M*A*S*H

Potter's Retirement - S6-E22

Factual error: When Radar, Hawkeye, and BJ find the letter from cpl. Benson to I Corps, Radar says that cpl. Benson's been here since June. Later in the episode when col. Potter, Radar, Hawkeye and BJ confront Benson, Benson says he is there on orders of a colonel who did not get treated quickly enough. Potter says he remembers this colonel was there a couple of months back. BUT, this episode of M*A*S*H takes place during Kentucky Derby Day. The Kentucky Derby has always been held the first Saturday in May. So, if Benson has only been at the 4077th for two months, and he arrived in June, then this episode should be taking place in August, not May.

The Light That Failed - S6-E6

Factual error: Charles mistakenly injects a Post Op patient with curare instead of morphine. This would have been hard to do. Curare was not approved for use in Korea by the U.S. Army and it would not have been there. Even if it had been, curare was used in conjunction with anesthetics in the operating theatre. It would make no sense to have it in the Post Op. (source pg. 14 "Notable Names in Anasthesia" by J. Roger Maltby, Royal Society of Medicine - Great Britain). (00:12:20)

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Mistakes

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen - S11-E16

Other mistake: How did Hawkeye Pierce, a surgeon, know how to drive a tank? It is nothing like driving a car and takes skills, training and experience that a surgeon simply would not have. He wouldn't even be able to start the engine.

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Quotes

Sometimes You Hear the Bullet - S1-E17

Henry Blake: All I know is what they taught me at command school. There are certain rules about a war, and rule number one is that young men die. And rule number two is that doctors can't change rule number one.

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Trivia

Abyssinia, Henry - S3-E24

Trivia: There were no American planes shot down over the Sea of Japan during the Korean conflict. It is rumoured that producer/director Larry Gelbart knew that, but wrote Henry Blake's death scene as he was very unhappy with the way Mclean Stevenson had left the show, and was determined to make it clear that there was no way he would be coming back.

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Questions

Dear Dad - S1-E12

Question: A number of times it is mentioned that the outfit is unarmed, yet several times, Frank has a rifle, or a pistol, and once Klinger had a grenade, and the guards and Klinger, while on sentry duty, has a rifle. Was this standard, or is this a mistake?

Answer: Even an Army field hospital would have SOME weapons for self-defense if the enemy attacked. What's meant is that it's not a combat outfit, and therefore wouldn't have enough weapons to actually attack anyone. (It's also mentioned a few times that the Officer of the Watch is supposed to carry a pistol at all times, but Hawkeye refuses to do it when he's in charge and Colonels Blake and Potter don't enforce the rule).

Captain Defenestrator

Answer: The Geneva Convention allows even doctors to carry a sidearm to be used in their self defense or the defense of their patients, however it is rare to do so.

stiiggy

Answer: As an old medical unit staffer, my experience is that med units have combat units assigned to defend them. Usually it was marines.

Answer: My old doctor (now deceased) served in Korea during the War. He was required to carry a sidearm anytime he was not in the hospital.

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