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M*A*S*H cast members circa 1974: (back row) Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers, Gary Burghoff (front row) Loretta Swit, Alan Alda, McLean Stevenson

This is a list of characters from the M*A*S*H franchise, covering the various characters appearing in Richard Hooker's novel, Robert Altman's film adaptation of the novel as well as the television series.

M*A*S*H is a popular media franchise revolving around the exploits of army surgeon Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce as well as his various cohorts as they attempt to maintain sanity during the harshness of the Korean War.

Main characters[link]

Hawkeye Pierce[link]

Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, M.D. is a fictional character and lead protagonist in the M*A*S*H novels, film, and television series. The character was played by Donald Sutherland in the film and by Alan Alda on television. He is both the main character and the only character to appear in every episode of the television series.

Born and raised in Crabapple Cove, Maine, Hawkeye is, according to the television series, the son of Dr. Daniel Pierce (in the novels, his father is "Big Benjy" Pierce, a lobsterman/fisherman in Crabapple Cove, Maine). Hawkeye attended Androscoggin College. After his medical residency in Boston, Hawkeye is drafted into the U.S. Army Medical Corps and called to serve at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H) during the Korean War. Between long, intense sessions of treating critically wounded patients, he makes the best of his life in an isolated Army camp with heavy drinking, carousing, and pulling pranks on the people around him, especially the unpleasantly stiff and callous Major Frank Burns and Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan.

It was established that Pierce’s nickname of "Hawkeye" was given to him by his father. It comes from the novel The Last of the Mohicans, which Pierce, in Hooker's book, claimed was "the only book my old man ever read."^[1] This claim was repeated in the television episode, "A Full Rich Day".

Developed for television by Larry Gelbart, the series departed in some respects radically from the film and book. The character of Duke Forrest was dropped altogether, and Hawkeye became the center of the M*A*S*H unit’s medical activity as well as the dramatic center of the series itself. In the series he is named Chief Surgeon while in the movie and novel, Trapper John is named Chief Surgeon. In the book and the film, Hawkeye had played football in college (Androscoggin College, based on Hornberger’s alma mater Bowdoin College); in the series, Alda’s Hawkeye was hardly the football champ type and even seemed proud of it and reveled in it, while his colleague Trapper John (Wayne Rogers) could be seen playing football in several episodes, and later Mike Farrell's B.J. Hunnicutt could be seen lifting himself up by his arms from a metal pole post, thus suggesting that Hawkeye's friends were more physically durable than he. Alda's Pierce seemed to resemble Groucho Marx, with his quick wit and “madcap” antics, sometimes affecting a Groucho-like Shtick.

At the end of the television series, Hawkeye was one of the last to leave the dismantled camp with the announced goal of returning to his hometown of Crabapple Cove, Maine, to be a local doctor who has the time to get to know his patients instead of the endless flow of casualties he faced in his term of service.

In Hooker’s two sequels to MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (M*A*S*H Goes to Maine and M*A*S*H Mania), Hawkeye returns to live in Crabapple Cove, near the fictional town of Spruce Harbor, Maine. The fictional town is described as having 30,000 residents, a large fish wharf, a café which is frequented by the protagonists, an international airport, and the Spruce Harbor General Hospital.

Trapper John McIntyre[link]

Captain "Trapper" John Francis Xavier McIntyre, M.D. is a fictional character in Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H novels, as well as the film and the two TV series (M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D.) that followed them. The nickname was derived from him being caught having sex with a woman in the ladies' room on a train, when said woman announced "He trapped me!" (The blurb on the book's cover refers to "raping" a beauty queen on the Boston to Maine Express, but in the context of the story it appears she was a willing participant who was concerned to protect her reputation when caught in flagrante delicto.)

McIntyre was depicted by Elliott Gould in the film, Wayne Rogers in M*A*S*H, and Pernell Roberts in Trapper John, M.D., making him one of only two major characters in the M*A*S*H Franchise to be played by three actors (the other being Father Mulcahy).

In the book and the film, Trapper John is a graduate of Dartmouth College (having played quarterback on the school's football team) and serves as thoracic surgeon and eventually Chief Surgeon of the 4077th. In the film, he had a very dry, sardonic deadpan sense of humor, while in the M*A*S*H TV series he was something of a class clown. Trapper spent much of his time on the series playing "Ethel" to Hawkeye Pierce's "Lucy", and partaking in playing practical jokes on the two majors, Frank Burns and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan. Trapper did spend considerable time fraternizing with the nurses, even though he apparently did love his wife and two daughters.

Wayne Rogers was told when he accepted the role of Trapper for the TV series that Trapper and Hawkeye would be equally important, almost interchangeable (much like how Hawkeye and Trapper were presented in the MASH film). However, that changed radically when Alan Alda was cast as Hawkeye. In fact, the producers gave the TV version of Hawkeye some of the character details of the film version of Trapper (in the MASH film, Trapper John is the 4077th's top chest-cutter and Chief Surgeon; in the TV series, Hawkeye is Chief Surgeon and references are made to him being the camp's top chest-cutter).

By the end of the third season, Rogers was fed up with Trapper being treated as a sidekick instead of an equal. He was also greatly frustrated with the producers demanding that he sign a contract that included a "morality clause" which stated the producers had the right to suspend him or fire him if he took part in an acting project outside of M*A*S*H without their approval, which he refused to sign because he saw it as an absurd demand. Even though the latter half of the third season started to flesh Trapper out a bit, Rogers departed, and his character was written out of the series. After he left the series, the producers sued Rogers for violating his contract, but the case was dismissed in his favor when it was revealed that he never signed his contract. In light of the series' lengthy run, Rogers later admitted he regretted leaving M*A*S*H. Trapper John's final M*A*S*H episode was "Abyssinia, Henry," which also included the final appearance of Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson).

B.J. Hunnicutt[link]

Captain B.J. Hunnicutt, M.D., played by Mike Farrell, is a fictional character in the TV show M*A*S*H, which ran from 1972-1983 on CBS. His name "B.J." was derived from the names of his parents, mother Bea and father Jay.

Hunnicutt resided in Mill Valley, California before he was drafted into the US Army as a surgeon in the Korean War. He was educated at Stanford University and was a member of the Tau Phi Epsilon fraternity. B.J. is married to Peg (née Hayden) who writes many letters to him while he is in Korea. The couple has a daughter, Erin. He is also a third-generation doctor in his family.

