M*A*S*HCast #73 – Welcome To Korea

M*A*S*HCast -  Season 4, Episode 1: Welcome to Korea

Special Guest Star: Dan Greenfield

Air Date: September 12, 1975

Have a question or comment?

Theme music by Johnny Mandel

You can find M*A*S*HCast on these platforms:

Follow M*A*S*HCast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MASH4077Cast

This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK:

That is all!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

30 responses to “M*A*S*HCast #73 – Welcome To Korea”

  1. Rob & Dan,

    Welcome (back) to Korea! It feels so good to hear genuine laughter returning to the Fire & Water network.

    I look forward to this new season.

    “Groovy” Mike Decker

    Reply

  2. Thanks for coming back so soon, Rob! And Dan, too! By the way, Dan, I think all of Justified is brilliant (except for Season 5 – ugh), but I agree Season 2 might be the best. You are a man of taste, sir!

    This was a great episode, both of the series and the podcast, and the comparisons to Wizard of Oz and Dante’s Inferno were apropos. You mentioned the Emmys, but the writers also won a Writers Guild Award for this one (says Wikipedia). I have a hard time mentally accepting that it aired in 1975. I always think of the BJ/Potter/Winchester era of MASH as the “modern era” (i.e., when I started watching it), but I didn’t really start paying attention to MASH until later in the seventies.

    “People you’ll be close to probably for the rest of your life, and then you’ll never see them again.” Yeah, that’s about right. It’s easier to stay in touch now with social media and interstates, and people who keep working around the military like me will actually run into people they deployed with, but never everyone you’d like to. Nevertheless, in my head, BJ, Trapper, Hawkeye, and their families all got together after the war. BJ and Trapper laughed riotously over martinis (really good ones, mind you) while they exchanged embarrassing stories about Hawkeye. Hawk wondered aloud, “Why did I think this was such a good idea?”, but loved it the whole time. Peg and Trapper’s wife had their own conversation off to the side and bonded for life. At one point, Hawkeye’s dad held Erin while he and Trap’s kids gushed over her. Fun was had by all.

    Dan’s speculation on Trapper’s thoughts echoed my own: “How can you put it all in a note?”

    I never caught the Coleman Hawkins reference before. That was genius! I love this podcast!

    A few true life military stories for you to show how MASH imitates life (I know what’s expected of me here):

    You’re absolutely right about the general’s non-reaction to the corporal captain experiment. It’s all perfectly plausible. In the mid-2000s, the Air Force promoted a new fatigue uniform with a pattern of dark blue – yes, I said blue – tiger stripe camouflage. To me, they looked like they’d been meant to be black and faded over time. Tiger stripes are a jungle pattern; I’m sure you’ve noticed that we fight mostly in deserts now. Airmen at bases all over participated in the “wear test,” wearing the new uniform to work and taking note of the comments, just like Radar in the O Club. Many of the comments were similar to the ones Frank received in his suggestion box. My own review was more mild; I compared the uniform to “the sun-bleached fatigues of a third world army of oppression.” I think they put that down as “one against.” Anyway, the Air Force listened to the will of the people and scrapped the idea. The next uniform they offered up was equally impractical. It wasn’t fire-resistant, it only came in winter weight, and it had pockets placed where we can’t reach them in body armor. The camo pattern was still tiger stripe, but now it used colors the Army had come up with that were supposed to work equally well in forest and desert environments. Success! They stuck out everywhere. All that said, the new version looked so much better than the first, we accepted it gratefully. The Army eventually scrapped theirs in favor of their current field uniform, OCP fatigues in the Multicam print. That proved both practical and effective, and the Air Force followed suit a couple years later.

    Regarding Radar’s panicked scream – I was at Ft Dix for pre-deployment field training (yes, it still happens, just like on MASH). In the chow hall, I was eating with three lieutenant colonels also in the course. When we all went to dump our tray, we rounded the corner and came face-to-face with a kid Radar would have outranked. He stood and shook for a second and nearly dropped his tray, and then we all moved on without comment.

