Rest in Peace, S’chn T’gai
Another bit of Americana has passed into history.
Leonard Nimoy has died. He was 83.
Nimoy is best known as Spock of Star Trek fame (as if I really needed to tell anyone reading TAH that). However, he was a talented actor who worked extensively in his chosen profession both before and after that series which made him a household name.
Nimoy was also a veteran. He served in the US Army from 1953 to 1955, attaining the rank of Sergeant.
Rest in peace, Leonard Simon Nimoy. While it’s associated with you perhaps more than any other phrase, somehow “Live long and prosper” just doesn’t seem particularly apropos at present.
(In case you’re wondering: although not canonically accepted, “S’chn T’gai” is given by multiple sources – including this one – as Spock’s “unpronounceable” first name.)
Category: Blue Skies
This would seem fitting since I am sure that I am not the only one who was thinking of this scene.
Damn you, Spork. I promised myself that I was just going to tear up…
Jeff Dunham did that and got me a few hours ago.
“Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… human.”
Another American Icon passes away. I thought he’d be like Christopher Lee and be acting and rocking out into his 90s.
He lived long, and prospered. (Someone had to say it, right?)
I actually thought it was apropos! Certainly those who enjoyed his work are richer for it.
I said the same thing when I found out. :'(
Leonard Nimoy, U.S. Army veteran who served honorably…Rest in Peace.
When I was assigned to USARCENT, Nimoy was a guest on a local radio show. He mentioned that Atlanta always had a special place in his heart because he was stationed at Ft. McPherson when he was in the Army.
That’s US Army Reserve. Let’s not give him more than his due. In 1953, the year the Korean War ended, Nimoy enlisted in the Army Reserves for two years. Is he a Veteran if all of his active duty was Basic? I honestly don’t know.
IMO: If he successfully completed a term of service then he’s a Veteran, regardless of Service Branch, Active, Reserve, or Guard.
I’m with you Isnala, he signed that blank check and went through boot camp.
He’s a vet.
OC
I agree. He’s a veteran in my book!
2/17 Air Cav: most bios of Nimoy I’ve seen appear to show a 2-year hiatus in his acting career from 1953-1955. I’m guessing he was a peacetime draftee, was placed in the USAR, and was ordered to active duty for 2 years. I believe that was fairly common during the 1950s/early 1960s peacetime draft, but I could be wrong.
This Navy/USMC film includes Nimoy and Fess Parker and dates to 1954. I guess the Army loaned him out!
Daniel Boone and Mr. Spock in the same film! Who knew?
Air Cav … He did what he needed to do, what he was expected to do … They all did back then. Even Elvis!
Shit, look at the photo above, it is perfect. Stud USA Tech SGT sporting a swab!
Have a beer … Easy Day Bro!
Hondo,
You are correct Sir as usual and you make me look like caveman.
Here is an example how it went as a member of the “Army of the United States” back in the good ole days.
Service was something you were expected to do if called. And when not called it was an admirable choice for young and old a like.
My father for example jumped at a chance to fight in Korea. And did he ever with a 51 – 53 under his belt, he had to do 4 years in IRR. Upon discharge he was presented with “Honorable Discharge, Army of the United States” and his US citizenship.
Immigrants and sons of immigrants stood outside draft board offices waiting for news hoping that they would be called.
This is the truth of my fathers and Mr. Spock’s generation.
Can any Army guy explain “Army of the United States” vs. “United States Army” certificate?
I already think I know know now know!
Army of the United States was the draft Army (not the Regular Army, Reserve or NG). However, Enlisted Soldiers had the choice to enlist in AUS vice the RA for a shorter term.
Sometimes things are “overthunk”
RIP
How many years in which branch did YOU serve, my good sir. I did a dime (active duty) in the USAF and _I_ consider him to be a veteran (although I did not know until just now of either his passing or his service).
Seeborgh,
Chill! Now considering you are USAF, you would know nothing about USA Air Corps and that AIR Calvary would eat you for breakfast, regereratate you and then enjoy you for lunch, but I degress.
So, why, where, who was I?
Oh, GFY!
Sorry, been drinkin’ at slope side pub!
What?
Holy Sweet Huey Aircraft!
Of course he is … silly Air Cav!
Hey, I was serious. I wasn’t cracking wise. I never gave it a thought before today, I guess. What constitutes a Veteran? Is it eligibility for benefits? Is it completion of Basic?
For badcyborg. The 2/17 Air Cav is a special Coast Guard unit comprised of USMC and Navy personnel. I thought everyone knew that. (Now that was cracking wise, my good sir!)
I retired from the AF Reserve. Am I considered a veteran?
Air Force Reserves, NO!
Absolutely NOT!
Only kidding Bro!
BTW: years ago each service was directed to apply the reserve conotation only for administrative purposes.
If you served and retired in USAF whether active or reserve you retired as USAF, like me I retired USN not USNR.
Holy Sh’ite! I did not mean to spark a firestorm. You are a Veteran if you were honorably (my election, even if not definitionally correct) discharged from service in the United States ASrmed Forces (e.g., Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and those other guys.)
As long as I don’t get more than “my due” right 2/17?
//sarc//
You wanna fight? Okay, step outside. If I’m not there in 5 minutes, start w/o me. I asked an honest question so fuck you if you don’t like it, E9.
And fuck you a whole bunch if you don’t like my reply 2/17. I didn’t care for your question nor the tone I applied to it when I read it. If you get all pissy just because you don’t like my reply then I really don’t give a shit. I’m going to drink a beer in memory of Mr. Nimoy and you’re more than welcome to join me.
WTF?
Kinda my reaction too, MCPO. Looks to me like one (and possibly both) were having the proverbial “bad day”.
Guys, for what it’s worth: as youngsters might say today, “Chill.”
It doesn’t matter if you are Active Duty Marine Corps for 20 or Air National Guard for 2. If you raised your right hand, went through the training, and served your contract with an honorable discharge, then you are a veteran. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn’t know the first point about service and should probably read Starship Troopers.
From the Department of Veterans Affairs…
“Leonard was born in 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1953, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to Fort Ord, California, Fort Benning, Georgia, and spent much of his time at Ft. McPherson in Georgia. Leonard was discharged in 1955 as a technician 3rd grade, which was equivalent to the WWII-era rank of staff sergeant.
During his Army career, Leonard worked with the Army’s Special Services branch, where he wrote, narrated and emceed shows. He also played a soldier in a film produced by the U.S. Navy on Combat Psychiatry during the Korean War. You can watch that video here: http://youtu.be/OPF-Tx1QmVY“
That’s just a clip of the public domain film The whole thing is on FedFlix here https://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.36106
You appareantly never served a day in your life in the military….or you would be able to recognize a true veterean…..just because you dont serve during war time does not mean you are not a Veterean….Mr. Nemoy was serving his country, just because he was fortunate enough to not have to fight during an active war, was a blessing to him and many others, myself included….none the less, we are still Vetereans….
Actually, 2/17 Air Cav is indeed a vet. He’s also today a practicing lawyer, and was almost certainly asking the question from that perspective. From the legal perspective, the question was a legitimate one. To my knowledge, he term “veteran” is not defined in that part of Federal law dealing with the military (Title 10). The only definition of which I’m aware for the term “veteran” is in the part of Federal law (Title 38, I think) that defines the VA. Prior to early Sep 1980, if I recall correctly a minimum of 180 days (outside of a defined period of wartime) or 1 day (during a defined period of wartime) was required to be legally considered a vet for most VA purposes. Less than that amount of service, the answer was no – legally, the individual in question was NOT considered a veteran for VA purposes. (Since early Sep 1980, either 24 months active duty service or “completion of the full term to which ordered to active duty” is required. This is why USAR and NG personnel mobilized for tours shorter than a year also qualify as vets for VA purposes.) My guess is that 2/17 Air Cav was interpreting Nimoy’s “Army Reserve” service during 1953-1955 to mean the “weekend warrior” type service common for the last 30 years or so. Given that assumption, that could indeed mean Nimoy served less than 180 days on active duty. If Nimoy’s active duty service had consisted solely of IET and AT, he might not have enough active duty to qualify as a “vet” under then-effective Federal law. My first comment above addressed that. It’s my understanding that draftees/enlistees of that time often received USAR status vice Regular Army. However, they were also ordered to active duty for an extended period including both IET and a substantial period thereafter. For Nimoy, the latter appears to be the case; he seems to have done extended active duty during 1953-1955 – far more than enough to qualify as a veteran under Title 38. And since published accounts indicate his records actually were among those… Read more »
Quick, someone figure out who he left his Katra with, this doesn’t have to be the end!
All kidding aside, R.I.P. sir, you will certainly ‘live long and prosper’ in many of our’s memory.
My thoughts, as well! We need to regenerate him!
+1!!
Rest in Peace Mr. Nimoy. Gob bless your family now. Thank you for your acting career but more, your service to our country.
Excuse me please. Should have read “GOD bless your family now”. Duh…the stupid is strong with me today.
RIP…
A Vet NO DOUBT and Apparently he started his acting career old school style under a tent on the Jersey shore.
Trivia:
Where does “… and prosper” come from? He wrote the line with inspiration from …
There’s a few references to it, from Shakespeare to a 1950’s SF story. But seeing as how he was Jewish, I’m gonna bet it was influenced by the Hebrew phrase ‘Shalom aleikhem’, just as the hand gesture it’s self is said to be common among Rabbi during some formal blessings.
