by acclaimed actor Martin Sheen.
"I'm a fan of the show, so it was a special treat to come out and spend the day with the cast," said Navy Lt. (SCW) Eileen D'Andrea, amphibious programs officer for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Seabee Readiness department.
The scenes filmed at St. Anne's, an Episcopal congregation first established about 1695, involve the formal funeral ceremony for a Navy admiral. While no one on the show was commenting specifically, the only "admiral" regularly seen in this fictional White House is Adm. Percy Fitzwallace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, played by veteran actor John Amos.
Amos currently also appears on the WB Network program, "All About The Andersons."
Among Naval personnel volunteering their off time to be in the show were members of the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, who play a large part in several of the simulated funeral scenes. But for others, some only sitting in the church as "military background mourners," the brush with TV fame was less prominent.
"It was a long day of 'hurry up and wait.' It wasn't much different from a command inspection and change of command ceremony rolled into one long day," said Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Barringer. Seated in the front row of the church during a key shot, Barringer may survive the editing process and be seen in the program.
"The personal interaction with the headline stars made the event worth the effort and the 'extra's cameo' shot was an added bonus," he added. "It was a long eight-hour day for perhaps one or two minutes of usable footage. I am [still] standing by for my close up."
Show officials couldn't say when the funeral episode featuring Naval personnel would air. However, except for ceremonial guards, U.S. Navy participants were instructed to wear Service Dress Blue uniforms, telegraphing that the program will air in the next TV season at a time when the Navy has changed out of summer white uniforms.
According to www.tvtome.com, "The West Wing" debuted on the NBC network on Sept. 22, 1999. Through the fifth season ending May 19, NBC will have aired 112 shows. The show reportedly will return for a sixth season in the fall beginning with an episode titled "N.S.F. Thurmont."
Naval Support Facility Thurmont is the military designation for the presidential retreat popularly known as Camp David.
Posted by Jo at June 3, 2004 04:20 PM