How old is hawkeye in mash

He also only refers to few characters by their actual rank; generally these are people he doesn't think he can afford to anger such as generals or other " regular army " types that require it, and even then, the salute is often mocking. The only person he consistently refers to by rank and with respect is Colonel Potter. Hawkeye, like many in the series, was disgusted with being drafted into the army, and constantly voiced his views to many, including army officials.

He would sometimes even go out of his way to undermine the army when it was trying to do something he disagreed with.

Some examples are:. In the penultimate episode of season 11, the th staff began assembling a time capsule of mementos from their time in Korea, with Hawkeye putting in two items. The first was a chopper's broken fan belt; its pilot had taken all night to fly a wounded soldier into camp, since the engine kept overheating.

Hawkeye said that although no one had noticed the pilot while he was there, it would be nice for someone in the future to know that he had made a difference.

The second item was the teddy bear left behind by Radar when he was discharged, to stand for the soldiers who came to Korea as boys and went home as men. BJ put in a fishing lure that belonged to Henry Blake, to stand for the soldiers who never made it home. The final item was a dress from Klinger to stand for the women the soldiers left behind.

At the end of the television series, Hawkeye was one of the last to leave the dismantled camp with the announced goal of returning to his hometown of Crabapple Cove, Maine , to be a local doctor who has the time to get to know his patients instead of the endless flow of casualties he faced in his term of service. Having left the Army, Hawkeye is established to be working for the Veterans Administration. In May, , he is laid off. At this point, Hawkeye does not have much money in the bank, is 31 years old, and has three children: Billy, Stephen and Karen.

Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Alan Rickman is best known for portraying memorable villains in films like 'Die Hard' and the 'Harry Potter' film series.

Steve Buscemi is a popular character actor, director and screenwriter. He's known for his role on the critically acclaimed series 'Boardwalk Empire. Alan Shepard became one of the original seven Mercury program astronauts in He later commanded the Apollo 14 flight.

The famed code-breaking war hero, now considered the father of computer science and artificial intelligence, was criminally convicted and harshly treated under the U. Olivia Rodrigo —. Megan Thee Stallion —. Bowen Yang —. Hawkeye is also a considerable alcoholic, frequently partaking of martinis, his favorite mixed drink, at the Officers Club, but in the Swamp he also keeps a small gin still that he built with Trapper John and continues to maintain with B. On a few occasions the side effects of Hawkeye's alcoholism particularly in the episode Bottle Fatigue cause him to rethink and reconsider his actions.

One of Hawkeye's many pet peeves is the food served in the Mess Tent, often causing Hawkeye to toss off insults at the server most often Igor and smelling his food before eating it, which is a source of irritation, especially to B. Hawkeye's duties as a surgeon near the front had more than their share of dangerous and potentially deadly moments, including, but not limited to:.

Also on many occasions, situations arose that caused Hawkeye to suffer emotional, mental, and psychosomatic issues, many of which warranted a visit from Dr. Sidney Freedman :. The television version of Hawkeye is somewhat different from the book and the film; while his professional and social life was much the same, he gradually evolved into a man of conscience trying to maintain some humanity and decency in the insane world into which he has been thrown. This change was largely due to actor Alan Alda's influence, as he infused the character with some of his own political ideals and morals.

Some fans disliked the change in Hawkeye, feeling that he eventually became too self-righteous and sanctimonious for his own good and the good of the show, and profess that Hawkeye worked better as a sardonic goofball.

Consequently, Hawkeye became the center of the MASH unit's medical activity as well as the comedic and, to a initially lesser extent, dramatic center of the series itself.

In the book and the film, Colonel Blake appointed Trapper John to be chief surgeon, but in the series, Blake gave it to a reluctant Pierce. In the book and the film, Hawkeye and Trapper had both played football in college, but in the series, while Wayne Rogers' Trapper looked sturdy enough to have played football, Alda's Hawkeye proclaimed with some pride that he was not the athletic type.

Richard Hooker, who wrote the book on which the show and the film version was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the TV show in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye facetiously makes reference to "kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape". Although the Robert Altman film followed Hooker's book somewhat in structure, much of the dialogue was improvised and thus departed even from Ring Lardner, Jr. The screenplay itself departed from the book in a number of details e.

Frank Burns became a major instead of a captain, and was identified with Major Hobson, the zealously religious officer that Pierce and Trapper got removed from their tent and, subsequently, the camp , but on the whole, the main characters and mood were left intact. Perhaps the most significant change in Hawkeye's characterization from book to film to television comes through his marital status.

In the book, Hawkeye identified as married with children to Evelyn Pierce, and remains faithful while in Korea as far as the reader is concerned. He offers love advice to several doctors, including "Jeeter" Carroll, extolling the virtues of extramarital sex though never partaking himself.

In the film, Hawkeye is still married, but with being so far from home, he convinces himself that nobody else will ever know, and also believes that it will reduce stress for both involved.

As such, Hawkeye rationalizes his extramarital dalliances and gives himself some moral leeway, entering into a relationship with Lt. Presumably, the change in his marital status rendered his numerous romantic liaisons morally acceptable in the eyes of Gelbart and other series officials as well as the TV audience.

While Hawkeye tried to rely on laughs and antics to cope with the brutality of war, there were times when he needed extra help. Sidney Freedman was often called upon to help walk Hawkeye and the others in camp through their darkest moments. Sidney Freeman decides to send Hawkeye to a mental hospital after he suffers a breakdown. Hawkeye has been repressing the memory of the event which produced his breakdown, but Sidney helps him to recall it and get it out in the open.

Hawkeye is later sent back to the th where he is able to perform surgery proving his recovery as the war finally comes to an end. While they were few in number, one of the most powerful was to Radar when he received his Purple Heart and then again when he left for good. Hawkeye also saluted Father Mulcahy when he was finally and rightfully promoted, as well as Colonel Potter during his departure during the last episode of the series.

Savannah Sanders is a high school history and government teacher and freelance writer based in Southern Illinois. When she isn't wrangling teenagers in hopes of becoming the next Mr. Feeny, she enjoys dissecting Star Wars and Marvel theories, binge-watching Downton Abbey, and planning her next visit to the Disney Parks.

Keep tabs on her travels, takes, and ventures online at disneyparksavvy. By Savannah Sanders Published Sep 23, Share Share Tweet Email 0. Related Topics Lists mash. Savannah Sanders 12 Articles Published Savannah Sanders is a high school history and government teacher and freelance writer based in Southern Illinois.