Hunnicutt first appeared on the show in 1975, after Trapper John McIntyre was allowed to return home from the 4077th. His debut came in the Season Four premiere episode, "Welcome to Korea". For the remaining eight seasons, Farrell appeared in all but one episode of the series.

B.J. tended to be much less aggressive in his crusades than Hawkeye, usually preferring to be a quieter voice of reason to his friend. For instance, when Hawkeye tried to print a letter protesting a callous Marine commander's treatment of a Dutch immigrant soldier in the military press, the letter was censored by the commander, and Hawkeye was almost arrested for arguing with the commander about it. B.J., on the other hand, watched the drama from a distance until he calmly suggested that Hawkeye take his letter to the civilian press train in Seoul which is beyond the commander's control, thus frustrating the officer.

However, Hunnicutt's mild manner did change during his time in Korea. In one episode, he threatened a wounded soldier who attacked Hawkeye in the Swamp by threatening to "break [his] neck". By the end of the series, there was a darker, slightly angrier color to B.J.'s personality, brought on by prolonged separation from his family (particularly his daughter, Erin), heavy drinking, and the overall suffering of war all around him. In earlier episodes, he also appeared to be more religious, responding to Father Mulcahy's question "Do you need me, B.J.?" with "Not until Sunday". Later, he, as with most of the 4077th, would be too tired, hungover or uninterested to attend services.

Unlike Trapper John, who was just as much of an extroverted class clown as Hawkeye, B.J. tended to play more of a wry straight man to Hawkeye's antics. However, B.J.'s easy-going manner disguised the fact that he could be an able and devious practical joker in his own right, which was first revealed in the episode "Dear Sigmund," when Dr. Sidney Friedman discovers that B.J. was behind a rash of pranks happening in the camp. In "The Winchester Tapes," Charles is touched by B.J.'s concern over his sudden extreme fluctuations in weight, unaware that B.J. had secretly been substituting his Army pants for ones of different waist sizes. When an amused Hawkeye asked B.J. what was next for Charles, he replied, "Starting tomorrow, he gets taller."

In Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, B.J. received orders discharging him from the Army. This both puzzled and concerned Colonel Potter. First, he was losing a surgeon and would need to replace him. Second, he wondered out loud how Hunnicutt would be allowed orders home when several 4077th unit members had been in Korea much longer than he had. At first, Potter wanted to call I Corps to confirm the order was legitimate, but B.J. talked him into a deal, fearing I Corps would deny sending the order. B.J. agreed to personally find a replacement surgeon if Potter would allow him to leave.

However, just as Hunnicut was pulling away from the 4077 in a helicopter, Klinger showed Potter another order rescinding B.J.'s discharge. Potter watched B.J. take off in the helicopter to the States while Klinger was speaking. After B.J. left, he turned to Klinger and asked him to repeat what he said, as he "couldn't hear him" over the noise of the helicopter. He then instructed Klinger to put any official correspondence on his desk and he'd look at it "in an hour or so."

The "error" was later discovered and B.J. returned by helicopter as the unit was awaiting his replacement. A shocking scene ensued when his face revealed he was his own replacement. With Hawkeye (who had been away for psychiatric treatment) returned to the unit, the two together produced the memorable final scene, B.J. riding his motorcycle down the mountain and Hawkeye viewing from a helicopter the message B.J. has left using white painted stones, "GOODBYE".

Dialogue in St. Elsewhere implies that B.J. remained stationed in Korea for a time following the truce. That series character, Dr. Mark Craig (William Daniels) mentions having a drinking buddy in Korea named B.J. Hunnicut.

Henry Blake[link]

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Braymore Blake, M.D. is introduced in the 1968 novel, and was also a character in the film (played by Roger Bowen), and television series (played by McLean Stevenson).

In the film, Blake is a career Army physician, having been commissioned prior to World War II as he mentions in an aborted melodramatic speech to Brigadier General Hammond. The television version of Blake is a reservist called up to active duty and taken away from his private practice in Bloomington, Illinois. He is the happy-go-lucky, easygoing commanding officer of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. He was beloved for his down-to-earth, laid-back manner by many under his command, notably Captains Benjamin Franklin Pierce and John Francis Xavier McIntyre (along with their fondness for drinking), and scorned for it by those who preferred strict military discipline, such as Majors Frank Burns and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan. Henry was a good person and a capable surgeon, but not a forceful or competent commanding officer. Fortunately, his subordinate, company clerk Corporal Radar O'Reilly could usually anticipate his wishes and turn them into efficient military orders.

Blake attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as evidenced by his sweaters and coffee mug. He was the football team Athletic trainer and confessed to Radar that he once caused his football team to lose a big game when he accidentally taped the wrong leg of an injured quarterback. Whenever someone called for him, he responded with a rather soft-spoken "Yo…". Through episodes which showed home movies sent to Blake by his wife, it is suggested that he enjoyed an idyllic suburban life in the States, and during a brief respite from surgery in the episode O.R. he tells Hawkeye he has "a great practice back home", but a "routine" one, and that by being in Korea he was able to make more use of his medical skills than would ever be called for at home.

When McLean Stevenson left the show at the end of the third season, his character was scripted to be discharged and sent home. In the final scene of his last episode, it was reported that Blake’s plane had been shot down over the Sea of Japan and that he had been killed.

The script pages with the scene were handed over by the producers, Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, only minutes before filming, so none of the cast except for Alan Alda knew about that development until shortly before Gary Burghoff was told to go in and report Blake died. Until then, as far as anyone knew, they were going to get a message that Blake arrived safely home. This was deliberately planned so that the emotions shown by the actors during that scene would be as real as possible, and it worked well, so much so that during the second take of the scene one of the extras accidentally dropped a surgical instrument on the floor which made a loud clank.^[2][3]

After the news of Lieutenant Colonel Blake’s death shocked the nation, the next night on The Carol Burnett Show, the opening shot was of McLean Stevenson in a smoking raft, waving his arms, hollering, "I’m OK! I’m OK!"^[4] In addition, the M*A*S*H novels written by W.E.B. Griffin state Henry's death to be "wildly exaggerated".

