It was a memorable moment in Star Trek history. James Doohan, beloved the world over for his portrayal of "Scotty," was the center of attention before a huge crowd of fans, press, paparazzi, family and friends as an entire Hollywood block was closed off specifically to honor him.

It was Doohan's Walk of Fame ceremony, where his star was unveiled to join the galaxy of other TV and movie stars immortalized upon the sidewalks of Hollywood. Doohan — whose health has grown increasingly fragile with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and other ailments — was literally beaming (pun intended) at the incredible reception. He did not speak during the event, but he was smiling, waving, and clearly enjoying every minute.

He was joined by his very large extended family who came from throughout California and Washington State to be part of this event and the special tribute convention held last weekend as Doohan's final public appearance. In particular, his wife Wende and their four-year-old Sarah were at his side the entire time, as was Doohan's long-time friend and agent Steven Stevens Sr., who handled wheelchair duty.

The occasion took place in front of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum. Doohan emerged from the museum's outdoor elevator, where he was greeted by two Klingons, and a bagpipe player from his home province of British Columbia, Canada. With a bagpipe fanfare of "Scotland the Brave" announcing Doohan's entrance, Stevens rolled the guest of honor through a large group of VIPs and past the throngs of fans waiting behind crowd partitions, up to the dais and the red carpet where the star was awaiting.

Johnny Grant, honorary mayor of Hollywood and chairman of the Walk of Fame Committee, presided over the affair. "We are pleased this morning to honor the man who initially devised the Klingon language," Grant noted. In his speech, Grant recounted some of the highlights of Doohan's life, including his service to the Canadian Royal Artillery during World War II, and the subsequent decade when he shuttled between New York and Canada to perform in 4,000 radio programs, 400 television shows and countless films and plays. "When he migrated to Hollywood, his versatility and talent as a dialectician helped him earn parts in more than 100 motion pictures and TV series," Grant continued, and got a big cheer from the crowd when he noted that in 1966, "he was invited the join the permanent cast of Star Trek."

After his brief speech Grant turned over the podium to some of Doohan's Original Series castmates for a few words. "He's been a wonderful friend, a beautiful person," Nichelle Nichols said. "There's no one better than he, and no one more deserving, and we all love this man."

Walter Koenig added that this star on Hollywood Boulevard signifies "the acknowledgement of not only an entire country, but the world, of a man's talent, his endurance, and the effect that he has had all over the world... I couldn't be more proud to be called a friend."

George Takei said, "This is a galactic day in this town full of stars, as we gather from throughout this planet to say congratulations to you, Jimmy. We love you, and we thank you. We thank you for your luminous talents, we thank you for the gift that you've given us of that unforgettable character, that ingenious and beloved engineer who was able to fix anything. And we thank you, Jimmy, for being who you are, for your wonderful, all-embracing friendship."

Grant then took the podium again to read a proclamation from the City of Los Angeles, signed by mayor James Hahn, proclaiming the day, August 31, 2004, "James Doohan Day."

After that, Doohan was rolled up to the star, where Grant and Leron Gubler, president/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, helped him remove the placard covering the star, as the horde of paparazzi fired off their cameras. Afterwards, he received a plaque from the Hollywood CoC commemorating his placement on the Walk of Fame, and stayed for further photo ops surrounded by his family.

Other Star Trek castmates present at the ceremony were Grace Lee Whitney ("Yeoman Rand"), Barbara Luna ("Marlena Moreau"), France Nuyen ("Elaan"), and others. Fans in the crowd said they had come from as far as Canada, England, France and Australia.

Once the ceremony itself was complete, the VIPs moved inside the museum for the reception, which took place mainly on a restoration of the bar set from Cheers. Doohan was present, partaking in the chicken and wine being served, and greeting friends and well-wishers. A magician from the nearby Magic Castle provided entertainment. The reception also spilled into the museum's reproduction of the Bridge set from Star Trek: The Next Generation, where dessert was being served and press were conducting interviews with the other cast members.

The Walk of Fame event was sponsored by Paramount Home Entertainment, who on the day of the ceremony released the Season 1 DVD box set of the original Star Trek (related story).