Roughstuff's Korean War Archive
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Apel, Otto. M.A.S.H.: An Army Surgeon in Korea.
Good book, and of course required reading for any fans of the movie or the subsequent TV series. The author points out that the atmosphere in the MASH was nowhere near as irreverent as that depicted in the popular show, but nonetheless was substantial. Equally substantial was the commitment of the surgeons to the medical care of their soldiers: Apel put in 80 consecutive hours of work upon arrival MASH 8076, sent to the tables before in-processing! The MASH atmosphere of rapid movement and mobility did not persist very long after the static war began in late 1951; the units were redesignated and given other missions. Use of helicopters to whisk injured soldiers to the Unit reduced the mortality rate to 50% of the WWII level.

The M*A*S*H film and shows were guilty of what historians call ‘whiggery:’ looking at a past period thru the lens of the present. The ‘hyperbole and overtly sexual script’ was typical of Hollywood of the late 60s and 70s but was not so rampant in those early 1950s. One can only imagine the outcry that would occur in these politically correct feminazi times if the TV show ran an episode on shower tent scheme. Visitors to the MASH usually left quickly after their façade of cheerful smiles and strong stomachs wore thin; but Abel remembers fondly visits by Charles Mayo (of clinic fame) and Cardinal Spellman. The latter came on a mission of compassion, rather than self promotion.

Accurate casualty estimates helped the MASH units receive the proper quantities of blood. Creative techniques—such as soft bags so that blood could be force feed blood into a soldier’s veins—were tested in the offensives around Pusan, In’chon and Chosin. Proper use and dosages of antibiotics were established. The doctors found that getting patients on their feet hastened the healing process. But no technique was perfected more in Korea than arterial repair: all the early breathroughs in vascular surgery (I chuckled when I read his chapter…Apel the doctor took the stage from Apel the writer. “Penrose drains..distal and proximal ends..double ought sutures…”) occurred in the theater. It appears almost all of these techniques were crucial in saving the life of ‘the young man from Ohio.’ Apel’s use of anonymity makes him even more human. And Apel himself saves his best writing for last, the touching summary, goodbye to Korea, and memories in his chapter about rotating out. Like I always say in my reviews: one ounce of this type of writing is worth a ton of US State department/Diplomat pablum.



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