When Stevenson left M*A*S*H and the character of Henry Blake was written out of the story, he was replaced by Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman T. Potter in the position of commanding officer of the 4077th MASH. By contrast, Potter was a career soldier who was a consummate professional in both the command and medical fields, although easygoing, fun-loving and compassionate enough to earn the deep respect of his staff.

Sherman T. Potter[link]

Sherman T. Potter
M*A*S*H character
First appearance	"Change of Command"
Last appearance	"Saturday's Heroes" (AfterMASH)
Portrayed by	Harry Morgan
Information
Gender	Male
Title	Colonel
Hometown	Hannibal, Missouri United States

Colonel Sherman Tecumseh Potter, M.D. is a fictional character from the M*A*S*H and AfterMASH television series. He was portrayed by Harry Morgan.

At the end of the show's third season, McLean Stevenson left the series, and his character, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, was killed on his way home. Major Frank Burns took command of the unit at the end of that season, although it was to be short-lived (one full episode plus parts of two others). The producers wanted a different type of commanding officer for the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH). They decided on a "Regular Army" commander, a man who had made a career out of the service, and was close to retirement. The producers chose Harry Morgan to fill the role, after the strong performance he gave as a visiting General earlier in the first episode of the third season, "The General Flipped at Dawn" .

Morgan's first appearance on the series as Potter came in the second episode of Season Four, "Change of Command" (after a brief preview appearance, near the end of the previous episode "Welcome to Korea"). After joining the cast in 1975, Morgan appeared in every episode with only one exception, whose character also became the core of the series.

Potter initially entered the Army during World War I, enlisting as a private in the horse cavalry at the age of 15 ("lied about my age," he explains). One of his most cherished souvenirs of his enlisted time is his Good Conduct Medal (a medal only awarded to the enlisted ranks), which is framed and hangs behind his desk during his run on the show. He references many of his memories of his enlisted experiences in dealing with the challenges of commanding a battlefront hospital. At some point after the first World War, he leaves the Army to complete his medical training, as he frequently refers to his experiences as an Army doctor in World War II.

Col. Potter was well-liked by his subordinates, especially Radar, who saw Potter as a sort of mentor and father figure, especially after Lt. Col. Blake's departure and death. In comparison to Blake, Potter garnered more respect from Hawkeye and B.J., and even Major Houlihan, but not so much from Major Burns, who harbored a grudge against Potter after being passed over for command of the 4077th. Potter was a very relaxed and laid-back commander, understanding the need for fun and games to boost morale during wartime, but unlike Col. Blake, he was not afraid to put his foot down when the camp's antics got out of hand.

With the armistice declared in Korea, the 4077th was disbanded, everyone in the unit parted ways, and they went on with their respective lives. Col. Potter retired from the military, and returned to Missouri. In the final episode, Col. Potter announced his plans to go home to his wife Mildred, and become a semi-retired country doctor. Leaving the 4077th on his horse Sophie (whom at the request of Father Mulcahy he dropped off at the local orphanage to be used productively), he was given a military salute by Hawkeye Pierce and B.J. Hunnicutt, one of the few that they were seen to given in the series, as a sign of just how much respect the two doctors had for him.

However, Harry Morgan, William Christopher, and Jamie Farr — the three who voted to continue the series at the end of the 11th season — were invited to star in a spin-off series at CBS, called AfterMASH. Potter became the chief of staff & chief of surgery of the fictional General Pershing VA Hospital (also known as "General General") in the equally fictional River Bend, Missouri. Father Mulcahy, after losing his hearing from an explosion in the M*A*S*H series finale, recovered most of his hearing through an experimental operation at a Saint Louis VA hospital at Potter's recommendation and became General General's Catholic chaplain. Max and Soon-Lee Klinger, after experiencing discrimination in Toledo, moved to the area so that Max could take up a position as Potter's assistant.

Frank Burns[link]

Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Franklin Delano Marion "Frank" Burns, M.D. (also known as "Ferret Face") is a fictional character in the M*A*S*H film and television series. Burns first appeared in the original M*A*S*H novel by Richard Hooker, where he had the rank of captain. The character was then portrayed in the film by Robert Duvall (as a major), and in the subsequent television series by Larry Linville as first a major who is then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after his departure from the series.

In the original novel, Captain Burns is described as a well-off doctor who had attended medical school but had no true formal training as a surgeon other than a long apprenticeship with his father in Indiana. He maintains a dismissive attitude toward those colleagues (such as the Swampmen) who went through the rigors and demands of a residency for their training. However, his belief in his own superiority masks serious shortcomings in his surgical abilities, which he invariably dismisses as the failures of others involved in the patients' care. When one of Burns' patients dies, "it's either (1) God's will or (2) somebody else's fault" (Hooker, p. 43). This practice comes to a head when he unjustly accuses rookie orderly Private Boone of killing a patient of his. Young Boone is emotionally crushed and an infuriated Duke, who witnesses the scene, walks with Frank to the privacy of the sluice where he delivers a nose-breaking punch and knee to the stomach. A short time later, Trapper assaults Frank after Frank's arrogance and incompetence almost costs a soldier his life. The concern of the surgeons on Frank's team regarding Frank's incompetence causes Blake to nominate Trapper as Chief Surgeon.

Later, after Burns and Houlihan commence a sexual affair, the Swampmen latch onto it, giving Houlihan the nickname of "Hot Lips". One night in a room just off the OR, Hawkeye makes some ribald comments about the relationship. Burns, having reached the limit of his patience, hurls a coffeemaker at Hawkeye, just as Blake walks in. The next day, Burns is sent away for psychiatric evaluation.

