In 1976, the "Freedom Train" came to Omaha, and the Millard HS chapter of DECA somehow got involved and when our teacher, Mr. Lind, indicated that a day off of school was available to a volunteer chauffeur for the event, I suffered my 1st shoulder injury snapping my arm up in class to be selected for this duty.
I got there early in the morning, and some local dignitaries had already arrived ... but not the limousine. Just before 8 a.m., Mayor Gene Leahy tracks me down and say, "You're the chauffeur, right? I need a ride up to the Kiewit Building on 38th and Farnam right now!" "Sure thing, Mr. Mayor, but we'll have to take my car." Like most teenage kids of that ear, my whip was in a constant state of repair as I attempted to transition it to a hot rod. Anyway, Mayor Gene got his ride in a car with open headers. "Jesus, this thing is loud" he attempted to communicate in between huffing cigarettes for the 5 minute ride. I've never seen a man so happy to get out of a car in my life.
The limo was there when I returned, and my 1st stop was the airport to pick up a "rock band" called "King Harvest". They had one commercial success (Dancing in the Moonlight), and I was anxious to hear about the debauchery associated with being rock stars. It turns out these guys were into transcendental meditation and yoga and didn't even do drugs.
They played a set on the stage, and midway through their set I had to head back to the airport to pick up the "star" of the day: Mike Love of the "Beach Boys" (dear reader, I KNEW you were wondering where this rambling ass story was leading and why was it tied to the video posted above!). Mike was an arrogant dick, BUT ... he was literally traveling with the "Doublemint Twins" and their 17 year old younger sister. Jackpot.
When we got back to the old train station parking lot on 10th street (where the event was held), King Harvest transitioned from their stuff to playing "backup band" for Mike Love and played all the old Beach Boys hits. My job was to entertain the younger sister, which mostly consisted of dancing with her during the concert. Things were going very well in young LHR's mind when I got ripped out of the crowd to go back to the airport to pick up the next celebrity: Hugh O'Brien.
At this point, we picked up a woman that was associated with the event, and she couldn't be been a ruder woman. She insisted on riding in back with Mr. O'Brien and he was ready to exit the vehicle by the time he arrived at the station. I made a couple of runs back and forth to the old Hilton/Red Lion on 16th and Dodge to get King Harvest and Mike Love/entourage situated and returned to pick up Mr. O'Brien to conclude the event and my responsibilities as the chauffeur. I remember opening the back door, drivers side to let the woman in, then went around the limo to let Mr. O'Brien in the passenger side and he quickly grabbed my hand and said, "Why don't I ride up front with you instead of back there with her!". Oooh, was she pissed.
Anyway, Mr. O'Brien shook my hand and thanked me for my help and assistance during the day, I got to meet the Mayor, Mike Love and the Doublemint Twins and their cute little sister, and my Mom wouldn't let me wash my hand for a week since it shook Hugh O'Brien's hand.
Thanks for reading my story.