User Reviews

When Hawkeye and Charles realize how quickly rumors can get going at the unit, they start one of their own. They get everyone thinking that Marilyn Monroe is coming for a visit. Soon it's all over the place. Bands are being commissioned, a General is taking time off and the entire camp is decorated for her arrival. On the day she is scheduled to "not" arrive, B.J. gets a helicopter pilot to take him to a fishing hole. On the way, they rescue a young soldier. After picking him up, there is another guy with a serious leg wound. They throw him a rope, but he is unable to grasp it. Just as B.J. is going to go down the rope, they come under fire. They begin leaking oil and B.J. needs to cut the rope, or everyone will die. He is filled with guilt and tries everything he can to find this guy. It shows his humanity and futility.

Captain B.J. Hunnicutt had plans of going fishing for three days. He met Lieutenant Prioire at the M*A*S*H 4077th. He took Captain Hunnicutt to the chopper port and started their journey for fishing. Little did they knew that two wounded soldiers were bleeding profusely in battle. He made a futile attempt of rescuing the wounded soldier -- using the rope to launch him to the chopper. Enemy fire hit the chopper; and Lieutenant Priorie told Captain Hunnicutt to cut the rope. Captain Hunnicutt was shocked and dismayed about doing that task.

In the meantime, Colonel Potter spoke to General Schwerrin about Actress Marilyn Monroe arriving at the M*A*S*H 4077th. The two were welcoming the actress to the camp. Colonel Potter had everyone prepare for her visit. The post-operating room had a "Welcome Marilyn Monroe" banner being hung for the decoration. The only problem: they spelled her first name wrong. From there, Captain Pierce contacted the 20th Century Fox Studios and spoke to the studio operator. His hesitation in answering the questions concerning the movie star caused chaos and eventual disconnection of the telephone call. Major Winchester was irritated at Captain Pierce's antics. The two of them would have to find some way to contact the studio operator over the telephone ... all while they were in Korea.

Captain Hunnicutt was still finding out the wounded soldiers in question. Three soldiers were wounded near Inchon. He found out the soldiers did not match the ones in the description from a chopper or from an ambulance. General Schwerrin presented Captain Hunnicutt with a bronze medal for his bravery ... even if Marilyn Monroe would not arrive at the M*A*S*H 4077th because of her filming commitments with the studios. Captain Hunnicutt's bronze medal was the result of his heroics in the battlefront. He told Captain Pierce that he had no idea of what was it like for him to cut the rope in a war zone. He prayed to God that he would never had to know that responsibility in a war zone. He eventually gave his medal to Corporal Sonneborn at the end of the episode ... for getting his rear out in one piece. Character was the stronghold in that episode. A Brilliant 10!! Highly Recommended!!

While I enjoyed this fun episode i have a problem with part of the story line. When BJ got his Bronze medal he passed it on another soldier telling him it was for "for getting his rear out in one piece." While I appreciate this gesture it isn't even close to how the process works. I can imagine the boy signing up for services under the GI Bill and saying he was given a Bronze Medal and them telling him that they have no record of his receiving the medal. There also was another where an underage soldier was given a medal just so he could impress a girl. Again not on his record. As a veteran it just bothers me where the facts are so manipulated just to add a twist to the main story. Fictitious or not I still love the episode where they gave the baby Frank's medal.