72. Abyssinia, Henry

March 18, 1975 (B-324)

Written by: Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell
Directed by: Larry Gelbart
Guest Stars: Kimoko Hiroshige, uncredited but I'm pretty sure it was her, as Mama San.
Semi-regulars: Jamie Farr, as Corporal Klinger. William Christopher, as Father Mulcahy.

Plot: In the middle of an OR session, fantastic news arrives for Colonel Blake - he's going home. Burns is thrilled with the idea of commanding the unit. Everyone prepares for Colonel Blake's departure - Henry phones his wife, Radar gives him a bullet key-chain as a present, and Henry gives Radar his father's thermometer. The boys throw him a farewell dinner at Rosie's. Their farewell present - a brand new suit. Next morning, Burns falls the unit in for inspection and to farewell the Colonel. He says goodbye, zipping up Klinger's dress. And finally he gives Hotlips a snog she won't forget for a while. When his chopper arrives, there's wounded on it. They finish saying goodbye rather quickly, and Henry flies off. The final, awful moment - in the middle of OR, Radar brings the news that Henry's plane has been shot down over the sea of Japan, with no survivors.

Glitches: The bottle of grog the boys get looks a lot like water. And I'm sure Henry poured some out of it but it later appears to be full.

Great Lines: Henry: 'Why can't everybody be on the same time?' Radar: 'Because the earth is round and keeps rotating all the time.' Henry: 'Oh. I thought it was just an army thing.'
Henry (on the phone to his wife): 'Honey... oh, honey don't do that, please?' Hawkeye: 'She crying?' Henry: 'No, she wants to re-cover the furniture.'
Hawkeye: 'Stand up straight.' Trapper: 'I'm standing straight. The country's crooked.'
Burns: 'You didn't even shave!' Hawkeye: 'It's not a school day.'

The Klinger Collection: A Carmen Miranda number - which Henry zips up for him.

Continuity is for Wimps: This doesn't quite fit, but I've heard from a reasonably competent source that there was no hostile air activity over the sea of Japan during the Korean war. However, I've also heard first-hand accounts that some US military units weren't exactly brilliant at telling their own planes from the enemy. So it could have been friendly fire. Except that it's fictional, of course.

They All Look the Same to Me: Kimiko Hiroshige was here, as an employee of Rosie's, but uncredited.

Notes: It's 1952. One of Colonel Blake's children, Andrew, plays the trombone. Another is called Janie. Radar's father was 63 when Radar was born.

Comments: Cruel - very cruel. Possibly the most effective 'war is hell' moment, simply because it came when we least expected it. Beautifully directed. Lovely, touching performances all round, particularly from Gary Burghoff.

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