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D.E.R.O.S. for M*A*S*H

By Annie Luginbill

No More Vietnams

After 11 years of trying to heal the wounds of Korean War, television's M*A*S*H #4077 has collapsed the surgical tents, packed up the hemostats and not-so-silently stolen into the night, to be rerun and spun off for years to come. This medical/military series, so popular that its lifespan exceeded the war it was portraying by some 7 years, leaves and unfilled void in the 'vast wasteland" of television.

Those who have watched M*A*S*H on a long-term continuing basis point to the program's ongoing defense and reaffirmation of life in the face of overwhelming, war-brought death; program after program confirms the credo of medicine--heal the sick and care for the wounded--as well as the unofficial credo of the M*A*S*H team (and of most medical people in our acquaintance)--war may be hell, but life has to continue, and humor is the best medicine for many ailments. In none of the programs has war its attendant miseries ever been glorified; to the contrary, M*A*S*H has shown that indeed war is hell, not only for the men who fight them but for the people back who have to put the pieces back together again (if they can). War is contrary to what medicine stands for, and M*A*S*H has helped show that it can never be anything but dehumanizing and painful. While the program was never overly anti-Vietnam war, it wan anti-war in general, and its episodes celebrate the beauty, comedy and unfortunately, tragedy of humanity. The technical and verbal aspects of M*A*S*H always complemented the intent to dignify the human spirit, even through comedy.

Whether treating a wounded enemy soldier, being interviewed by the press, or trying to help a refugee family, the troops of M*A*S*H 4077 upheld a firm commitment to preserving life and spicing it with humor in the face of major obstacles, and for that commitment to humanity, we applaud them.

Annie Lugenbill
Veronica Burney
Chicago