    In the seventies, my dad participated in a joint (i.e., multi-service) exercise called SOLID SHIELD. His portion was in northwest Florida. Toward the end of it, a promotion list came out. They held a post-exercise bash at an NCO club to help the people who had been up for promotion either celebrate or drown their sorrows. Eventually, some of the commissioned officers who were guests at the club had to squash a potentially epic cross-service fight (whole other story). It’s possible my “Uncle” Clyde instigated things when he released a live rattlesnake in the bar, but I may be conflating two parts of the story. Anyway, the officers declared the party over and started chasing people out of there. My dad and his crew went outside to find the weapons carrier they had arrived in (basically an olive drab heavy duty pickup), only to discover it missing. They took somebody else’s vehicle back to their quarters, because just like on MASH, none of these things required keys back then. The next morning, they found their weapons carrier parked outside the Army Special Forces guys’ quarters, exactly where they had expected to find it. My dad claims to be certain they returned the vehicle they borrowed, but I don’t know if he really remembers.

    I can’t wait to hear the discussion of Colonel Potter’s arrival, integration, and adaptation to MASH. He might be my favorite character. Welcome back!

    Reply

    1. I also served through a change in USAF uniforms. When I joined in 1986, only the SPs wore the battle-dress uniforms – woodland style – and the rest of us had to wear khaki fatigues. Then in 1987 they allowed everyone the option to wear the BDUs, and some of the career NCOs were not happy about that. By 1989 we were required to wear BDUs, but oddly we were NOT issued camouflage field jackets, so we would wear olive drab coats over our BDUs. (Something about how the DoD didn’t order enough camouflage field jackets to go along with the BDUs they mass purchased, and those camo jackets that were purchased were prioritized for the combat branches [Army and Marines]). I was tempted to buy a camouflage field jacket from a nearby army post, since they didn’t sell them at our base’s BX, but I wouldn’t’ve been allowed to wear it with my BDUs because it would’ve made me out of uniform!

      Reply

      1. Ted! I remember that look — OD field jacket over woodland camp BDUs. There were still some folks sporting it when I came in. I think the camo field jackets were available to the Air Force by then (and authorized), but you could still wear the original, and some folks would not give up their field jackets until they had to. Understandable, since it was one of the greatest pieces of outerwear ever made — until you got caught in a downpour, anyway.

        Just after I retired, the command I’d been working for authorized Airmen to wear the Army OCP (Multicam) uniforms. They’d been a deployment uniform for a while, so I had a bunch, but for folks who hadn’t deployed recently, they were hard to come by. Some of mine went to a senior NCO I had worked with and was still volunteering with.

        Of course, eventually the entire Air Force switched to OCPs. The more things change…

        Reply

    2. It may have been a little before your time, but I am sure you heard about McPeak’s infamous “United Airlines” uniform.

      A Brigadier General at Bolling I knew was one of the “lucky ones” who got to “test drive” the new uniform before it was implemented. An elderly woman outside the BX actually mistook him as a bus driver. It is one of those things that sounds too good to be true, but he swore it actually happened. His opinion was definitely “I don’t like it … I don’t like it at all.” Not that it mattered.

      So, yes, one more vote for the fact that while people going around checking soldier’s reactions to a new uniform may sound completely bizarre to someone not used to the military, it is one of those cases where “truth is stranger than fiction.”

      Reply

  3. Welcome back!
    This is the period of MASH I’ve been waiting for. I’m much more familiar with BJ and Potter. They were the regulars by the time I started watching the show. To me, Trapper and Blake were “the replacement” characters. Perception is a funny thing. I greatly prefer the characters of BJ and Potter. BJ definitely represented a more centered “Everyman” than any other character in the show.
    The departure of Tapper is just as jarring for the audience as it was for Hawkeye. They never got to say goodbye either. He’s just gone. I also agree with Dan, that Trspper had no idea of how to actually say goodbye to Hawkeye. Not only that, I can only imagine how happy and enthusiastic Trapper was to leave Korea as well. He may have been a philanderer, but I’m sure he was jump for joy in anticipation of going home to his wife and children. I’m sure that preoccupied his thoughts while thinking about his goodbye to the 4077.

