Major Roger Healey, United States Army - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Commander Benson · 09-22-2002, 12:08 AM

This is one of those "behind the scenes" questions.

Does anyone know the reason why Roger Healey was an Army officer? I'm asking why was the distinction made.

I don't recall the fact that he and Major Nelson were in separate services ever being a plot point on the show, so I never understood why the producers bothered.

I will give kudos to the show's producers; they were remarkably (for television) consistant and accurate in distinguishing Healey's uniform from Nelson's. After both men were promoted to major, Healey's cover displayed the "scrambled eggs" gold braid on the visor, while Nelson's did not. (In the U. S. Armed Forces, Army and Marine Corps officers' covers acquire the gold braid when at the O-4 (major) rank, while in the Navy and Air Force, it is not until the O-5 (commander/lieutenant colonel) rank.)

And in the wedding episode, Nelson wore the Air Force mess dress white uniform, while Healey wore the Army's version.

In fact, only once did I ever see the show err--in one episode, Healey's valise was stenciled "Maj. R. Healy, USAF". (The reunion movies, however, botched it in a big way, by making Healey an Air Force officer.)

The thing is, this is a lot of trouble for the production continuity people to go through (though much appreciated by military people like myself), and since it was never made an issue of in the show, I've always wondered why the show bothered to put Nelson and Healey in two separate services.

So, I turn to you I Dream of Jeannie afficionados. Perhaps one of you experts can answer this.

Commander Benson

Slippery Dan · 09-22-2002, 09:13 AM

A little correction about the O-4 Rank. In all four branches of Armed Services, officer rank insignia is the same. The ranks are the same except for the Navy, theirs is slightly different.
What that "scrambled eggs gold braid" is is a gold oak leaf which a Major in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps wears and a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy wears. O-5 ranks wear a silver oak leaf.

I Dream of Jeannie · 09-22-2002, 09:54 AM

I'm as stumped as you guys are about that. The only thing I know about that is that both of them were on detached service. And in the astronaut program. I'm stumped! Mabye they did that so if they ran out of ideas they would always have that to fall back on. It tis a mystery!LOL

Commander Benson · 09-22-2002, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slippery Dan
A little correction about the O-4 Rank. In all four branches of Armed Services, officer rank insignia is the same. The ranks are the same except for the Navy, theirs is slightly different.
What that "scrambled eggs gold braid" is is a gold oak leaf which a Major in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps wears and a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy wears. O-5 ranks wear a silver oak leaf.

If you will re-read my post more carefully, you will see that I was not talking about the collar devices--I was speaking of the gold braid which adorns the visors of some officers' covers (hats). This has been traditionally called "scrambled eggs".

Again, in the Army and the Marine Corps, officers at the O-4 level (which is called a "major" in both services) are authorised to wear the gold braid.

However, in the Navy and the Air Force, officers are not authorised to wear this adornment until they reach the O-5 level (which in the Navy is "commander" and the Air Force, "lieutenant colonel").

Your descriptions of the collar devices worn by these officers is correct--but I was not talking about them; therefore, there was nothing to correct

Commander Benson

~*Hannah_Lee*~ · 09-22-2002, 10:21 PM

That is a really good question! I have no clue as to what the answer is, but I have a theory. Maybe the show's writers grave Major Healey a green army uniformt to display him as the odd ball, in a twisted and mysterious way. He never did seem to fit in with everyone else on the show, maybe this was a unique way of showing that, so that it wasn't completely obvious. Just a thought....

sg1niner · 04-10-2005, 11:53 AM

I'm writing a Crossover fanfic (fan fiction for those who don't know the jargon), of Stargate SG-1 and IDoJ (yes, believe it or not, and it works!)

Any way, I'm adjusting the timeline a bit putting Roger and Tony turning 50 in 2004, about the same age as the Stargate Command commander, Jack O'Neill (Played by Richard Dean Anderson). They're supposed to now be Space Shuttle astronauts, Tony being Mission Commander and Roger the Pilot.

I was researching actual shuttle flights, and found that only one Astronaut has been US Army. So I suspect that they had him there as being fair to the other branches of the military (eg, many astronauts are USN.) Also, if I recall, wasn't he an actual test pilot? I'm not completely sure what specialty Tony may've pursued when not doing astronautly stuff (is that a word?)

