"Silly questions about M*A*S*H TV show" Topic

1) In the opening credits, it shows nurses and what have you sprinting very hard to the chopper pad. That doesn't strike me as being very efficient – as once they arrived they would be hyperventilating for a while and not be able to help anyone. Wouldn't an easy jog be better?
2) With regards to all the doctor's – what would they have been doing during WWII? The Korean War (50-53) wasn't that long after WWII ended (45). Certainly not long enough for them to finish college, and Med school and a few years of practice that they all seem to have had (hawkeye, trapper, Blake, etc). So what were they doing during the "big one."

#1 I guess you've never been in a hospital emergency room when a cardiac or shooting victim comes in. Everyone is running towards the ambulance as it arrives, because a few seconds may save a life. It's reality, not TV.

So what were they doing during the "big one."

Well harry Morgan was a lifer so he was in WW 2. As for the rest who knows? They never say.

It's a television show, not a documentary. In the real world stretcher bearers and medics take the casualties from the chopper to the operating tent and are already on the pan waiting for the inbound chopper. But has already been said, it's not that dramatic. As for what fictional characters were doing in a real war, who knows, perhaps Klinger was the CO of 1st SSF but was busted to Cpl for cross dressing, as most people know this was only allowed in the Royal Marines.

Like I said, it was a silly question – and I know the 2nd one has no answers. I was just kind of curious what other thought.
As for number two, in just occurred to me while watching reruns with one of my sons, that Potter was too old, he should only be less than 50 (he claims to have enlisted in WWI at age 13 – meaning he was born in 1903 or so).
I don't know how long it takes to be a doctor – but am guessing 8 years or so – which means they would have been of drafting age in WWII also.
PS I also know the show (& movie) is really about Viet Nam not Korea

Maybe Potter was just worn out over years of hard service? :)

I know in Vietnam some draftees could get deferments, and in WWII you could get a deferment if you served in a war critical industry of field, that could not be easily replaced (i.e. aeronautical engineer, rather than a factory floor worker). I tried to research it, but possibly medical students got a deferment too?

Damon.

that Potter was too old

Yes & for some reason Hawkeye seems to age 11 years from the first episode to the last whilst the whole war was only 3 years long!

Yes & for some reason Hawkeye seems to age 11 years from the first episode to the last whilst the whole war was only 3 years long!

That's just too many trips to the still. Stay away from booze, kids…

Damon.

Never been in an emergency room but have been told by Doctors that they never ever run.

As a big fan and saw the show on the first time religiously I'd like to chime in. The helo's land up on a hill and don't see any problem running up to assess the wounded except a ride by a jeep maybe but a convoy heading up the hill along with ambulances may have caused a traffic jamb. This was a new concept using helos. as for the Doctors in the show they get drafted (Hawkeye, BJ,Winchester)or not at least non-volunteers, or are already in the military (Burns, both Col's, and Maj Hoolihan). But as the reruns go I use to watch them but can't anymore. And the show did run Sept 1972 -Feb 83 a lot longer then the war June 1950-July 53

Never been in an emergency room but have been told by Doctors that they never ever run.

Depends. Usually it's the nurses and orderlies and ambulance workers. But I've been there when a child is comming in and I have witnessed Doctors running to meet the ambulance as it arrives.

Having worked in an Emergency Department, I can tell you that running is generally discouraged, but that doesn't mean that nobody moves fast. Depending on the caseload (and types), the ED can be flurry of activity. On one up to then quiet night, about 0400, we got multiple transports from a gang fight gone very bad. Something like 20 young males with gunshot, knife and every other kind of wound. Lost 3 of them in the ED. I can tell you, everyone was moving FAST that night…

They ran to empty the choppers so the next ones could land. Plus women running is good for ratings.

Garand, since you brought up deferments during wartime, I heard an interesting story from a friend in IT who recently retired. He was going to college while the draft for Vietnam was going on. He was in the first graduating class in Computer Science at his university, on the last day of class someone from a big corporation came into the class and said they needed as many computer programmers as they could get, and they would hire everyone in the class, no interviews necessary. Everyone accepted because the big corporation (can't remember which one it was now) built military equipment and going to work for them gave you a deferment from the draft. Of course they were all young men of draft age – no women took computer science classes in those days!

IBM, I'm guessing.

My doctor (rest his soul) served as an army surgeon during the Korean War. He finished his residency in 1946. Did not serve in ww2. Never discussed why or how; he just said he was in school.

My father in law was at University taking his chemistry PhD during WW2. He was never called up.

US doctors may not run, but British ones do when the crash alarm goes.

Regarding #2 there was a II-A deferment "Men necessary in their civilian activity" that I could see being given to doctors already in practice.

Also they changed the draft law in 1950 which infers that until that time they weren't drafting doctors?

The 1950 doctors' draft law was enacted in response to the Defense Department's statement that voluntary enlistments of doctors and dentists had not kept up with the Armed Forces expansion due to the Korean war. (CQ Almanac, Vol. VI, 1950, pp. 315–316.)

The law set up a system of priorities in which those with the least amount of service would be called first. Former students who received part or all of their training at government expense but had served less than 90 days in World War II were called first; second called were those with more than 90 days but less than 21 months; third were those who got their training at other than government expense but who never served in the armed forces or public health service; and finally those who got their training at other than government expense and served in the armed forces.

A maximum of 21 months active duty was established and a National Advisory Committee of doctors, dentists and scientists was set up to advise the Selective Service System and coordinate work of state and local advisory committees. A $100 USD bonus was granted for volunteer medical men but not for drafted ones.

Potter,in the storyline,was in his early 60's,originally a U.S. Cavalry trooper prior to WW1,was awarded a decoration only enlisted personnel were awarded at the time,then became an officer later on. Margaret was a service kid(dad was an artillery officer).

In the book Hawkeye was a WW2 vet but you never hear about what service he had in that war.

no women took computer science classes in those days!

gracehopper.org

1) As the varied opinions above, who would run when is situational. I think what is shown is illustrative of things that happen, but not representative of the most common case.

2) Some of them talk about what they "used to do". If you were in college, or in a high demand profession, you generally didn't get called up. If you draft high demand people for specific skill programs (like doctors), you would want to draft ones with experience. So it is fairly reasonable that doctors like Hawkeye would have been young doctors during WWII and called up as more experienced ones in Korea.

M*A*S*H is now one of my favorite shows. When I was younger I never had an appreciation for it when my grandmother would make me watch it…(Gram had a thing for Alan Alda)

link TV show info

link Book info

I think it is alluded to that Hawkeye was in WW2.

Col. Blake was career military as well.

Well, in the film Henry is a career officer, but in the series he is a reservist who has been called up from private practice.

Had some actor credited as Larry Fishburn in one episode. Wonder what happened to him?

If memory serves me right about Colonel Potter, he was an enlisted man in World War 1 and served in the infantry, going to medical school after the war had ended. He was an officer and a doctor in WW2 and was on the verge of retirement when the Korean War started but decided to volunteer to go, which annoyed his wife Mildred.

In B.J. Hunnicutt's debut episode, his age is given as 27 and the episode takes place in 1951 which would make him 21 when WW2 ended. He was presumably finishing college or most of his way through medical school.

The other doctors could have served in WW2 but not in a field hospital. Given their attitudes to war (Hawkeye and Trapper firmly against, Burns firmly pro and Winchester ambivalent) they had probably served in the army but kept Stateside so they never experienced life in a combat zone until Korea.