    Reply

  4. Great way to start a great season! This starts my sweet spot for M*A*S*H . The two seasons with both BJ and Frank are my all time favorites.

    Dan’s breakdown of BJ’s journey from arriving in Korea to arriving at the 4077 was spot on. I also like Rob’s tying in BJ’s introduction to Hawkeye and his lines to Hawk in the finale.

    Quick correction to the discussion. We actually saw the interior of Rosie’s in the season 3 finale, Abyssinia, Henry. That was where Hawkeye, Trapper, and Radar presented Henry with his going away suit. The set was definitely different. I attribute that to the guys reserving Rosie’s backroom for a special event.

    Thank you, Rob, for deciding to go weekly with this podcast. I totally understand needing to skip the occasional week, but like you said, the show was preempted from time to time. Why not the podcast too?

    Reply

  5. Welcome back. I love this episode. I think it was around this episode that I really started to love, rather than just like the show.
    One bit of trivia, BJ’s Army Number is the same as Tuttle’s.

    Reply

        1. When Margaret and Frank are reading through BJ’s file his serial number [not sure of the term] is the same as Tuttle’s. I believe it was Larry Gelbart’s actual number in real life.

          Reply

          1. Don’t remember the scene exactly, but serial number (AKA service number) is probably correct. DOD switched to using social security numbers for a few decades, but then the threat of identity theft forced them to switch back to serial numbers — an identification number used only by the military. They can throw it around freely without worry of screwing up the service member’s finances, ’cause it isn’t connected to anything else. It’s also what you give to enemy captors, along with name and rank.

  6. Thank you for a great kickoff to Season 4. I’d never thought of it before, but I believe Dan is correct in “Welcome to Korea” being the best introductory episode to the MASH experience.

    I particularly enjoyed your comparison of the Hawkeye/Trapper relationship to the Hawkeye/BJ relationship. Here we have the advantage of seeing the start of Hawkeye and BJ’s friendship, and watching how that relationship shapes the two characters over the coming seasons. It’s too bad we aren’t able to do the same with Hawkeye and Trapper, since they begin the series with such a strong relationship. Regardless, pairing Hawkeye with two different best friends, who each highlight different aspects of his personality, has the added benefit of making Hawkeye a deeper and more nuanced character.

    Of course, now, I’m trying to imagine what a Trapper/BJ team-up would have looked like….

    Reply

  7. I remember when I first saw this. I began watching the show the season Radar left. I soon discovered it was on in the afternoon so I started watching that. They didn’t seem to show any from the first three seasons at the time. So I had no idea who this Trapper person was. But it was cool to meet BJ for the first time and see him clean shaven.

    I remember the scene with Frank and the hat. Very touching and nice to see a softer side of Frank. Trapper seemed to try to be nice to Frank sometimes as did Henry to an extent. Not so with Potter and BJ. I also liked seeing the interaction between Frank and Radar. Linville and Burghoff had great comedy timing that should have been used more. (I like Frank. Sue me).

    Frank and Margaret hoping BJ is a Republican was funny given Farrell’s politics.

    I didn’t know Rogers quit late in the summer. Writing that episode and creating BJ on the fly was amazing work.

    The biggest reason MASH was so successful is that they didn’t try to recreate characters that left. The three new ones were totally different than the three they replaced. They even reinvented Klinger to be the company clerk. Heck, Rizzo was different than Zale.

    I know Gelbart said that wasn’t Rogers on the PA. But it certainly sounded like him. And rather odd to throw in a PA announcement. Oh, well.

