Starfleet Starship Insignia was all supposed to be the same?

[Captain Nebula]

According to an article on the Phase II website, all Starfleet patches were supposed to be the same on TOS. I guess when The Motion Picture came along they made it official?

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/?p=2329

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

In his Rise of the Federation novels, Christopher comes up with an interesting explanation for the differing insignia. Linky

 

[CrazyMatt]

Yes--BTW this was discussed at length in an earlier thread.

 

[Maurice]

Yeah, Harvey and I uncovered that little tidbit when Harvey sent me some memos related to Bill Theiss. It was a second season "glitch" which did get corrected afterwards.

 

[Shawnster]

Yes--BTW this was discussed at length in an earlier thread.

More than one.

Captain Nebula, you may wish to read:

Crazy Shaped Assignment Patches

Exeter Patch

Constellation Patch

Starfleet Command Insignia

Divisions, Insignia, Uniforms and Assignment Patches

 

[Captain Nebula]

The Redundant Department of Redundancy apologizes for having to apologize for being redundant.

Thanks for the responses!

 

[CrazyMatt]

The Redundant Department of Redundancy apologizes for having to apologize for being redundant.

Thanks for the responses!

This is one of those topics I never tire of discussing. Perhaps this thread can go 'where no thread has gone before'.....

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The Redundant Department of Redundancy apologizes for having to apologize for being redundant.

Thanks for the responses!

This is one of those topics I never tire of discussing. Perhaps this thread can go 'where no thread has gone before'.....

This topic piques my inner geek.

Oh, one thing I think failed to get mention in the earlier threads, though it's a somewhat off-topic, being both non-Starfleet and presumably non-Federation, is that the space hippies in "The Way to Eden" had their own badge, seen here. It's like a white egg with an infinity symbol (∞) in the yolk. To me, it seems to be a shout-out to the Enterprise assignment patches, as if their assignment in life is to be a space hippie.

 

[Maurice]

Or more likely a 23rd century peace sign, dig?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Or more likely a 23rd century peace sign, dig?

Sure! My winky was intended to indicate my facetiousness, although I really found it extremely amusing that they each wore it on or near their left breast.

(Incidentally, the peace symbol/peace sign had its origins as the CND badge [link, link].)

 

[Green Shirt]

The Redundant Department of Redundancy apologizes for having to apologize for being redundant.

Unless their apology is overruled by the Department of Redundancy Department.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Given that Bob Justman objected to the use of the non-arrowhead on Morgan Woodward's uniform, I still wonder why this was not an issue for William Windom's.

 

[Christopher]

Given that Bob Justman objected to the use of the non-arrowhead on Morgan Woodward's uniform, I still wonder why this was not an issue for William Windom's.

Didn't the memo say that it was a mistake that slipped under his radar that time?

 

[Harvey]

It mentions "Charlie X," but not "The Doomsday Machine."

TO: Bill Theiss

FROM: Bob Justman

SUBJECT: STARSHIP EMBLEMS

DATE: December 18, 1967

Whilst sitting in Dailies today, it was noticed that a Starship Captain (from another Starship) was wearing an emblem unfamiliar to yours truly. I have checked the occurences out with Mr. Roddenberry, who has reassured me that all Starship personnel wear the Starship emblem that we have established for our Enterprise Crew Members to wear.

Doubtless this situation has arisen due to the fact that a different Starship emblem was used last season on “CHARLIE X”. However, the personnel of that other ship in that show were the equivalent of merchant marine or freighter personnel — and therefore not entitled to bear this proud insignia on their individual and collective breasts.

Please do not do anything to correct this understandable mistake in the present episode. However, should we have Starfleet personnel in any other episodes, please make certain that they were the proper emblem.

Under penalty of death!

Signed this 18th day of December, in the year of our Lord, 1967, by

ROBERT H. JUSTMAN

Chief Inquisitor



CC: Gene Roddenberry

John M. Lucas

D.C. Fontana

Gregg Peters

RHJ:sts

P.S. A carven “I’m sorry!” will be sufficient.

R.H.J.

 

[Maurice]

No idea why he didn't balk at the DDM insignia. Maybe he didn't notice it then, but perhaps Gene or someone else pointed it out in the dailies for Omega Glory (since that was Gene's baby, it wouldn't surprise me if it got closer scrutiny by The Bird).

 

[CorporalCaptain]

(since that was Gene's baby, it wouldn't surprise me if it got closer scrutiny by The Bird).

Ouch. Good point.

 

[Robert Comsol]

Never get tired re-reading this memo, thanks Harvey

"Whilst sitting in Dailies today, it was noticed that a Starship Captain (from another Starship) was wearing an emblem unfamiliar to yours truly. I have checked the occurences out with Mr. Roddenberry, who has reassured me that all Starship personnel wear the Starship emblem that we have established [in "Court Martial"] for our Enterprise Crew Members to wear."

While Commodore Decker's Constellation insignia may have slipped under Justman's radar, how comes that Gene Roddenberry apparently didn't (want to?) remember it, too?

Or was the USS Constellation not or no longer considered to be a "starship"?

Bob

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Or was the USS Constellation not or no longer considered to be a "starship"?

Bob

No.

SPOCK: I have it on the sensors, Captain. By configuration, a starship stopped in space. She appears to be drifting.

[...]

KIRK: Matt. Matt, listen to me. You can't throw your life away like this. Matt, you're a starship commander. That makes you a valuable commodity.

[...]

KIRK: Spock, listen. Maybe Matt Decker didn't die for nothing. He had the right idea but not enough power to do it. Am I correct in assuming that a fusion explosion of ninety seven megatons will result if a starship impulse engine is overloaded?

 

[Robert Comsol]

^^ Thanks. Gene Roddenberry remembered all this?

Interesting that Kirk knew rather well the amount of energy released by overloading the impulse engines, a rather hypothetical scenario (probably scored an "A" at the Academy during "How to self-destruct my starship should the need ever arise" ).

Bob

 

[CrazyMatt]

When I was a young'n watching the show for the first time in the early 70's back in the glory days of UHF, I always figured the reason that Decker and Tracey had different patches was to show that these other officers were obviously NOT from the Enterprise. This made perfect sense. And they both looked kinda neat, better than the Enterprise patch even.

Conversely, until years later when I read an interview with Win De Lugo, I never understood why Enterprise crewmembers--junior officers no less--in the Starbase 11 bar were harassing their own captain over Ben Finney's death. And why did Kirk claim he hadn't seen them for a long time? What a bad commanding officer, not interacting with all his crew on a regular basis! Were they stuck working in remote areas of the ship for years and only now got shore leave so they actually could talk to (or more accurately, harass) their captain???

It's amazing how that all confused an eleven year-old watching "Court Martial" for the first time.