The only Jewish inspiration that I know he himself acknowledged several times was of the Vulcan hand sign/salute. He took it from the ‘priestly blessing’ still practiced in traditional congregations by the descendants of Aaron the Cohen, brother of Moses. ‘Live long and prosper’ certainly sounds like several phrases in the Torah; but I never heard it directly attributed to Judaism. Bears looking into…
Both above are correct. He was a good Jewish man and reached back often to the Torah for many of his most famous improvised moments.
Quite the character.
He wrote a book in the 70’s called, “I Am NOT Spock” in an attempt to separate himself from the character. The book was taken with outrage from the 3.4 billion Trekies worldwide. With the new wave a Star Trek movies and his starring role in most, 20 years later he wrote another book called, “I AM SPOCK”. Friggin’ outstanding!
I am still having nightmares about Tribbles filling up my bedroom while I sleep!
RIP Spock you had a good run!
Dont forget what an honour it was for him to be selected, from all the rest of the qualified Jewish Nationalist to play the role of Golda Meir’s husband, what a very special role he had been prepared to fullfill!!!
RIP SGT Nimoy. Hand Salute and Taps go out to you.
I was always amazed at how much you and Ed Ames (who played Mingo on Daniel Boone) resembled each other. It was like you two were identical twins separated at birth.
Rest easy.
Is that Tech Sgt rank?
Yes!
Beam me up Scotty
Rest in peace Leonard Nimoy…now you’re with your fellow crewmembers, James Doohan and DeForest Kelly, aboard that great U.S.S. Enterprise in the sky. You will be greatly missed.
I leave you with this quote from “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan,”
McCoy: He’s not really dead. As long as we remember him.
Kirk: It’s a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before. A far better resting place that I go to than I have ever known.
Carol Marcus (Kirk’s Son): Is that a poem?
Kirk: No. Something Spock was trying to tell me. On my birthday.
McCoy: You okay, Jim? How do you feel?
Kirk: Young. I feel young.
Words dont have the capacity……
Dif-tor heh smusma, Spohkh.
Not sure why the question about someone in the Army Reserves being a Veteran but according to Military.Com Nimoy enlisted in the Army Reserves and served 18 months on Active Duty where he was assigned to a unit putting on shows for GIs.
http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/military-transition/famous-veteran-leonard-nimoy.html
If the criteria for being a Veteran is combat or wartime service then someone needs to tell the VA, the wait lines will sure be a lot shorter.
RIP, SGT Nimoy! Aside: I don’t give a rats ass what you did, where you were when you served and were granted an honorable discharge. I don’t even give a royal fuck if you washed pots and pans all damn day or night. If you’re foolish enough to fall into that classification trap, it SUCKS to be YOU. Tighten it up…
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:
Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was born in 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1953, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to Fort Ord, California, Fort Benning, Georgia, and spent much of his time at Ft. McPherson in Georgia. Leonard was discharged in 1955 as a technician 3rd grade, which was equivalent to the WWII-era rank of staff sergeant.
During his Army career, Leonard worked with the Army’s Special Services branch, where he wrote, narrated and emceed shows. He also played a soldier in a film produced by the U.S. Navy on Combat Psychiatry during the Korean War.
After leaving the Army, Leonard went on became a successful actor, best known for his role as Spock in Star Trek. Leonard Nimoy passed away today at the age of 83.
We honor his service. Live long and prosper.
He also sang a little.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=singing+++Leonard+Nimoy
I remember the earliest thing I ever saw him in, an early 60s Twilight Zone episode, “Adam”.
I believe he played the defense lawyer for a robot, Adam.
actually he played in Bonanzza too….had to look it up…I remeber very distinctly watching that episode as a child….never realized I was watching a Vulcan cowboy perform so early…..yippie ky’a…..and to just think….Mr. Nemoy and Mr. Cash are now Ghost Riders in the sky chasing the cows from star to star…..smiles
RIP, Mr. Nimoy.
Live Long And Prosper. Four words never said to the Dutch Rudder Gang.
#FakeLivesMatter
“Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… human.”
I know everyone is poking each other over this. He enlisted, served his required time and was honorably discharged. Veteran.
I guess this happens in the natural order of things. I started watching Star Trek at 5 years old. We owe so much of the technology we have now to Gene Roddenberry and the original crew of the USS Enterprise. I don’t know if it was losing Mr. Spock or that lonely sound of Amazing Grace on the pipes that got to me the most. I just know that day by day, as time passes, the America I once knew is fading away. Rest In Peace Leonard Nimoy. You will be missed but always remembered with a smile.
yes….I agree….the song or the moment???? Fortunately, he will live on in each of our hearts and minds…..especially if we love Astronomy!!!!
Thank you Spock for coming to Earth, now you are free to return home and Continuum to explore the stars on the real Star Trek….many tears, er, years!!!!!
I’m not sure why everyone’s gushing over the fact that this guy “served” in this entertainment unit. Who care? And it’s hilarious how you guys are mostly conservatives but when some culture-distorting sh!tlib like Nimoy dies, this all goes out the window for some reason.