    I agree the story arc from Abbysinia, Henry to Change of Command was tremendous. A great recap from Rob and his guest. Glad the season break wasn’t as long this time.

    Reply

  9. I must say that I don’t have the love of this episode that you two do. None of the hour long episodes hold my interest because there is so much padding in these episodes. And this one is no exception. This could easily have been a half hour installment and would have been much more watchable.

    The scene that I think is the most meaningful in this episode is the aftermath of the battle scene. While Hawkeye and BJ are working on the fallen soldiers the commander of the platoon tells his men to head out. To the leader, the dead and wounded soldiers that are dotting the land are merely collateral damage. Nothing to see here. Nothing to care about here. It puts an accent on the futility and worthlessness of war. Human life is so disposable. Kill my men? No problem. There are plenty more coming in from the draft that can also be sacrificed. (In case you can’t tell, I was of age where the Vietnam draft was a real concern).

    Reply

  10. Oops. Excuse me. I forgot a thing or three.

    The first ten or so episodes of season four had muted humor because CBS in their infinate wisdom had moved MASH into the newly created “family hour”. There were many restrictions about what a series could do or say if they were in the “family hour” and it really hurt the comedy for the first half of the fourth season.

    I never understood the scene with the snipers. Why would they go into the woods to start firing on the Americans when they passed them face to face? That would have been the perfect time to kill them. And have noticed (not just in the episode but in the entire series) what lousy shots North Korean and Chinese snipers were? I think in the entire series they hit one ambulance driver and Colonel Potter’s rump.

    And maybe it was the alcohol talking but I never liked the next to last scene where BJ calls Frank “ferret face”. He doesn’t even know the guy. Just because there is one disgruntled soldier (right or wrong) telling him bad stories he immediately cuts down a superior officer? What if Hawkeye had told him that General Mitchell was bad? Would a man fresh out of the States go up to a General and call him a derogatory name stickily because Hawkeye didn’t like him? it’s really a stretch.

    Reply

    1. I didn’t think this being an hour was bad. (I have only seen it syndicated in two parts). They spent the first half getting to the air base and meeting BJ. Then we had the second half of their misadventures getting home. Now, the late season USO troupe two parter was horrible.

      I do agree those were terrible snipers.

      Also agree on BJ’s greeting to Frank. I could see it if he were a veteran surgeon transferring from the 8063rd. But it seemed way out of place for him. I certainly wouldn’t insult my new boss that way just because a guy I just met doesn’t like him.

      Reply

  11. So happy to see this show back on the feed.
    Basically because of this show, I have been binge watching episodes off of MeTV and have really rediscovered it. While it was a staple in my house growing up (syndicated at 5p and 10p locally), I haven’t seen these episode in a loooong time.

    I burned through season 4 just a little bit ago so the memory is still fresh. As you say, this was a hell of an episode. I am and always will be a Trapper guy but this is a great intro to BJ. And as you so aptly say, his transformation from buttoned down fresh recruit to drunken, muddy mess is his intro to Korea. Well played out as he sees both the insane bureaucracy of the military and the terrors of war.

    My favorite joke wasn’t mentioned! When in the jeep, Radar is excessively frazzled and Hawkeye says ‘you know what to do’. Radar pops something in his mouth. BJ asks if it is a sedative and Hawkeye says ‘no, chicklet’ I love that line. Perfectly sums up Radar.

    As for Trapper leaving Hawkeye and perhaps never seeing him again, I can only once again try to equate my job as ER doc to MASH surgeon. The ED can be an extremely intense place to work. You form these deep relationships with other docs and nurses. And sometimes folks leave for other jobs or because their training ends. You have been ‘in the trenches’ (so to speak) with these folks and then suddenly they’re gone. And while you say ‘keep in touch’, life often gets in the way. You hope to get the holiday card with an updated life report or maybe run into them at a medical conference but often time – poof – they are somewhere else. Yes, social media has made it way easier to keep in touch. But that will never replace the deep connections you make when working together.