Also, I found a little FUBAR, in addition to that one mentioned about Maj. R. Healy (was it spelled like that?), USAF.

I was trying to find some good pics of Roj (and you wouldn't believe how tough that is!), and I found one with him and Tony and Don Rickles, when they were doing survival training. Their coveralls are identical, both blue, both USAF (and his said "Healey" as well, so he wasn't just borrowing one.)

ArmyVet7989 · 12-29-2014, 07:34 PM

My guess is that since the first season of "Jeannie" was in black & white, they wanted to subtly differentiate between then Captains Nelson and Healey. The Air Force has no lapel brass, the Army does. Why Captain/Major Healey was branched into the Corps of Engineers is another mystery to me. Maybe they liked the design of the brass. The Army does have an aviation branch.

CAJeannieFan57 · 01-10-2015, 12:48 PM

Thanks for pulling up this old thread. I have a slightly different theory, though it is on the idea of Alan Brady's Hair's thoughts.

When IDOJ was first conceived by Sidney Sheldon, it was supposed to have 3 astronauts. One would be from the AF, one from the Army (though no one knows why, as there were no astronauts from the Army in the 60s) and one from the Navy. In real life, Larry Hagman was an Air Force veteran and Bill Daily was an Army veteran, though both were enlisted rather than officer types. (I'm not sure about Don Dubbins, who played the third sidekick in the pilot episode.) My theory was that Sidney put those two in officer uniforms to match their former military status.

Donna

Commander Benson · 07-10-2015, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAJeannieFan57

Thanks for pulling up this old thread. I have a slightly different theory, though it is on the idea of Alan Brady's Hair's thoughts.

When IDOJ was first conceived by Sidney Sheldon, it was supposed to have 3 astronauts. One would be from the AF, one from the Army (though no one knows why, as there were no astronauts from the Army in the 60s) and one from the Navy. In real life, Larry Hagman was an Air Force veteran and Bill Daily was an Army veteran, though both were enlisted rather than officer types. (I'm not sure about Don Dubbins, who played the third sidekick in the pilot episode.) My theory was that Sidney put those two in officer uniforms to match their former military status.

Donna

Thank you for posting that, ma'am. Curiously enough, I have come across that rationale before, though I cannot remember the source. (It may even have been from you, on another forum; I'd hate to inadvertently deny you the credit.)

In fact, I find your argument so compelling that I believe it to be most likely correct.

A few years ago, on another forum I frequent, I was asked to provide my evaluations of military-based sitcoms. When I got to I Dream of Jeannie, I mentioned the curious question of Roger Healey's Army service and was asked for the rationale I had learnt. What I posted was this:

When I Dream of Jeannie debuted on 18 September 1965, with the episode "Lady in a Bottle", Captain Anthony Nelson was shown to have been one member of a three-member astronaut team---which was actually in accordance with the protocols for N.A.S.A.'s Gemini project. The other two members were Bill Daily (who was not listed as a regular cast member in that first episode) as Captain Roger Healey, U.S. Army; and Don Dubbins as Lieutenant Pete Conway, U.S. Navy. The use of three services was to reflect the fact that, for astronaut-rated aviators, N.A.S.A. is a joint assignment. (In other words, not a specifically Army or Navy or Air Force job; a qualified military officer from any service may fill the billet.)

The inclusion of Captain Healey, an Army officer, was despite the fact that there had not been an Army aviator in the space programme at that time.

Also in this first episode, Doctor Bellows was a minor character and not yet figured in as the one from whom Jeannie's magical shenanigans must be hidden. That rôle was intended to be filled by Nelson's teammates, Healey and Conway. (Hence, the reason that Healey acts much more seriously and maturely in the first dozen episodes or so.)

Very quickly, it dawned on producer Sidney Sheldon that the show didn't need two astronauts from whom Captain Nelson kept having to hide Jeannie. That two astronauts could be constantly hoodwinked just wouldn't pass believability. And one fooled astronaut could get the point across as effectively as two. There was also a financial benefit, as eliminating one of the three-astronaut team would save the show's budget the cost of paying an actor for a recurring rôle.

