MASH: An Army Surgeon in Korea

by Otto F. Apel, Pat Apel

When North Korean forces invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, Otto Apel was a surgical resident living in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and three young children. A year later he was chief surgeon of the 8076th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital constantly near the front lines in Korea. Immediately upon arriving in camp, Apel performed 80 hours of surgery. His feet swelled so badly that he had to cut his boots off, and he saw more surgical cases in those three and a half days than he would have in a year back in Cleveland. There were also the lighter moments. When a Korean came to stay at the 8076th, word of her beauty spread so rapidly that they needed MPs just to direct traffic. Apel also recalls a North Korean aviator, nicknamed "Bedcheck Charlie," who would drop a phony grenade from an open-cockpit biplane, a story later filmed for the television series. He also tells of the day the tent surrounding the women's shower was "accidentally" blown off by a passing helicopter. In addition to his own story, Apel details the operating conditions, workload, and patient care at the MASH units while revealing the remarkable advances made in emergency medical care. MASH units were the first hospitals designed for operations close to the front lines, and from this particularly difficult vantage, their medical staffs were responsible for innovations in the use of antibiotics and blood plasma and in arterial repair. On film and television, MASH doctors and nurses have been portrayed as irreverent and having little patience with standard military procedures. In this powerful memoir, Apel reveals just how realistic these portrayals were.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Military History, Medicine, American History

248 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 1998

Reviews

[James Crabtree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Apel relates his personal experiences during the Korean War... not exactly the same as the TV show (although he did provide input for that program). Dr. Apel arrived in Korea as a newly-minted doctor who was basically called up based upon his participation in a WWII doctor training program for the Navy. Given a commission and an Army uniform he was not properly prepared for duty at a MASH, which saved lives by getting the wounded surgical care as quickly as possible. Apel talks about the work conditions, the use of early helicopters for supply and evac, some of the characters he met while in the Arrny, even the bureaucratic red tape which threatened to stop doctors from saving limbs. All this during the Korean War, a hard-fought conflict which should really be remembered today.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike the novel that led to the more famous film and television series with the same setting, MASH: An Army Surgeon in Korea is an authentic and useful story. The author was there, and was himself an advisor to the TV writers, later.

Apel leads the reader from enlistment to discharge, arrival in Korea to departure, and details his stay during the war. Some of his stories are recognizable from the TV show, while others clearly separate fact from pure fiction. In his serious, straightforward presentation, he frequently mentions the fictionalized versions of the MASH, and yet manages to come up with a perfectly-crafted, M*A*S*H-caliber joke at one point. Included is a brief paper written for a medical journal on arterial repair, but otherwise the book maintains an entertaining as well as educational tone.

I was reading this on the 50th anniversary of M*A*S*H on television, and it’s one of my favorite shows. For anyone who, like me, is interested in the true story of the MASH, or is simply a lover of American history, world history, or war history, I would highly recommend this short and easy-to-read memoir.

[McGooglykins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I'm a little disappointed in it. It was a lot drier, and not as medically oriented as I expected it to be - as a nurse with a special interest in historical and battlefield medical practice, this book offered occasional and tantalising glimpses but just didn't go into the detail I wanted (although the inclusion of an unpublished paper on the very beginning of vascular repair was fascinating and very welcome). I felt there was too much logical description and not enough medical or human interest. At times it was also very circular, and it felt like it could have done with a better edit.

Another more personal sore point was the author denigrating the character of Maj. Margaret Houlihan, quite early on, as 'air-headed' and 'wishy-washy'. I respectfully but firmly disagree with that assessment, and it made me less able to trust Apel's opinions on other things that followed (but then, respectfully but firmly disagreeing with doctors is about half of my job, so perhaps I shouldn't have been as surprised and disappointed as I was).

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reality Life not Reality TV
This is not an episode of the familiar television MASH show. Instead, it is a first-hand account of what it was like being a surgeon at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) in Korea. The author tells tales of the good, the bad, and ugly of war and mangled bodies. The author’s style is matter-of-fact rendition of events without the smoothness folksiness found in James Herriot’s tales of the veterinarian world. However, there is the similar touches of humanity, losses and joy that make it worthwhile reading.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by the past and by how people lived, loved and worked. After the MASH tv series I wanted to know the story of one of these people and I wasn't disappointed.bout Korean war and about the people that fought in it.
I got a better understanding a
What I love the most was the life that they had. Even when it was hard they made the most of it.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge MASH t.v. show fan and when I found this book existed I got excited about learning what really happened. This book was a good read for some history on the Korean War as well as medical advances in that time period. The author switched between telling stories/events from his experiences to paragraphs of history about the war effort.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brought me a whole new understanding of the Korean War. I had no idea the casualty rate was so high, or the military so ill-prepared to enter the conflict, or the surgical hospitals so overworked or understaffed. A real eye-opener.

[Nick Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the lovers of M*A*S*H the movie or the tv series. An insight into what really happened. At times a bit dry and academic, but very interesting nevertheless. You'll never look at the movie or the series with the same eyes again.

[Joe Koennecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be read by every military medical professional. Both easy to read and a short history of something I thought I knew about.

[Steph B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. It discussed the surgery and the intensity doctors in Korea experienced, without the humor that one finds in the other MASH book, the Movie MASH, or the TV show. A very good read for people who enjoy history. Though if I had the option, I would rate this book 3 1/2 stars.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating inside look at the truth behind the televised view of a MASH unit. Very much a tribute to military medical achievement, including its impact on the progress of medicine in the non-military world.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite different from the novel, movie and tv show of the same name. While they were excellent entertainment , this memoir is about the Korean War. The non humorous aspects of the Doctors and Nurses who spent bloody surgical time there. A recommended read about the reality of doctoring in war.

[Andrea M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely in light of our ongoing conflict in Iraq!

[Hector Bajalan]

to be read....

[Charlie Kaufman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of the novel or the movie!

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. It is not strictly a memoir, it is a history of MASH units in Korea fleshed out by the author's personal experiences.

[Casey Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read from a person who has been there, done that, and inspired it. It adds another level of human in human history.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was beautifully written by the late Dr. Otto Apel. Dr. Apel recounts his days as a young Army surgeon in a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) during the Korean War. His narrative of serving during the war is powerful and constantly grabbed my attention. He had a way of weaving humor into the dramatic and horrific moments of the war. I never realized how the Korean War advanced emergency medical care. The Korean War was one of the first times they experimental with arterial repairs and grafting. They advanced the treatment and care of patients suffering from hypovolemic shock. Dr. Apel makes sure that he doesn’t glorify aspects of the war like in the media. He talks about how war is messy and dark and bloody and traumatizing. He had to operate on young men who had been inflicted with shrapnel. He had to see their mangled bodies and he had to do whatever he could to put them back together again. The improvisation that the surgeons and nurses had to use was incredible. They didn’t have the kinds of tools and surgical instruments and medicines that are available today. They had to use whatever they could to mend their patients and they had to try their hardest to save their lives so that those young soldiers could see their wife and kids again. The sad reality of war is that when one ends, another one starts. We saw it back then and we see it now. The Korean War ended and then the Vietnam War started. Today, the Ukraine-Russia War died down a bit and then the Israel-Palestine War ignited. It’s sad, but it’s the world we are living in today. I extend my thoughts and prayers to anyone who is currently fighting for their lives just because they wanted to defend their country.

[Pammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly not an easy evening's reading... too much detail lost if skimming this memoir! Dr Apel was a physician in my own community... I went to school with his son...my daughter went to school with his grandsons.
Thanks to Dr Apel's letters, his journal, and collection of personal photos.. the details he offers are precise and believable. Dr Apel served as a consultant to the MASH TV series and the movie. The "fun" of reading this book is reading his stories and realizing you've actually seen that story played out on TV!
Thanks to Dr Apel's dedication to write of his experiences, we learn about the MASH units and how the knowledge and training garnered there translated to medical improvements back "home".
Examples given were advantages of early ambulation, arterial graft repairs, better dosages and use of antibiotics, use of blood plasma, etc. !!
The details and medical aspects of much of the book may prove a little too much for some readers, as might the military /chain of command details offered. But stick in there... much is to be gained in your understanding of the Korean war in general, and the care of our wounded and sick soldiers specifically.

[Chris Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I’m not totally sure what I expected from this book, I’ve not been disappointed. Perhaps it contained more Army than medical, but again, this was not a negative, as I enjoy reading the experiences of our military men and women as they serve our country. It did gave me a sense of how things were in the Korean MASH units, and paired with my viewing of the TV series as well as my civilian life as an RN, I could at least form a picture in my mind of the environment. Of course, the huge numbers of patients who quickly passed through the doctors’ and nurses’ care in a MASH far exceeds any numbers I’ve ever cared for in my career. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your dedicated service.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my gawd. I want to give this all the stars.

If you enjoy the show M*A*S*H you will enjoy this book. If you love the show, you absolutely need to read this book. It is fascinating, heart wrenching, and humorous, gives you some insight into how a MASH really functioned, the incredible contributions MASHs made to the field of medicine and the machinations of the army, and you’ll even stumble upon a few of the stories that inspired some of the best loved scenes and episodes in the movie and tv show.

It is so well written, the pacing is exceptional, it reads like a longer version of an episode of M*A*S*H or like one of Hawkeye’s letters to his dad. It’s a very quick read, but enthralling and enlightening. I can’t recommend it enough.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really digs deep into the medical side of the Korean War. It’s really informative about the war that isn’t talked about in the US, but at times gets wonky with medical stuff, which is understandable considering the author.

The author explores life in Korea during the war, medical surgeries that were progressed during that time and how different things were compared to the MASH tv show. Overall a good dive into a war that has been neglected by US classrooms.

[Robert]

It's a good read. Not fantastically composed, but memorable in its content. It is sold as a memoir of sorts by a seasoned & intelligent pilot (and most likely is), but it reads like a solid historical novel. Actually a much better yarn than the original MASH novel. It's not the "sexy pilot" story one might want it to be, but it is full of interesting characters, anecdotes, and history. I will definitely read this again, and recommend it.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were things I liked and things I didn't. I enjoyed most of it but I felt the author got bogged down in detailing the procedural aspects of running a MASH unit. The comparisons between real life and what was shown differently in the movie and TV series I really enjoyed, as well as the actual surgical cases.

[Lucas O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and measured recounting 1st hand of experiences in a Korean MASH unit, including touches on the history before and after. Many of the stories can be recognized as adoptions made into the TV show. Well done.

[Jasper Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. it was fun to hear some stories that corresponded with the situations that you see in mash the TV series.

The driest part was when he included a medical journal article he had wrote about atrial grafting.

[Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page-turning read by a doctor that actually did time in Korea, his stories sound like scenes in the television show, insightful. B/W images.

[tyRonE hArDing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but a bit slow.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a surgeon more than a writer, but a compelling story teller.