In the film and in the subsequent TV series, Frank Burns' rank has been increased to that of Major, presumably for dramatic and story conflict and to replace the book's Major Hobson who was the resident religious zealot in the novel, but possibly also to facilitate the pun "Major Burns", in addition to being the 4077's executive officer. He is portrayed as a very religious man who prays for all the souls to be saved, but is still not much of a doctor (in fact, he is borderline incompetent). He also is a firm believer in military discipline who dislikes the undisciplined manner of both Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre. He also has a tendency to blame others for his mistakes; for example, when he orders a medical device for a man already dead, he blames an orderly he asked to get the device, causing the man to break down crying. This leads to McIntyre punching him. In the television series Burns admitted that it took him twice the normal amount of time to graduate medical school, having flunked out of two, and that he only passed his first year by buying the answers to a final exam. He also became a doctor to only please his mother. He also stated that the local undertaker used to send him gifts and thank-you cards at Christmas. When Maj. Houlihan breaks off their affair and marries a Lieutenant Colonel, Burns suffers a nervous breakdown during leave in Tokyo, where he assaults the wife of a general who resembles his former mistress. While the surgeons of the 4077 are delighted to hear that he won't be coming back, Frank ultimately has the last laugh: not only are the charges against him dropped, but he himself has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and is being sent to a Veteran's Hospital in his home state of Indiana. He was replaced by Major Charles Winchester, a vastly superior surgeon and despite his early arrogance, had more humanity than Burns ever possessed.

Margaret Houlihan[link]

Major Margaret J. "Hot Lips" Houlihan is a fictional character first created in the book MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker. Actress Sally Kellerman portrayed the character in the Robert Altman film adaptation (where she is sometimes referred to as O'Houlihan). Houlihan was later portrayed by Loretta Swit in the long-running television series.

The character of "Hotlips Houlihan" was inspired by real-life Korean War MASH head nurse Hotlips Hammerly, also a very attractive blonde, of the same disposition.^{[citation needed]} Over the run of the show, Margaret mellowed from a completely "by-the-book" head nurse (who was also not above using her romantic contacts with superior officers in attempts to get her way, nor going against regulations for her personal benefit), to a more relaxed member of the cast who tempered her authority with humanity. Key episodes in this development were "The Nurses", in which Margaret gave an emotional tirade to her nurses about how their disdain of her hurt her and thus stuns them, and "Comrades In Arms", where Hawkeye and Margaret make peace once and for all while lost in the wilderness.

Despite her being a patriotic American, Houlihan was accused by a conniving Congressional aide of being a communist sympathizer, due to a long-ago relationship. Thanks to the help of her friends, the plan to accuse her was foiled.

When the show ended, Margaret was on her way back to the US to take up a position in an Army hospital. Not coincidentally, the change for her character came when Linda Bloodworth-Thomason joined the show's writing team. The last time she took a hardline stance with one of her nurses was in Episode 8.7, "Nurse Doctor", where she tells nurse Gail Harris, "If you think I was tough on you before you're in for seven weeks of 'You ain't seen nothing yet'. If you even think of stepping out of line your butt will be tattooed with my boots." Unlike other incidences, this chewing out was deserved and immediately after it Margaret offered to help Gail with her medical studies.

Criticisms have been leveled that the then contemporary second-wave feminist views she held in latter seasons were a glaring anachronism in the show's early 1950s setting.^[5][6]

In the series of novels co-written with (or ghost-written by) William E. Butterworth, Houlihan reappears as the twice-widowed Margaret Houlihan Wachauf Wilson, both husbands having expired untimely on the nuptial couch through over-strain caused by excessive indulgence in her still-outstanding physical charms. Her career has taken a new direction as the Reverend head of the "God Is Love In All Forms Christian Church, Incorporated", a cult or sect with the unusual distinction that its entire congregation consists of homosexual men. Most of these are extremely flamboyant and the Reverend Mother herself is conspicuously glitzy and glittery. However, it appears that Margaret genuinely cares for her flock and is not merely shaking them down in pursuit of material gain.

The name "Hot Lips" originates from an infamous scene in M*A*S*H, the movie, in which Margaret Houlihan is played by Sally Kellerman. During sex with Frank Burns, Margaret is initially unaware that the public address microphone has been planted beneath their cot, broadcasting graphic details of their rendezvous throughout the camp on its public address system. Other members of the camp overhear her saying to Frank "Kiss my hot lips."

Charles Winchester[link]

Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, M.D., is a fictional character, a principal on the television series, M*A*S*H, played by David Ogden Stiers. He was introduced in the first episode of the show's sixth season, "Fade Out, Fade In".

Charles Emerson Winchester III was born in Boston, Massachusetts, a third generation of a very wealthy family of Boston Brahmins who are anti-Franklin D. Roosevelt Republicans. After finishing his secondary studies at Choate, he graduated summa cum laude class of '43 from Harvard College (where he lettered in Crew and Polo), completed his MD at Harvard Medical School in Boston in 1948, and worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. Before he was drafted to join the US Army at the start of the Korean War, he was on track to become Chief of Thoracic surgery. Although he shows apparent interest in heart surgery, he claims to be an expert in pediatrics.

While Major Frank Burns was AWOL following a trip to Seoul after the marriage of Major Margaret Houlihan to Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot, the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) desperately needed a replacement surgeon to fill in. Colonel Sherman T. Potter placed a call to Tokyo General Hospital in search of a surgeon. Winchester's commanding officer, Colonel Horace Baldwin, owed Winchester $672.17 cribbage debts. Irritated at his losses (and Winchester's snide attitude about them), Baldwin volunteered Winchester for duty at the 4077th, reassuring him the assignment would be for only 48 hours.

Once Winchester arrived, he found the conditions appalling, especially in comparison to the comfortable life he enjoyed at Tokyo General. His arrogance made a poor first impression, but Winchester proved his surgical expertise by performing a delicate heart operation the other doctors were unfamiliar with on a ventricular aneurysm. However, Winchester still had to adjust to the realities of field medicine which included learning the intricacies of meatball surgery in order to be efficient as possible.

Though nowhere near as flirtatious and lustful as Hawkeye, Winchester, being unmarried, was not immune to desire for female companionship. His surgical knowledge and gentlemanly demeanor initially attracted Margaret Houlihan, and several overtures towards a dating relationship were mutually attempted (the creators of the show originally intended for Charles and Margaret to have a relationship like the latter did with Frank). However, the chemistry between the two was not there, and Charles and Margaret maintained a platonic relationship for the remainder of the series. At the end of the series unable to get attendency at MGH he accepts a position at less prestigious fictional Boston Mercy Hospital.