So, poor Don Drubbins got the axe, and LT Conway was never seen, again. Bill Daily was moved up to regular-cast status, and since it had already been established that Captain Healey was an Army man, the show just left it that way.

So, unless I am lucky enough to bump into Bill Daily and get to ask him myself, this is the reason I find most likely to be true.

CAJeannieFan57 · 07-10-2015, 10:08 PM

I did ask Bill about that one time. He didn't know either, except that he thought it had been because he was an Army vet.

Commander Benson · 07-11-2015, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAJeannieFan57

I did ask Bill about that one time. He didn't know either, except that he thought it had been because he was an Army vet.

Once again, my thanks, dear lady. It may not answer the burning question, but at least I don't have to regret never being able to ask the one person in the best position to know.

Probably the one person who knew, with certainty, the reason was Sidney Sheldon, and he is, alas, beyond consultation.

unber · 03-25-2019, 08:08 PM

No, majors (now) as well as Lt Cols and Cols and Generals in the Air Force wear "farts and darts"-- slang for clouds and lightning bolts-- on their visors, not "scrambled eggs" (oak leaves). Also, the AF's are not gold like the others, but are silver-white in keeping with the fact that the AF uniform's buttons are silver, not gold.

09-22-2002, 12:08 AM	#1
Commander Benson Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 15, 2002 Posts: 55	Major Roger Healey, United States Army This is one of those "behind the scenes" questions. Does anyone know the reason why Roger Healey was an Army officer? I'm asking why was the distinction made. I don't recall the fact that he and Major Nelson were in separate services ever being a plot point on the show, so I never understood why the producers bothered. I will give kudos to the show's producers; they were remarkably (for television) consistant and accurate in distinguishing Healey's uniform from Nelson's. After both men were promoted to major, Healey's cover displayed the "scrambled eggs" gold braid on the visor, while Nelson's did not. (In the U. S. Armed Forces, Army and Marine Corps officers' covers acquire the gold braid when at the O-4 (major) rank, while in the Navy and Air Force, it is not until the O-5 (commander/lieutenant colonel) rank.) And in the wedding episode, Nelson wore the Air Force mess dress white uniform, while Healey wore the Army's version. In fact, only once did I ever see the show err--in one episode, Healey's valise was stenciled "Maj. R. Healy, USAF". (The reunion movies, however, botched it in a big way, by making Healey an Air Force officer.) The thing is, this is a lot of trouble for the production continuity people to go through (though much appreciated by military people like myself), and since it was never made an issue of in the show, I've always wondered why the show bothered to put Nelson and Healey in two separate services. So, I turn to you I Dream of Jeannie afficionados. Perhaps one of you experts can answer this. Commander Benson

09-22-2002, 09:54 AM	#3
I Dream of Jeannie Undisputed.......... Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 12, 2002 Location: Rebelling againist a group, defining a genre, and supporting Deidre -n- Drake and John and Marlena no matter what, and thanking Mr. Reilly for this magnificant storyline. Woohoo!! Life is good! Dee and Drake are bad. he he he Posts: 4,925	I'm as stumped as you guys are about that. The only thing I know about that is that both of them were on detached service. And in the astronaut program. I'm stumped! Mabye they did that so if they ran out of ideas they would always have that to fall back on. It tis a mystery!LOL
	__________________ Die Hard J&M/DnD-er and Proud of It! "As she gets more desperate and frightened, he becomes her salvation, as she falls apart, he's right there. It's every child's fantasy and every woman's fantasy of a husband, where he is a knight in shining armor. And Drake is magnificent at it. It's clean and it's pure and it's right there in front of you." ~ Deidre Hall "John has always been her salvation. I'm not sure Marlena believes anyone can clear her, but if anyone can do it, it will be John." ~ Deidre Hall "Yes, it does look really bleak right now (for John and Marlena). I know that, but as in any good fairy tale there's a lot of pain to get through in order to reach the end of a good or happy ending." ~ Ken Corday Smile God Loves You www.geocities.com/hazel_n_blue_4ever/index

09-22-2002, 10:21 PM	#5
~Hannah_Lee~ Let's dance in style Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 09, 2002 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,358	That is a really good question! I have no clue as to what the answer is, but I have a theory. Maybe the show's writers grave Major Healey a green army uniformt to display him as the odd ball, in a twisted and mysterious way. He never did seem to fit in with everyone else on the show, maybe this was a unique way of showing that, so that it wasn't completely obvious. Just a thought....
	__________________ Some are like water, some are like the heat Some are a melody and some are the beat. Sooner or later they all will be gone. Why don't they stay young? It's so hard to get old without a cause. I don't want to perish like a fleeing horse. Youth is like diamonds in the sun, And diamonds are forever. Forever young, I want to be forever young. Do you really want to live forever?

