MASH units were first designed in 1948 and were deployed to Korea by the United States army in June 1950. These Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were designed to be highly mobile, flexible, and forward-deployed. This means they were able to be moved to a new location in a very short time. They were also designed to operate very close to the front lines, where the actual battles were taking place. While MASH units were typically about 20 miles from the front, some were much closer. So, how close was the MASH 4077th to the front lines?
The 4077th Was Based on the 8055th MASH
The original novel, MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, was based on the real experiences of the author, H. Richard Hornberger at the 8055th MASH unit. The author, writing as Richard Hooker, created the fictional 4077th for the book (all real MASH units started with 8). The actual 8055th, according to Dr. Harold Secor, who was a surgeon there, was generally about 4 to 5 miles from the front.
MASH Units Bugged Out Around Once Per Month
The first thing to realize is that if the MASH series had portrayed everything with historical accuracy, we would have been watching a show about a unit packing up and moving, or “bugging out” every other episode. It is said that the MASH 8076 moved 5 times in 5 months at the end of 1950.
So, the MASH camp would not have been one specific distance from the front. As the front moved, so would the unit. However, the fictional MASH 4077th in the show did not bug out very often and was claimed to be, when distance was mentioned, 3 to 5 miles from the front. More than once, a distance of 3 miles to the front was given in the show, while at other times, the distance was a bit further. This was supposed to be close enough to the front to allow the unit to treat wounded soldiers quickly, while still providing some safety.
Is 3 to 5 Miles From the Front Realistic?
While a distance of 3 to 5 miles from the front quite possible as the actual 8055th was typically anywhere from 3 to 10 miles from the front. Again, the important thing to realize is that the camp would never have stayed in one place for long enough and so would never have been 3 miles from the front for very long. The idea was to stay out of the line of fire while still being close enough to ship in casualties from aid stations via ambulances or by helicopter. Aid stations, also frequently depicted in MASH, were extremely close the front lines and practically in the battle.
Being located consistently 3 to 5 miles from the front would have placed the unit within range of many types of artillery. This fact was highlighted in the show, as the 4077th frequently heard bombing in the distance and experienced bombs dropping in the compound and even breaking windows and causing impacts within the operating room while the staff was working. This was another good reason not to have laugh tracks during operating room scenes. Often, this was supposed to be friendly-fire. Accidentally bombing a hospital was a way to portray the ineptitude of the military and the absurdity of war. During the later seasons of the show, this did not occur as much as the series moved away from lampooning the military command.
While the relative stability of the MASH 4077th’s location was fictional, it is relevant to note that from 1952 to 1953, the front lines were stable and the number of casualties was generally small. The long periods of inactivity, followed by a “push” in which the unit would receive large batches of wounded, was accurate.