Radar O'Reilly[link]

Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly is a fictional character in the M*A*S*H novels, film and television series, as well as two episodes of the series AfterMASH, and the television pilot W*A*L*T*E*R. The character was portrayed by Gary Burghoff in both the film and on television, the only actor from the film to reprise his role on television aside from G. Wood as General Hammond. The first cast member to be hired, he was the fourth and last to leave, following the departures of McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers in 1975, and Larry Linville in 1977. While Radar's full name is never given in the original novel or film, on the TV series it is Walter Eugene O'Reilly. The later novels by Richard Hooker and William Butterworth give his full name as J. Robespierre O'Reilly.

The novel establishes that Radar was from Ottumwa, Iowa and literally dreamed of joining the Army right after high school. (A first season TV episode (1/18), however, shows him receiving a high school diploma through a correspondence course.) He seems to have extra-sensory perception, appearing at his commander's side before being called and finishing his sentences. He also has exceptionally good hearing, able to hear incoming helicopters before anyone else. It was these abilities that earned him the nickname "Radar." The character is inspired by company clerk Don Shafer, also born in Ottumwa and nicknamed "Radar" by his compatriots, and who served alongside Hornberger in Korea.^[7]

On television, Radar's character started off worldly and sneaky, consistent with the film. A clerk who carries with him at all times a pocketful of passes for any potential scam that might arise, he also has a racket of selling tickets for spying through a peephole into the nurses shower and is not adverse to taking pictures of the nurses showers with a camera. At one point, he mails home a Jeep, piece by piece. (Hawkeye comments that once Radar's mailman found out, he'd have a retroactive hernia.); another time he cons nearly every member of MASH 4077 into buying mail order shoes. He is known for his tremendous appetite for heaping portions of food, is not averse to drinking Col. Blake's brandy and smoking his cigars when the colonel was off-duty, and he occasionally drinks the moonshine liquor that Hawkeye and McIntyre made in their still. He is very briefly promoted to 2nd Lieutenant as the result of a poker game, but soon becomes disillusioned with the rank and persuades Hawkeye and B.J. to get him demoted to Corporal.

Soon after the pilot episode, Burghoff noted that the other characters were changing from the film portrayals and decided to follow. He and Gelbart evolved Radar into a naïve farm boy.^[8] Cigars and strong liquor makes him ill or dizzy, and his favorite beverage is Nehi Brand Grape Soda. Despite numerous references to him losing his virginity in earlier episodes, he appears to have regained it later in the series. "The Novocaine Mutiny" reveals that Radar won $300 from Sgt. Zale in a poker game. He loses the ability to speak fluent Korean which should have been a blow to the camp as he was the only person who spoke it, even if in later episodes it is only a few halting sentences. A running gag is Radar running the camp PA and radio network; in one episode he transmits messages by morse code.

Burghoff appeared in every episode of the show's first three seasons. After season three, doing the series had become a strain on the actor's family life, and he had his contract changed to limit his appearances to 13 episodes per season out of the usual 24 (during these times, the character of Radar was usually on R&R). By season 7, Burghoff started experiencing burnout and decided it was time to move on, despite co-star Mike Farrell trying to persuade him to stay on the grounds that his career would not recover. Because of that, the producers originally planned to end season 7 with Radar leaving, but CBS did not want to do that. Instead they persuaded Burghoff to come back during season 8 to do a special two-part farewell episode titled "Good-Bye Radar".

Father Mulcahy[link]

1st Lieutenant (later Captain) Francis John Patrick Mulcahy S.J., commonly called Father Mulcahy, is a fictional principal character from the film M*A*S*H, played by René Auberjonois, and the television series, played by William Christopher. He was played by George Morgan in the pilot episode of the television series, but the producers decided that a quirkier individual was needed for the role, and Christopher was cast in his place.

During the course of the television series, Father Mulcahy's name was changed from John Patrick Francis Mulcahy to Francis John Patrick Mulcahy (as he revealed in episode 7 of Season 8 when asked by a nurse he was counseling). Either form of the name is an attempt to reconcile his identification as "Father John P. Mulcahy" in the pilot episode with the name "Francis Mulcahy" established later on. It is also established that he has a sibling who is a Catholic nun as he frequently talks about "my sister the Sister". She is often mentioned, but never actually seen. He can also be seen from time to time wearing a Loyola sweatshirt. Though it is not made completely clear which Loyola is represented, it is probably Loyola University Maryland, which is closest to his established hometown of Philadelphia, Pa. Another of his more freqently seen accessories, especially in the later seasons, is a Panama Hat.

In the original film (as well as the Richard Hooker novel on which it is based), Mulcahy is familiarly known by the nickname "Dago Red" (a type of cheap Italian wine). In an O.R. scene in the M*A*S*H pilot episode, Trapper can be heard addressing Mulcahy as "Red," and Hawkeye calls Mulcahy "Red" in "Dear Dad"; however, the nickname was quickly phased out of the series.

The character Father John "Johnny" Patrick 'Dago Red' Mulcahy in the film is a US Army chaplain assigned to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. While most of the staff is not religious, they treat Mulcahy with some respect. It is Mulcahy who alerts the doctors that the camp dentist, Painless, is severely depressed. Afterwards, Mulcahy reluctantly helps the doctors to stage the famous "Last Supper" faux suicide, to convince Painless that he should continue with life.

Throughout the film, Mulcahy seems bewildered by the doctors' amoral pranks and womanizing behavior. When Radar places a hidden microphone inside Hotlips' tent as she and Frank Burns make love, members of the camp listen in, and Mulcahy at first mistakes their conversation (and noises) for an episode of The Bickersons—then leaves abruptly when he realizes otherwise.

Maxwell Klinger[link]

Corporal (later Sergeant) Maxwell Q. Klinger is a fictional character from the M*A*S*H television series played by American actor Jamie Farr. A Lebanese American hailing from Toledo, Ohio (like Farr himself), Klinger serves as an orderly/corpsman (and later company clerk) assigned to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in [usually] Uijeongbu during the Korean War. The character's original defining characteristic is his attempts to gain a Section 8 psychiatric discharge from the army, by habitually wearing women's clothing and engaging in other "crazy" stunts, but never at the expense of his duties. He later gives up his discharge attempts and is promoted from the rank of corporal to sergeant during the course of the TV series. Klinger supports the Toledo Mud Hens, the city's real-life minor league baseball team, and occasionally voices his high opinion of the hot dogs at Tony Packo's Cafe.

