WI: Robert Heinlein Stayed In The Navy

The Navy was a big influence on Heinlein's life but he had to be discharged due to pulmonary tuberculosis. But what if he'd stayed in and wound up as Admiral Heinlein? How would science fiction be different without him in it?
 
If he stayed in the navy wouldn't he still face health problems from his tuberculosis? I would consider it highly unlikely that he would make the rank of admiral from a desk position on land.

Heinlein contributed a lot to the development of science fiction, but I doubt it as a literature genre would be different.
 
The Navy was a big influence on Heinlein's life but he had to be discharged due to pulmonary tuberculosis. But what if he'd stayed in and wound up as Admiral Heinlein? How would science fiction be different without him in it?

I'm wondering what if he didn't develop TB but went on with his career how would the navy be changed? He was a LT in '34 by '41 he'd be a commander. If his politics didn't interfere by the 50's he would be of flag rank.
 
Captain Heinlein USN?

I think the point of divergence would have revolved around his health. Let's assume he didn't have medical problems, I would be surprised if he reached flag rank. The attributes of a writer aren't exactly those that make a good Admiral. He might have ended up in naval intelligence in a backroom job or in a similar role as he played during the war as an engineer officer. He worked in Philadelphia Navy Yard with Sprague De Camp and Isaac Asimov, maybe he would have ended up as a Captain E and gone on to work with Admiral Rickover on nuclear submarines.

Maybe he would have become like the Captain of the mathematics division connected with an observatory in Blowups Happen. Could he have played a role in the alledged Philadelphia experiment? Maybe he did.

I somehow suspect that he would have found some scope for writing possibly for navy instruction manuals or possibly sea stories rather than SF But moving to SF on retirement and maybe going into politics at a more mature stage and getting elected
 
The campaign succeeds

Maybe this would have come about without a campaign

There is an active campaign to persuade the Secretary of the Navy to name the new Zumwalt class destroyer DDG-1001 the USS Robert A. Heinlein. [8]
 
Maybe this would have come about without a campaign

There is an active campaign to persuade the Secretary of the Navy to name the new Zumwalt class destroyer DDG-1001 the USS Robert A. Heinlein. [8]

Heinlein and Zumwalt is a blowup happening, for sure!
 
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