    Thanks again Rob and Dan for a great breakdown.

    Reply

  12. The fourth season was the year I started actively watching MASH, and not just if it was on while my parents were watching it. I liked the look of Mike Farrell & Harry Morgan, and both of their new characters “spoke” to me more than the womanizing Trapper or good-hearted but discombobulated Henry had. I agree with Rob that seasons 4 & 5 are some of the greatest TV of all time. I can’t wait to dive into my DVD to re-watch these episodes in order to follow along with the podcast.

    My favorite bit is when Frank is standing in his office in front of his portrait of Macarthur and says something about hoping to mold BJ into his image, and Margaret says something to the effect, “Oh, Frank, you almost have a chin!” That makes me laugh every time.

    I half expected you to mention another obscure reference in this episode after you explained who Coleman Hawkins was, someone I have never heard of. I did love how Hawkeye’s eyes glowed when BJ mentioned him, now knowing who and what he was. Anyway, remember Margaret’s reference to Aimee McPherson? I had to look her up, but I found that she was an evangelical woman who died in 1944. I can only assume that Margaret’s reference to her was how she had been SO popular but then faded pretty quickly after she faked her own kidnapping, or some such controversy. I do love how Frank thinks Margaret is talking about Amelia Earhart.

    Reply

  13. I’ve never been this excited to have a podcast back! My bellybutton’s been puckering and unpuckering all day! I’m going to add my voice to the throng declaring season 4, and season 5, as the best seasons of MASH, and possibly TV, ever produced. We as viewers, especially now, know the behind the scenes stories and shakeup, who left and who began to exert more influence, but in my MASH head canon, I always thought the arrival of BJ was like a life raft for Hawkeye, a stabilizing force. When the war started, Hawk was a young surgeon, fresh off a breakup with Carlyle and thrown into a war zone. Naturally sensitive, and hurting from rejection, he hooks back up with his old buddy Trapper to carouse, womanize and prank his way through the hell of war, burying his hurt with booze and sex and laughs. Then Henry dies. Then Trapper leaves. Hawkeye’s world begins to collapse….and BJ arrives. The perfect mix of both of Hawkeye’s sides, the childish prankster and sensitive surgeon. We see Hawkeye change as a person, as a character. And it all begins here! (Thank you for attending my MASH fan fic TED talk…).
    As for the episode….one of my favorites of the series. I found myself nodding along and smiling multiple times, enjoying that it’s not just me who notices the little asides, the small smiles and gestures that add so much texture to not only the episode, but the burgeoning friendship between Hawkeye and Beej. You’re seeing this incredible partnership forming in real time!
    I am unbelievably excited to go through this season, the best MASH season ever! Thanks to you both for a great start and thanks to Rob for the quick turnaround! For now, bye bye, buy bonds!

    Reply

  14. Oddly, I haven’t watched this episode very much. I’ve definitely seen it and love it, but somehow I only caught it once or twice before. So it’s great having a reason to watch it again. So good!

    Totally agree that BJ’s character is nailed from this first appearance. I have to admit, I’ve always liked his soft spoken nature better than Trapper’s brashness. A good balance for Hawkeye, and brings a kind of calm missing from the cast except for Mulcahy, but still so funny and smart. I’m so happy to see him again.

    Thanks, Rob and Dan!

    Reply

  15. I hate to be that guy but the officer in the O Club who questions the guys is a colonel not a general. He has the “bird colonel” (to take a quote from Potter) not a star.

    Reply

  16. Hi guys! Welcome back. Very thorough discussion of this seminal episode once again. Very glad you mentioned Hawkeye’s double take in response to BJ’s first quip. I presume it was written in the script which just goes to show how skilful the writers were in conveying a feeling without any dialogue. Solid acting all round by the three protagonists, and no surprise an emmy was won by Gene Reynolds for this episode. It was brilliant. Looking forward to the remainder of the series! Keep up the great work

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *