88. Dear Ma

December 23, 1975 (G-515)

Written by: Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell
Directed by: Alan Alda
Guest Stars: John Fujioka, as Colonel Kim. Rollin Moriyama, as General Park. Byron Chung, as Korean Soldier. Lynn Marie Stewart, as Nurse Fox. Gwen Farrell, as Nurse Able. Redmond Gleeson, as Sergeant Callan.
Semi-regulars: William Christopher, as Father Mulcahy.

Plot: Radar writes home to his mother about camp activities. He helped Hawkeye with the monthly foot inspection, which Burns refused to be involved in for some reason. BJ was sold a dud watch by a foot-soldier, and a North Korean soldier sneaked into the mess tent. Later, when a South Korean General is visiting, Burns thinks it is another North Korean and tries to attack him. (The General uses a limb-lock and nearly breaks his arm.) The Colonel and Hot Lips go to a village to help the locals. While they're gone, Mrs Potter calls to warn the Colonel that she's had a premonition he was going to get hurt. When the Colonel and Hot Lips return, they have caught some sniper fire and the Colonel has been shot in the butt - exactly as Mrs Potter rings back. They fib to her so as not to worry her. Casualties arrive and BJ gets to operate a second time on the soldier who sold him the dud watch. When Hawkeye finally gets to inspect Burns's feet, they discover that he's wearing toenail polish.

Great Lines: Burns: 'I wouldn't let you touch my feet with a ten foot pole!' Hawkeye: 'Radar, cancel the ten foot pole. Stretch Polaski, tallest Pole you ever saw...'

The Klinger Collection: A white floral dress and a headscarf. Later, his uniform with earrings and a turban-style hat. Then he changes the turban for a pillbox hat with a veil. And then for sentry duty he adds a stole.

They All Look the Same to Me: John Fujioka in his first (but not last) appearance for the series. Byron Chung had his debut in Episode 11. Germ Warfare in season 1 (and played every second Korean ever since). I don't recall seeing Rollin Moriyama before, but that doesn't mean he wasn't there.

Je ne parle Korean...do I? BJ evidently knows no Korean at all.

Notes: Radar's father died when he was young.

Comments: And the letters to the folks back home just keep on coming - this marks the third of the season, and none of them have been from Hawkeye - an interesting evolution from 'the Hawkeye show' to a more ensemble style. This is a very cute episode. It had a slightly stronger independent plotline than most of the letters home, but this did not detract from it. I adored Radar's guinea-pig.

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