As a college student pursuing graphic design here at SUNY New Paltz, I can share my pride over one of my grandfather’s designs, specifically the badge of the USS Intrepid. The Intrepid is an Essex-class aircraft carrier built for the United States Navy, used in World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War.

Growing up, I had always seen this badge design sitting on a shelf in my grandparents house. To my knowledge, it had become an ordinary decor piece. As a young girl, I was blatantly uninterested in learning about anything to do with the Navy, and so despite my grandfather’s attempts to explain his stories- they were not remembered. As I grew older, however, I became more interested in the story behind the badge. For the interest of this assignment, I had my grandfather tell his story to my father, who had taken notes to send to me.

The badge itself is 4” wide, in near perfect condition. There are several badges floating around our family, this specific badge photographed is owned by my father in our home of Clinton, NY. Iron-on backing unused, without any loose threads. Preserved with care. So, how is this badge important to my family?

My grandfather, Norbert Blum, had joined the Navy on July 14th, 1952 at the age of 19. He had just recently graduated from high school in a small town south of Rochester, NY. He had always found a passion for art and design growing up, but was drafted to the Navy before any academic plans were pursued. He found himself on the Intrepid, working as a radarman during the Korean War. On the ship, there was a newspaper that was published once every month. The paper included news journals, cartoons, and entries by the sailors themselves. One day in 1955, the newspaper announced a contest for a sailor with a knack for design to create a logo for the ships crew; the best design would win the honors of reproduction. 

With previous interests in art, my grandfather took the opportunity to enter a design. He wanted a design that represented the two parts of the Intrepid; the ship, and the aircraft carrier. He divided the patch into two parts. On the left side of the patch states, “IN MARE”, which translated from Latin, means “on the sea”. On the right side states, “IN COELO”, which translates to “in the sky”. The left half design is a globe with latitude and longitude lines, signifying the sea. The right half design is blue with stars, signifying the sky. In the center, acting as the dividing line, is a compass needle. “USS INTREPID” curves at the top of the design, “CV-11” curves at the bottom. As my grandfather states, “CV-11 is Navy code for the Intrepid ship, us Navy guys would know”. 

He submitted the design, and soon later heard the Admiral Commanding Officer announce great news: his design won. 

As a material object, I think a logo design is particularly interesting to choose because it has great personal value to my family, yet, it is not a privately valued item. The aircraft carrier docked in the Hudson River in New York City has turned into a museum, The Intrepid Museum, where visitors come and go. Out for public display, my grandfather’s design is painted largely on the inside of the ship, and embellished on countless items in the gift shop. My grandfather had gotten an original copy of the patch before he left the navy, but the patch that my father owns today is bought from the gift shop when my father and grandfather visited the Intrepid Museum in 2010. When noting this specific badge’s chain of ownership, I can discuss the passing of the gift shop, to my grandfather, to my father, to me. However, I see a wider picture. The design is intended to be owned and shared by the public, including the tens of thousands of sailors that served. I believe the design’s ability to serve the public is what makes the object so great, what makes it valuable to our family.

It is important to note that for me personally, the badge is not of interest to me in content. In other families, this badge may serve as a reminder of the struggles and sacrifices of a family member in their service to our country. Others may have their own personal stories, memories, and feelings, that they attach to this badge. While I can acknowledge the service of my grandfather, the spark of excitement comes from the design and aesthetics of the badge. I am inspired by my grandfather and his pursuit and success in art and design. Proven by the badge, design is in the bloodline.