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Star Wars Day: 'Darth Vader' works as Memphis hospital tech

By Daniel Uria
A hospital in Tennessee celebrated "Star Wars Day" on May 4 by spotlighting surgery technician Darth Vader Williamson, who was named after the main villain of the original trilogy of films. 
 Screen capture/Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett/YouTube
A hospital in Tennessee celebrated "Star Wars Day" on May 4 by spotlighting surgery technician Darth Vader Williamson, who was named after the main villain of the original trilogy of films. Screen capture/Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett/YouTube

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May 4 (UPI) -- A man named "Darth Vader" born shortly after the release of the original Star Wars film works as a medical technician in Tennessee.

Darth Vader Williamson, 39, explained the origins of his strange name in a video shared by Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett in Memphis in honor of Star Wars Day, May the Fourth. He has worked there for more than a decade.

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"When I was born my mother wanted me to be named Junior, after my father. But my dad was a Star Wars buff," he said. "He was so enamored with the character Darth Vader that he was like, 'This would be one bad name for our son.'"

Under the effects of anesthesia, Williamson's mother agreed to the unique name, which appears on his birth certificate, and later came to regret it.

"Afterward, she was like, 'Uh, what have we done?'" Williamson said.

Williamson told CNN he had a hard time with the name when he was younger, but eventually grew to accept it.

"At first I was like, 'Man, what have you all done to me?'" he said. "But once I got through high school and the girls were digging it, I thought, 'I can use this to my advantage.'"

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Since then he said he's been able to remain low key about sharing a name with the Sith Lord to the point his two daughters roll their eyes at the idea of the name being a big deal.

Despite Williamson's laid-back attitude, some fanatics still ask for photos, autographs and even request he attend Star Wars premiers with them to say they saw the film with Darth Vader.

One of his co-workers knitted him a Darth Vader doll, which he dubbed "Mini V" and described as one of his "most prized possessions."

Williamson is not particularly a fan of Star Wars, stating he hasn't seen of the films beyond the conclusion of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi.

He also doesn't share his father's unabashed love for Darth Vader, instead preferring another villain from the series.

"Actually, my favorite character is the bounty hunter named Boba Fett," he said.

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