04-10-2005, 11:53 AM	#6
sg1niner Bill Maxwell's Woman Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 10, 2005 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 132	Roger's Uniform and being an Army astronaut I'm writing a Crossover fanfic (fan fiction for those who don't know the jargon), of Stargate SG-1 and IDoJ (yes, believe it or not, and it works!) Any way, I'm adjusting the timeline a bit putting Roger and Tony turning 50 in 2004, about the same age as the Stargate Command commander, Jack O'Neill (Played by Richard Dean Anderson). They're supposed to now be Space Shuttle astronauts, Tony being Mission Commander and Roger the Pilot. I was researching actual shuttle flights, and found that only one Astronaut has been US Army. So I suspect that they had him there as being fair to the other branches of the military (eg, many astronauts are USN.) Also, if I recall, wasn't he an actual test pilot? I'm not completely sure what specialty Tony may've pursued when not doing astronautly stuff (is that a word?) Also, I found a little FUBAR, in addition to that one mentioned about Maj. R. Healy (was it spelled like that?), USAF. I was trying to find some good pics of Roj (and you wouldn't believe how tough that is!), and I found one with him and Tony and Don Rickles, when they were doing survival training. Their coveralls are identical, both blue, both USAF (and his said "Healey" as well, so he wasn't just borrowing one.)
	__________________ sg1niner My Original Fanfic (Stargate SG-1, MASH, I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek, Greatest American Hero, Gilligan's Island)

01-10-2015, 12:48 PM	#8
CAJeannieFan57 Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 01, 2005 Location: Central Missouri Posts: 871	Thanks for pulling up this old thread. I have a slightly different theory, though it is on the idea of Alan Brady's Hair's thoughts. When IDOJ was first conceived by Sidney Sheldon, it was supposed to have 3 astronauts. One would be from the AF, one from the Army (though no one knows why, as there were no astronauts from the Army in the 60s) and one from the Navy. In real life, Larry Hagman was an Air Force veteran and Bill Daily was an Army veteran, though both were enlisted rather than officer types. (I'm not sure about Don Dubbins, who played the third sidekick in the pilot episode.) My theory was that Sidney put those two in officer uniforms to match their former military status. Donna
	__________________ Donna

09-22-2002, 09:13 AM	#2
Slippery Dan His Majesty Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 12, 2001 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 262	A little correction about the O-4 Rank. In all four branches of Armed Services, officer rank insignia is the same. The ranks are the same except for the Navy, theirs is slightly different. What that "scrambled eggs gold braid" is is a gold oak leaf which a Major in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps wears and a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy wears. O-5 ranks wear a silver oak leaf.

12-29-2014, 07:34 PM	#7
ArmyVet7989 Member First Time Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2014 Location: United States Posts: 1	My guess is that since the first season of "Jeannie" was in black & white, they wanted to subtly differentiate between then Captains Nelson and Healey. The Air Force has no lapel brass, the Army does. Why Captain/Major Healey was branched into the Corps of Engineers is another mystery to me. Maybe they liked the design of the brass. The Army does have an aviation branch.

07-10-2015, 10:08 PM	#10
CAJeannieFan57 Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 01, 2005 Location: Central Missouri Posts: 871	I did ask Bill about that one time. He didn't know either, except that he thought it had been because he was an Army vet.

03-25-2019, 08:08 PM	#12
unber Member First Time Poster Join Date: Mar 25, 2019 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1	No, majors (now) as well as Lt Cols and Cols and Generals in the Air Force wear "farts and darts"-- slang for clouds and lightning bolts-- on their visors, not "scrambled eggs" (oak leaves). Also, the AF's are not gold like the others, but are silver-white in keeping with the fact that the AF uniform's buttons are silver, not gold.