Klinger first appeared in the episode "Chief Surgeon Who?". In that episode's original script, Corporal Klinger was written as an effeminate gay man. However, the writers subsequently decided that it would be more interesting to have Klinger be heterosexual, but wear dresses in an attempt to gain a Section 8 discharge.^[9]

Series writer Larry Gelbart stated during the M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Reunion special that Klinger's antics were inspired by stories of Lenny Bruce attempting to dodge his own military service by dressing himself as a WAVES member.

Later in the program's development, the writers of M*A*S*H gave Klinger characteristics derived from actor Jamie Farr, including the character's background as a native of Toledo, Ohio.

Klinger was the first main character introduced on M*A*S*H not to have appeared in either Richard Hooker's original M*A*S*H novel or the subsequent film.

Recurring characters[link]

Nurse Kellye[link]

1st Lt. Kealani Kellye was portrayed by Kellye Nakahara. She appeared in 86 episodes of the series, more episodes than some main characters, such as Henry Blake and Trapper John. The character grew steadily from a background (often non-speaking) character in the first season, culminating in the season 11 episode "Hey, Look Me Over" which was centered around the character. In her first appearances, her name changed several times before it finally settled on "Nurse Kellye"; for example, she was referred to as "Nurse Able" in her first appearance in "A Full Rich Day". The first name "Kealani" was never spoken on screen, but according to interviews with the actress, that was the first name used on set when referring to the character.^[10] As late as season 10, Major Winchester referred to Kellye as "Lt. Nakahara" in "The Birthday Girls."

Originally from Honolulu, she described herself as "part Chinese, part Hawaiian" in "Life Line" and speaks Japanese fluently, as revealed in "Communication Breakdown". She had great pride in her Asian American heritage and frequently took umbrage at racial slurs leveled by Frank Burns and cultural slights exhibited by Major Winchester. Her family lives in Honolulu according to her statements in the final episode.

Nakahara joined Morgan, Christopher and Farr on AfterMASH, albeit off-camera, as the recurring voice of the public address system at the V.A. hospital

Igor Straminsky[link]

Private Igor Straminsky was generally portrayed by actor Jeff Maxwell, although Peter Riegert played him in two sixth season episodes. He debuted in the second season and appeared on and off up until the series finale. He has appeared in more episodes than any recurring character except for Nurse Kellye.

Igor's role was often to serve food out in the mess and therefore also to serve as the foil for a lot of the complaints about the state of the food.

In "Promotion Commotion", Igor relentlessly tries to impress Hawkeye and B.J., so he can be promoted to Corporal. He once mentioned to Father Mulcahy that he sets aside three dollars from each salary payment for the local orphanage.

In "The Price of Tomato Juice," Igor identifies himself as "Maxwell," (a goof on the part of actor Jeff Maxwell) and Major Frank Burns also refers to him as "Maxwell" in the following line of dialogue.

Luther Rizzo[link]

Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo was played by G. W. Bailey. In the show, he was head of the motor pool. While originally written to be from New York City, when the producers heard Bailey in his first dailies his character was moved to Louisiana.^[11] He was known for his slow, deep, Louisiana drawl and his slightly disheveled look. Though the motor pool seemed to function well, it did so despite Rizzo's casual work style and frequent naps. His philosophy on success in the army was that it was possible to never do work, so long as your superiors don't see you enjoy yourself: "Where else [but the Army] can you be a bum and get paid for it?"

In the Season 10 episode "Promotion Commotion", Rizzo was one of three 4077th enlisted that appeared before a promotion board consisting of Hawkeye, B.J., and Winchester. He was not promoted, but made it clear that he was American "with an American wife and American son." In 10/21 his first name is given as "Wilson".

In the series finale, Rizzo claimed that he would be going home to work on a new moneymaking venture: breeding frogs to sell to French restaurants. This is a minor error; Rizzo had re-enlisted in the Army service in a previous episode.

Sidney Freedman[link]

Major Sidney Theodore Freedman, played by Allan Arbus, is a psychiatrist frequently summoned in cases of mental health problems; the name is a play on that of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. When Radar was written out of the series, Sidney Freedman was going to join the cast of M*A*S*H. However, Allan Arbus didn't want to commit to be anything other than a guest star, so the character remained an occasionally recurring character.^{[citation needed]} In the M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Special that aired on Fox in 2002, Arbus was the only non-regular cast member to be featured on the special.

Freedman's first appearance was in the episode "Radar's Report". He visited the camp to do a psychiatric evaluation of Klinger, who was aiming for a discharge (as always). After Freedman had finished the report, he quietly took Klinger in for an interview and told him that while he is obviously not mentally ill, Freedman was willing to declare him a transvestite and a homosexual. This label would not leave him, though, as he put it: "From now on, you go through life on high heels." Klinger vociferously denied, "I ain't any of those things! I'm just crazy!" Klinger's discharge was uniformly dropped, and Freedman left the camp. In this first appearance in the series, Dr. Freedman's first name was Milton, not Sidney.

Freedman appears in 12 M*A*S*H episodes: "Radar's Report" (as Milton Freedman), "Deal Me Out", "O.R.", "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?", "Dear Sigmund", "Hawk's Nightmare", "War of Nerves", "The Billfold Syndrome", "Goodbye, Cruel World", "Bless You, Hawkeye", "Pressure Points", and the series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen". In three additional M*A*S*H episodes ("Mad Dogs and Servicemen," "Heal Thyself", and "A Holy Mess") and one episode of AfterMASH ("Madness to His Method"), he is mentioned but does not appear onscreen.

In the episode "O.R.", Freedman told those gathered in the operating room, "Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the ice." He repeated that advice in the series finale, following his treatment of Hawkeye, who had finally cracked under the strain of the war. Freedman led Hawkeye to stop suppressing the memory of seeing a Korean mother smothering her crying baby in an effort to keep it silent (so that a nearby Chinese patrol would not find and kill or capture their group). (In Hawkeye's suppression, he had 'remembered' that the mother had killed a 'chicken', until Freedman brought the true memory into the light.) He convinced a reluctant Hawkeye that the best thing for him now was to return to duty for the last days of the war.

