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Will the Real USS Enterprise Please Stand Up
Had to get in at least one quickie before we left. Ever wonder why Enterprise is actually named Enterprise on the TV shows & movies? Well, I can't provide a firm answer myself, but I have a very strong feeling it had something to do with the only aircraft carrier to fight in all the major battles of the pacific.
There has been a warship named Enterprise since the time of the Revolutionary war. check out this link: http://www02.clf.navy.mil/enterprise/pages/BigE_Ship/Namesakes.html
Posted by: Dave Worley on October 25, 2002 10:38 AMActually, there's been one since before that.... look at the site Scott linked to.
Scott, it's all but two battles. I remember reading an interview with Gene Roddenberry a few years ago (I searched earlier & couldn't find it...)where he explained why.... I believe he said it was because the Enterprise stood for perserverance of human spirit in the face of adversity, or something to that effect....
It COULD have been the fact that the Enterprise (CVN-65) was the first Nuclear aircraft carrier too.... but I believe that was after Rodenberry wrote Star Trek.
Posted by: Jim S on October 25, 2002 01:00 PMIt was before... Enterprise was launched in the 50s, while TOS ran in the late 60s. Enterprise CVN-65 was busily helping bomb Vietnam during TOS's run.
Posted by: scott on October 27, 2002 02:46 PMEnterprise was also the name of the first space shuttle too I think
Posted by: richie on October 27, 2002 11:34 PMSomeone look up the definition of enterprise in the dictionary. As JT is now saying "DUUH".
Posted by: Cindy on October 30, 2002 01:36 AMDrat. I hate it when pratical people come and whack out the base of my ivory-tower theories. :)
Posted by: scott on October 30, 2002 09:18 AMPractical??? Your talking about Enterprise (Note capital E) not enterprise (Note small e) Two differant things.
Posted by: Jeff on October 30, 2002 10:35 AMOk, Jeff. Scott wondered about the reason the ship was named enterprise. Here is my input. Just read Webster's definition of the word.
enterprise
en.ter.prise \'ent-*(r)-.pri-z\ n [ME enterprise, fr. MF entreprise, fr.
entreprendre to undert]ake, fr. entre- inter- + prendre to take 1: a
project or undertaking that is difficult, complicated, or risky 2a: a
business organization 2b: a systematic purposeful activity 3: readiness
to engage in daring action : INITIATIVE
Did you notice, "a project or undertaking that is difficult, complicated, or risky"? Wouldn't you say the "first" carrier, or shuttle was risky?
Someone smack him on the back of the head for me.
The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships suggests the name 'Enterprise' is meant to denote "Boldness, energy, and invention in practical affairs", which seems to be a good fit for a warship or space vehicle. A pretty close match to Webster's "Readiness to engage in daring action."
W/regard to the 20 vs 22 battles thing ... It's really Battle Stars that are being counted. The two battle stars awarded in WWII that CV-6 didn't qualify for were for the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942) which she and Hornet (CV-8) missed by a day, and for Third Fleet actions off Japan in summer 1945 (when she was back stateside having kamikaze damage repaired).
Battle stars are weird things though. There are a number of battles for which (so far as I know) no battle star was issued: e.g., the Battle of the Komandorski Islands (in the Aleutians, in March 1943), or many of the night battles around Guadalcanal.
Anyway, thanks for the plug... ;-)
Posted by: Joel on November 3, 2002 02:59 PMI think the name was perfect.
BTW, I have a standing order to build one for the breezeway at our house. Jeff says it's perfect with the grey floor acting as a sea. I still haven't put up the Missouri and Arizona (but I'll get there, we haven't been in the house a year yet).
What does USS stand for?
Posted by: Jim on May 2, 2003 01:41 PMWhat does USS stand for?
Posted by: Jim on May 2, 2003 01:42 PMUnites States Ship
Posted by: Jeff on May 2, 2003 03:09 PMUnited States Ship
Posted by: Jeff on May 2, 2003 03:09 PMIn US Navy ship designations, what does the USS stand for?
Posted by: V. Jimenez on December 19, 2003 11:48 AMI don't get it when the USS enterprise was supposdly built, even the 1st one, it was supposed to be a whole earth, united. So why the United States Ship? Why not a name which signifies Earth and not a specific country which I would assume Gene is smart enough to realize can't remain a super power for so long... Are we sure this is what it stands for and does anybody know the reason?
Posted by: Chen on August 21, 2007 02:48 AMIt stands for "Roddenbery knew his series would be canceled in the first two weeks if the ship didn't have USS on it."
Of course, the original series was also much more complicated and much less preachy than the "Trekkies" have tried to retroactively make it. Roddenbery knew what he was doing when he presumed the UFP would be based on the US, rather than the UN.
Posted by: Tatterdemalian on August 21, 2007 11:10 AMUSS Enterprise CV6 = United States Ship
USS Enterprise NCC-1701 = United Space Ship
Posted by: jeff on August 22, 2007 11:30 AM