After growing up and volunteering for military service in the US Army Air Corps in 1941, during which service to his country he was a pilot, flying 89 missions and sorties, and being decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.
After leaving military service and becoming a civilian pilot, he was awarded a Civil Aeronautics Commendation for his actions under extreme conditions.
He became a police officer, and later a sergeant, again serving the people.
He became a writer, writing for such shows as “Goodyear Theatre”, “The Kaiser Aluminum Hour”, “Four Star Theater”, “Dragnet”, “The Jane Wyman Theater”, “Naked City”, and “Have Gun, Will Travel”.
He then wrote and produced his first series, “The Lieutenant”.
During all of this, he had a vision of the future, one that still had conflicts but the conflicts were resolved as peacefully and logically as possible.
His future turned a blind eye to such mundane things as race, creed, color, religion, and gender.
He created a universe for his future, and that universe was named “Star Trek” and the pilot of a series was produced called “The Cage”.
"Star Trek" became such a phenomenon that world-wide, at any given time, somewhere in the world, some episode or movie is being aired and watched.
Even though the original “Star Trek” had its mission cut by two years, Gene persevered, creating four more television series, “The Questor Tapes”, “The Tribunes”, “Genesis II” and “Planet Earth”, as well as two movies, “Spectre” and “Pretty Maids All in a Row”.
The fans of “Star Trek” would not let the show or Gene’s vision die, and neither would he.
“Star Trek” was reincarnated in an animated series with the original crew, and lasting for 22 episodes.
The followers of “Star Trek”, known as “Trekkies”, were rewarded when Gene created the first of nine Star Trek motion pictures to date, and the vision was there again for not only the old generation, but also a new one.
Because of the original motion picture, Gene was able to add the title “novelist” to his long list of achievements, when his novelization of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” sold close to a million copies.
What followed no one has ever been able to explain, as three more series were created over the next two decades, “Star Trek The Next Generation”, “Star Trek Deep Space 9" and “Star Trek Voyager”, which in total run time covers a period of three decades, with a fifth series “Star Trek Enterprise” and a fourth decade already well under way.
With a total to date of over 656 episodes, including the original pilot and the animated series, and a tenth movie already here, Gene’s universe lives on with a life force that has never faded since the first air date in 1966, and has not faded with even Gene’s death on October 24, 1991.
“Star Trek” was the first TV series to be preserved in the Smithsonian.
Gene Roddenberry was the first writer/producer to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gene served in many other ways throughout his life other than those already mentioned, including serving as a member of the Writers Guild Executive Council, serving as a Governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Gene has been honored in many ways throughout his life other than those already mentioned, including three honorary doctorates, Doctor of Humane Letters from Emerson College, Doctor of Literature from Union College, and Doctor of Science from Clarkson College, and the Jack Benny Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement given by the March of Dimes.
His surviving family, wife Majel Roddenberry and son Eugene Wesley Roddenberry, Jr., are still keeping Gene’s ideas alive with the creation of two more non-Star Trek series, “Earth: Final Conflict” and “Andromeda”, created from old scripts, notes, and ideas written by Gene.
Majel and Gene, Jr. are still keeping Gene’s vision alive with each new Star Trek series and each new Star Trek movie.
It must be remembered by all El Pasoans that this phenomenal man and his great vision is a NATIVE EL PASOAN!