After leaving Korea and the Army, Dr. Freedman accepts a post at the University of Chicago. The AfterMASH episode "Madness to His Method" has as its frame Colonel Potter writing a letter in Missouri about the episode's situation to an unseen Freedman.

Sam Flagg[link]

Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) Sam Flagg is played by Edward Winter. Col. Flagg is an American intelligence agent. His behavior is paranoid and irrational and he appears to the staff of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital to be mentally unstable; the fact that he deliberately seriously injures himself to advance an investigation seems proof of that. At one point, he tries to get into Counter Intelligence Corps headquarters by crashing his jeep into a brick wall and setting himself on fire. (When told this, Hawkeye responds, "Is this guy available for kids' parties?") In that episode, to get into the 4077th, he orders a helicopter pilot to crash and then twice breaks his own arm.^[12] He alternately claims to be affiliated with the CIA, the CIC, or the CID, and occasionally all at once, depending on to whom he is speaking. Example: "I'm with the CIA, but I tell people I'm with the CIC, so they think I'm with the CID." Majors Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan, strong anti-Communists, follow his assignments with great interest, but are unable to "buddy up" to him as they hope. As Flagg says, "Nobody can get the truth out of me because even I don't know what it is. I keep myself in a constant state of utter confusion." At some point, however, Major Houlihan loses her respect for Flagg, as revealed in an episode in which she claims that he gives Americans a bad name.

His paranoia is so fanatical that Flagg even accuses Major Burns twice of being a communist agent on the grounds that Burns has seen a performance of the Bolshoi Ballet in Tokyo and is reading Reader's Digest, which Flagg notes would be "Red's Digest" if the 3rd, 5th, and 6th letters were eliminated. A running gag is Burns almost being beaten up by Flagg—when Burns calls Flagg crazy, Flagg threatens to rip Burns' heart out. Another time, Burns tries to buddy up to Flagg by slapping him on the shoulder. Flagg icily tells Burns "My father touched me like that once. To this day, he has to wear orthopedic shirts."

Edward Winter's first appearance on M*A*S*H is in the second season episode "Deal Me Out", in which he plays a CID captain named Halloran, and is listed in the credits as such. In the fourth season episode "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?"—the next episode in which both Flagg and Sidney Freedman appear—Flagg greets Sidney with the statement "We played poker once," to which Sidney replies, "Oh sure; with Intelligence, right?" M*A*SH often uses recurring actors to portray different characters; however, the example of Capt. Halloran can be explained as one of Flagg's many aliases.

Colonel Flagg appears in seven M*A*S*H episodes: "Deal Me Out" (as Capt. Halloran), "A Smattering of Intelligence", "Officer of the Day", "White Gold", "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?", "The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan", and "Rally 'Round the Flagg, Boys". In "A Smattering of Intelligence" his first name is given as "Sam"; a running gag is that his rank insignia is the same as that of the Commanding Officer of MASH 4077 either Lt. Col. or Colonel, although he first appears as a Captain; both his rank and his last name may be covers.

Flagg resurfaces a few years after the war, in a Hannibal, Missouri courtroom (as seen in the AfterMASH episode "Trials"), in which he uses the name Flagg and asserts employment with an intelligence organization "which has initials and its members are allowed to carry fire arms in their shoes."

Ken Levine, a writer for both M*A*S*H and AfterMASH, wrote in 2011, "We loved writing Col. Flagg (the hilarious Ed Winter) but always felt there was a danger in going to that well too often. So we tried to use him sparingly (once a season or every other season). He was incredibly funny but that character was very broad and we didn’t want him to wear out his welcome."[2]

Spearchucker Jones[link]

Captain Oliver "Spearchucker" Jones was portrayed by Fred Williamson in the movie and Timothy Brown in the television series. Spearchucker was shown during several episodes during the first season of the series. His full name was never mentioned in the series. The character's middle name was Harmon in the film and Wendell in the novels. He is a board-certified neurosurgeon in the film, and in the episode in which Hawkeye becomes chief surgeon, Spearchucker's specialty is indicated as he struggles to do surgery and when he asks Hawkeye for help he says "anything outside of the brain and I'm dead".

Dr. Jones was one of the original Swampmen with Trapper, Hawkeye, and Frank Burns, and was the sole black surgeon at the 4077th. In the pilot episode, to raise funds for Ho-Jon's education, Trapper jokingly suggests selling Spearchucker. During his brief run on the show, it was implied that he and nurse Ginger Bayliss (played by Odessa Cleveland) were romantically involved.

Spearchucker's role was limited. He is implied to have assisted Hawkeye and Trapper in their schemes on the sidelines. The producers decided to drop the character after the first few episodes deciding they wouldn't be able to write enough meaningful episodes for Spearchucker if they were concentrating on Hawkeye and Trapper, and because they were made aware that there is no record of African American doctors having served in Korea.^[13]

"Spearchucker" Jones was also a character in both the novel M*A*S*H (and its sequels) by Richard Hooker and Robert Altman's movie. In each, the Spearchucker character, who was a stand-out collegiate athlete ("Spearchucker," a common racial slur, is said to instead in this case refer to his javelin-throwing prowess) as well as a surgeon, is transferred to the 4077th to help them win a football game against a rival outfit. It is established in the novel that Jones is from Duke Forrest's hometown of Forest Park, Georgia, and knew Duke's father. Duke makes racist comments about Jones, causing Hawkeye and Trapper to punish Duke. In the novel it is related that while a poorly-paid resident he had been scouted by the Philadelphia Eagles playing semi-professional football in New Jersey for extra cash, and had been signed by the Eagles, playing with them until caught up in the draft. According to the movie, his professional football career had been with the San Francisco 49ers prior to the war in Korea.

In the sequel novels, particularly M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, Jones joins the other doctors in their practice in Spruce Harbor, Maine, becoming a highly successful doctor and prominent citizen.

