The grey haired Blue shirt on Voyager

[Crewman47]

Theres this older type black man in a Blue shirt that has appeared in about 8 or 9 episodes over seasons 1 to 4 who I've often wondered what his background story must be as he appears to be the oldest human on the ship and yet it seems he could only be a Lieutenant or less as we don't see any rank insignia.

Here's a pic of him:

Any ideas, theories or fanfic info that might give an insight on who he could be?

Just curious.

 

[Finn]

Yeah, I noticed him. He reminds me of Picard in that alternate reality Q shows hiim in Tapestry.

No idea what his story was. He might be a civilian advisor for the science department which would explain why no pips wer eseen. Only problem with that was they wouldn't need one for their original mission in the Badlands.

 

[KingstonTrekker]

Yeah, I noticed him. He reminds me of Picard in that alternate reality Q shows hiim in Tapestry.

No idea what his story was. He might be a civilian advisor for the science department which would explain why no pips wer eseen. Only problem with that was they wouldn't need one for their original mission in the Badlands.

Didn't make the Tapestry connection at all -- does he remind you of "alternate" Picard due to his age?

The civilian advisor theory works. However, Janeway insisted that the crew be a "Starfleet" crew; as a result, even the former Maquis wear rank insignia. Wouldn't a civilian advisor also receive a starfleet commission?

It is also very possible that the wardrobe department made one of their not infequent blunders (like Tuvok's rank pins in the early episodes) and forgot to put rank pins on his uniform.

It is also completely plausible that he is a lower-ranked crewman or officer in the Sciences division who is leading a completely content and fulfilling life as an older human in Starfleet.

 

[Shazam!]

Yeah, I noticed him. He reminds me of Picard in that alternate reality Q shows hiim in Tapestry.

LOL Maybe he's living his own 'Tapestry' only he never went back to his original timeline.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Yeah, I noticed him. He reminds me of Picard in that alternate reality Q shows hiim in Tapestry.

LOL Maybe he's living his own 'Tapestry' only he never went back to his original timeline.

"This Janeway jerk is running my ship like crap. I would have left remote detonators on the Caretaker array. Grabbed Maquis, gone to Quark's, and had a nice cold pint. How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

 

[nx1701g]

Plenty of reasons:

- Second Career
- Was contented to be below decks and not a Senior Officer
- Demoted

Not everyone would want the responsibility of being a Department head.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Plenty of reasons:

- Second Career
- Was contented to be below decks and not a Senior Officer
- Demoted

Not everyone would want the responsibility of being a Department head.

It's not my job to drive the train,
I cannot ring the bell,
But should the damn thing jump the tracks,
Then see who catches hell!

 

[shivkala]

I can't for the life of me remember the character's name, but in the current Trek novels, there is an older ensign assigned to the Enterprise. She is embarking on her second career now.

Of course, there's also Commander Elias Vaughn in the books, who explains not being a higher rank, despite the fact that he's a centenarian because of his work for Starfleet Intelligence. He figures the files on Picard, Sisko, Janeway, etc. among the Obsidian Order, the Tal Shi'ar, and other races intelligence branches must be huge, but his is either smaller or doesn't exist at all due to his lower profile.

 

[Finn]

Yeah, I noticed him. He reminds me of Picard in that alternate reality Q shows hiim in Tapestry.

No idea what his story was. He might be a civilian advisor for the science department which would explain why no pips wer eseen. Only problem with that was they wouldn't need one for their original mission in the Badlands.

Didn't make the Tapestry connection at all -- does he remind you of "alternate" Picard due to his age?
.

That and the blue uniform. Picard had a blue uniform in that alternate reality.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

He probably just joined Starfleet much later in life than most people.

In a society where it is possible to easily pass the 100 year mark there are probably a fair amount of similar folks around.

I'm sure Starfleet appreciates the occasional Cadet who isn't some kid prodigy and actually has some real life experience and former job skills to bring to the table.

 

[nx1701g]

I can't for the life of me remember the character's name, but in the current Trek novels, there is an older ensign assigned to the Enterprise. She is embarking on her second career now.

Rosado.

 

[Candlelight]

Here's a pic of him:

Any ideas, theories or fanfic info that might give an insight on who he could be?

Benson. He becomes friends with Neelix and Odo for some reason.

 

[Myasishchev]

Yeah, I noticed him. He reminds me of Picard in that alternate reality Q shows hiim in Tapestry.

LOL Maybe he's living his own 'Tapestry' only he never went back to his original timeline.

"This Janeway jerk is running my ship like crap. I would have left remote detonators on the Caretaker array. Grabbed Maquis, gone to Quark's, and had a nice cold pint. How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

For a presumably harmonious society, the Federation's military arm sure has a culture of competition and ambition. I mean, look at Riker in TNG. Dude was barely thirty, XO on one of the most important ships in the fleet, and everyone's thinking he's some kind of loser because he doesn't really feel quite ready for his own command yet.

You know, no one gave Tigh crap for being an XO, and he was like two thousand.

 

[Akiraprise]

That's because if anybody would have tried to give Tigh crap he'd just airlock them.

 

[Myasishchev]

TNG would have been demonstrably improved with more airlocking. Particularly seasons 1 and 2.

 

[propita]

Any chance he was Tim Russ' stand-in, put in uniform when an extra person was needed?

 

[Myasishchev]

Well, Crewman Isaac from the U.S.S. SportsNight there doesn't look terribly like Russ.

 

[propita]

Well, Crewman Isaac from the U.S.S. SportsNight there doesn't look terribly like Russ.

I thought stand-ins don't have to look like the actor, but be of the same general proportions, for setting lighting and such.

 

[exodus]

Here's a pic of him:

Any ideas, theories or fanfic info that might give an insight on who he could be?

Benson. He becomes friends with Neelix and Odo for some reason.

So does that make Janeway the future Kraus?

 

[Lynx]

I've named him McCabe.

Why?

Because one day some years ago when I had nothing else to do, I downloaded the photos of the lower deck crew members from Memory Alpha and those who were nameless, I simply gave names from the Voyager books. There's one McCabe mentioned in the book "The Garden", he's simply a member of the away team and this grey-haired guy simply ended up being McCabe in my pictures collection.

As for why this old geezer have no higher rank, I guess he's probably doing some job on the ship, doing it good, has been doing it for many years and have no intention or desire to do something else.

So when they were putting the Voyager crew together for the first mission, it may have been something like: "We should need someone doing this...... (add whatever he may be good at)."

"Take that McCabe, he did that job on the USS Washington for 12 years, he's the best you can get!"