Captain Blue's Purple Heart

by **hazel** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:04 pm

We are told, in what little official literature there was, that Captain Blue was awarded the Purple Heart "for bravery" in the global terrorist conflicts. However, looking at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart), and dredging up memories of episodes of M*A*S*H (http://www.tv.com/mash/sometimes-you-he ... mmary.html), I see that the Purple Heart is awarded for being injured or killed in action, including by friendly fire. I am fully aware that getting injured in a conflict implies a level of bravery, but it doesn't seem to be a prerequisite for the award.

So - are we to think that the production team of NCS didn't actually know what the Purple Heart stands for, or are they positing that it will have changed its focus by the time 2068 (or whatever year NCS is set in) rolls around?

by **Marion** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:45 pm

Perhaps Captain Blue-Lite was hit in the head in action - thus accounting for his less prepossessing appearance (compared to the Original Blue) and his tendancy to be slow on the uptake? :angel)

by **chrisbishop** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:31 am

... AND for his kind of gung-ho attitude? /----0

by **Cat 2** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:03 am

I admit as a Brit, I always tended to assume the Purple Heart was a bit like our Victoria Cross, award for exterme bravery.
I'll make a guess that the hope was that it was changed by 2068, or that Blue was not injured by his own side, but by the Terrorists.

by **Elentari** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:31 am

After watching an episode of MASH where Frank Burns was supposed to get a Purple Heart I thought they were doled out like candy...for doing very little. Not like the VC at all. I imagine the truth must be somewhere in between.

by **LadyP** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:45 pm

Purple is such an unforgiving colour, I always think. It takes real bravery to wear it.

by **Cat 2** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 8:08 am

Checking biography, does specifically say got Purple Heart for bravery, so maybe they thought that explained it?

by **hazel** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:48 pm

Cat2 - yes, but that's my point. The Purple Heart isn't awarded for bravery, it's awarded for injury. I've known that since I was a sproglette, so surely the NCS writers must have known too?

by **Marion** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 11:29 am

I dread to say this in a way, but might it be that - just like the 60s continuity and background details - nobody cared enough to check if it was actually right?
In the original series, Dr Fawn comes from somewhere that doesn't even really exist - except that it's a vineyard, I think.

Characters graduate from university when still in nappies (almost) and have multiple high achieving careers before they're old enough to vote. (ok, slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean...)

Why shouldn't Blue-Lite get a run-of-the-mill medal for 'bravery'? Being wounded isn't very nice however it happens, so it is 'brave' to be in the war zone anyway. Besides, if the Purple Heart isn't the US equivalent of the Victoria Cross, what is? If there isn't one, maybe all he could have been awarded was the Purple Heart? ;-$

by **hazel** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:44 pm

You're probably right. That's really rather sad - "it's only a kids' programme, it doesn't really matter..." Having worked in Children's Programmes for many happy years, and seen that attitude several times (not from the staff, but from certain well-meaning, but ignorant, visitors), it rankles.

by **Scarlet Lady** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:10 pm

I think it just means that the NCS production team didn't know what the Purple Heart was for and didn't bother to check. The Purple Heart is awarded to those injured/killed in action; the highest decoration in the States is the Medal of Honour.

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Awards/decorations.aspx - List of medals of the US, from the Pentagon; click one for the required information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awards_and_decorations_of_the_United_States_military - List of medals in a format that is easier to follow

by **Cat 2** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:17 pm

Scarlet Lady wrote:I think it just means that the NCS production team didn't know what the Purple Heart was for and didn't bother to check. The Purple Heart is awarded to those injured/killed in action; the highest decoration in the States is the Medal of Honour.

So Medal of Honour is like Victoria Cross? (help a confused Brit out. Could be that's all that happened. A confused Brit)

by **Scarlet Lady** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:57 pm

I'm British myself, Cat2, but I imagine so. I'm no military expert and certainly don't know any more than you do about such things; I'm merely interested.