Ugly John[link]

Captain "Ugly" John Black was portrayed by Carl Gottlieb in the movie, and John Orchard in the TV series. The character on the television show was an anesthesiologist from Australia, often depicted wearing an Australian Slouch hat. In the book, he was an American who had "trained in the States with McIntyre." In the film, he is an American (as he can be seen wearing the insignia of a U.S. Army Captain), but his background is not discussed. In the TV series, Ugly John was only present in the first season. He began as a significant supporting member of the cast, often engaged in poker games with Hawkeye and Trapper, but by the end of the season he was rarely seen outside of brief O.R. scenes. Ugly John was never seen living in "The Swamp" and there was no fifth bunk, though it was the only quarters for subordinate male officers ever seen. In the episode "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet", Hawkeye says that he shares a tent with three other doctors. The script was likely written before Spearchucker was dropped and the writers presumably overlooked editing that line of dialogue. However, Ugly John was still a recurring character, and may have been one of the “three other doctors.” John Orchard later returned to the show for the Season 8 episode "Captains Outrageous", this time playing a drunken and corrupt Australian Military Policeman "Sgt. Muldoon".

Ho-Jon[link]

Ho-Jon was portrayed by Patrick Adiarte in the series. In the original novel, Ho-Jon is described as a 17-year-old Korean, tall, thin, bright, Christian, and living in Seoul. He is drafted into the South Korean army, subsequently wounded and sent back to the 4077th for treatment. After rehabilitation, he resumes his position as "Swampboy". The Swampmen, who are very fond of Ho-Jon, arrange to have him sent to Hawkeye's old college in the US. To raise funds, Trapper grows a beard, poses as Jesus Christ (complete with a cross mounted on a jeep or hanging from a helicopter), and autographs thousands of photos which the Swampmen sell for a buck apiece. In M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, Ho-Jon is briefly seen again, having pursued a successful career in university administration. In "M*A*S*H Mania" he is shown to have become the Director of Admissions at Androscroggin College (Hawkeye's alma mater).

In the film, Ho-Jon is drafted, and Hawkeye drives him to the induction center. The Korean doctor who examines Ho-Jon discovers that Hawkeye has given him drugs to induce hypertension and tachycardia (so that he will fail the induction physical). Ho-Jon is last seen in the film being led away by South Korean soldiers while the doctor tells Hawkeye that he has seen through the trick.

In the screenplay, Ho-Jon is wounded and sent to the 4077th; however, his surgery is unsuccessful, and he dies. The final film omits this storyline, although a scene showing Ho-Jon in the operating room remains with overdubbed dialogue (Houlihan: "That man's a prisoner of war, Doctor." Trapper: "So are you, Sweetheart, but you don't know it.") and a scene showing a jeep driving off with the deceased Ho-Jon, causing a brief pause in the poker game.^[14]

In the pilot episode Ho-Jon is accepted at Hawkeye's old college, just as in the novel. In the TV version, the doctors raise funds for him by raffling off a weekend pass to Tokyo with Nurse Dish.

In the episode "I Hate a Mystery", Ho-Jon steals many valuable items and Hawkeye's poker winnings in order to bribe the border guards to bring his family down from the North. This contrasts with an incident in the pilot where he receives his college acceptance letter and leaves to tell his parents, who presumably live nearby.

Lieutenant Dish[link]

1st Lieutenant Maria "Dish" Schneider was played by Jo Ann Pflug in the film and (as Lt. Maggie Dish) by Karen Philipp in the series. She was a nurse at the 4077th MASH during the Korean War.

Dish's role in the finished film was limited, as a large portion of her role did not make the final cut. The same thing happened to the character in the television series. After being prominently featured as Hawkeye's love interest in the pilot, she appeared in only one further episode (#1.11) before leaving the show entirely. However, she continued to be featured in the opening credit montage sequence (wherein the M*A*S*H staff run toward approaching helicopters) for most of the show's run.

Donald Penobscot[link]

Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot was played by two actors, Beeson Carroll, and former football player and Tarzan actor, Mike Henry. His last name is perhaps inspired by the Penobscot River in Maine, the state from where the novel's author, Richard Hooker, originally hailed.

Donald is introduced in name only at the start of the fifth season. Tall, dark, handsome, and physically very durable, he is a Lieutenant Colonel whom Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit) meets while she is on leave in Tokyo. She falls madly in love with him on the spot, and he asks her to marry him right away. Margaret promptly accepts, leading to a falling out with her former flame Frank Burns.

Penobscot is not actually seen until the season-ending episode "Margaret's Marriage", wherein Donald (played by Carroll) arrives to marry Margaret at the 4077th. Hawkeye and B.J. have a bachelor party for him, and after he passes out from drunkenness, the hosts, also inebriated, decide to play a joke on Penobscot by plastering him from his chest to his toes, intending to tell him that he had broken both his legs during the night. The cast is still on during the wedding ceremony, and he is unable to move without assistance. The wedding is cut short by incoming wounded, which leaves Donald in the mess hall, unable to move in his body cast. They tried to tell Margaret the cast wasn't needed when she was leaving for her honeymoon, but she didn't hear them.

He is not seen again until "The M*A*S*H Olympics", in which Donald (played this time by Henry) arrives to take part in the 4077th's amateur Olympics competition, and almost wins a race against portly Sgt. First Class Ames, but trips over himself while showing off.

He was mentioned frequently throughout the 6th and 7th seasons, particularly in reference to problems Margaret and Donald were having. For example, in the episode "In Love and War", a new nurse arrives at the 4077th. After saying she was recently involved with a colonel named Donald, Margaret comes to the conclusion that Donald has cheated on her, and she flies into a rage against the nurse. The resulting rage convinces Col. Potter to transfer the nurse to ensure Margaret can still work.

Margaret officially divorces from Donald in the episode "Hot Lips is Back in Town" and he's never mentioned again for the rest of the series.

Zelmo Zale[link]

Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale was portrayed by Johnny Haymer.^[15] Zale was the supply sergeant^[16] for the 4077th MASH and also was the camp's electrician; he was shown trying to keep the camp's generator going until it blew and repairing the juke box in the officers' club after the Marines busted it up. He mentions in one episode that he was from Brooklyn, which was the reason he didn't know what people who were heading to California in the late 1840s were looking for, when quizzed. He made his first appearance in the Season 2 episode, "For Want of a Boot", and his final appearance in the Season 8 episode, "Good-Bye Radar" (which also marked Gary Burghoff's last appearance on the show as Corporal Radar O'Reilly). Zale's name is mentioned for the final time in "Yes Sir, That's Our Baby". A running gag is his feud with Maxwell Klinger.

References[link]