
Star Trek Live At The Oregon Symphony
On January 30th, 2015 in Portland, Oregon, Webmaster Matt went to see Star Trek (2009) with the Oregon Symphony playing the soundtrack live and it was fantastic! But did you know that Star Trek was based on the US Air Force? And that Gene Roddenberry was both a police officer and has flown combat missions?
Here is a short clip from the end of the show.
Gene Roddenberry Was A U.S. Combat Pilot
“In 1941, he joined the United States Army Air Corps, which in the same year became the United States Army Air Force. He began training at Goodfellow Field (now Goodfellow Air Force Base) in San Angelo, Texas with other Civilian Pilot Training alums and graduated as a second lieutenant in September 1942, Class G.[11] ”
“He flew combat missions in the Pacific Theatre with the “Bomber Barons” of the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bombardment Group, of the Thirteenth Air Force and on August 2, 1943, Roddenberry was piloting a B-17E Flying Fortress named the “Yankee Doodle,” from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, when mechanical failure caused it to crash on take-off. In total, he flew eighty-nine missions for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal before being honorably discharged at the rank of captain in July 1945.” (Source: Wikipedia)
After his military service, he joined the Los Angeles Police Department (Feb. 1, 1949). He became a Police Officer in 1951 and made Sergeant in 1953. It is widely believed that his experience as a combat pilot and police officer molded his vision for the future where “The Federation of Planets” would be a combined exploration, military and police force and later doing diplomatic and scientific missions. He original sold the series as a “Wagon Train To The Stars.”
Rank Structures In Star Trek Based On United States Navy
“According to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, Roddenberry’s original idea for the organization of the USS Enterprise was that the ship would be based on a merchant marine type organization with a Captain and various mates overseeing a large crew. In the pilot episode “The Cage”, the only ranks spoken of were Captain, Lieutenant, Chief and Crewman. All officers wore a single rank stripe and, according to Roddenberry, everyone aboard the Enterprise was a qualified astronaut making rank titles a formality since all crewmembers basically had the same type of training.
When the second pilot was being developed (TOS: “Where No Man Has Gone Before”), Roddenberry shifted focus from a merchant marine vessel to a military ship very clearly modeled after the United States Navy. The ranks of Lieutenant Commander and Commander were both spoken of and the Captain (James T. Kirk) wore a “two stripe” insignia to differentiate him from the rest of the crew. When Star Trek: The Original Series came into full production, Ensign and Lieutenant Junior Grade were both either seen or discussed and the concept of staff versus line officers was introduced, most predominately in “Court Martial” where an officer of the Judge Advocate General Corps is seen and Starfleet is referred to as “the service”.” (source: Ex Astris Scientia)
Star Trek Cast Members With Military Service
Individual | Star Trek role | Branch of service | Years of service | Service number | Final rank |
Whit Bissell |
Lurry | US Army | 1943 – 1945 | 39 708 296 | Sergeant |
Elisha Cook |
Samuel Cogley |
US Army | 1942 – 1943 | 39 531 145 | Private First Class |
Gene L. Coon |
Original Series Producer | US Marine Corps | 1942 – 19461950 – 1951 | 442994 | Sergeant |
Harlan Ellison |
Script Writer (TOS: “The City on the Edge of Forever”) |
US Army | 1957 – 1959 | 51 403 352 | Private First Class |
Morgan Farley |
Hacom/ Yang Scholar |
US Army | 1942 – 1945 | 530425 | Second Lieutenant |
Paul Fix |
Mark Piper |
US Navy | 1918 – 1919 | 150 83 54 | Hospital ApprenticeFirst Class |
Fred Freiberger |
Original Series Producer | US Army Air CorpsUS Air Force Reserve | 1941 – 19461946 – 1957 | 32001877673530 | First Lieutenant |
Frank Gorshin |
Bele | US Army | 1953 – 1955 | 52 314 745 | Not recorded |
James Gregory |
Tristan Adams |
US Navy | 1942 – 1945 | 647 86 69 | Petty Officer1st Class |
Richard Herd |
Owen Paris / L’Kor |
US Army | 1953 | 51 214 821 | Private |
Jeffrey Hunter |
Christopher Pike |
US Navy | 1945 – 1946 | 960 39 80 | Seaman1st Class |
Roy Jenson |
Cloud William |
US Navy | 1944 – 1946 | 566 72 38 | Seaman1st Class |
Robert Justman |
Original Series Producer | US Navy | 1944 – 1946 | 881 57 18 | Petty Officer3rd Class |
Brian Keith |
Mullibok | US Marine Corps | 1942 – 1945 | 385253 | Corporal |
DeForest Kelley |
Leonard McCoy |
US ArmyAir Corps | 1943 – 1946 | 39 563 856 | Private First Class |
Mark Lenard |
Sarek / Romulan commander /Klingon captain |
US Army | 1943 – 1946 | 36 858 836 | Technical Sergeant |
Richard Matheson |
Script Writer (TOS: “The Enemy Within”) |
US Army | 1944 – 1945 | 12 229 310 | Private |
Lawrence Montaigne |
Decius/ Stonn | US Marine Corps | 1947 – 1950 | 1060247 | Private First Class |
Joseph Naradzay |
Marine sergeant |
US Marine Corps | 1964 – 1990 | 2030237 | Sergeant Major |
Leonard Nimoy |
Spock | US Army Reserve | 1953 – 1955 | 11 229 770 | Sergeant |
Nehemiah Persoff |
Palor Toff |
US Army | 1942 – 1946 | 32 698 169 | Technician5th Grade |
Gene Roddenberry |
Series Creator | US ArmyAir Corps | 1942 – 1945 | 662606 | Captain |
David Sharpe |
Security Guard (TOS: “Day of the Dove”)Stunt Double (TOS: “Requiem for Methuselah”) |
US ArmyAir Corps | 1943 – 1945 | 522005 | First Lieutenant |
Ron Soble |
Wyatt Earp |
US Army | 1946 – 19481951 – 1953 | 16 231 53302 103 964 | First Lieutenant |
Warren Stevens |
Rojan | Naval Academy / Army Air Corps | 1937 – 1940 (Navy) | 139 89 54 | Midshipman |
Newell Tarrant |
Rogerson | US Navy | 1966 – 1986 | Researching | Commander |
Harry Townes |
Reger | US Army | 1942 – 1946 | 32 792 652 | Corporal |
William Windom |
Matthew Decker |
US Army | 1943 – 1946 | 33 455 116 | Technician5th Grade |
Ian Wolfe |
Septimus/ Atoz | US Army | 1917 – 1919 | 2371377 | Sergeant |
Donald W. Zautcke |
Marine lieutenant |
US Marine Corps | 1981 – 1985 | None | First Lieutenant |
Anthony Zerbe |
Matthew Dougherty |
Air Force Reserve / Air National Guard | 1958 – 1964 | 28248934 | Airman 3rd Class |
In the end, Star Trek may not have been completely based on the US Air Force, but we will never truly know. It is known that Gene’s Combat Pilot training and missions were a large factor in his choices of space combat in Star Trek shows. Also his knowledge of the US Military led to help with ship designs, ideas and naming conventions and the military structure of The Federation in the show.