MASH

Long time ago Hawkeye Pierce hated three things in his life.

War

Meatball surgery.

And never seeing his patients again.

War he hated because he might have been the first hippie to exist in US, at least that what guys at Pentagon thought.

Several years later he still hated three things.

War he hated as he realised it didn't stop in Korea, just moved somewhere else, Vietnam to be precise.

Meatball surgery, because even an idea of putting man insides in several minutes, still gave him nightmares.

And civilian practice.

Apparently three years in Korea change you more that you know.

He was brilliant surgeon, and he couldn't take time to perform the surgery.

He hurried.

He performed meatball surgery, and listened how chief doctor kept telling him

-Slow down, Piece, slow down...this isn't Korea.

He did, for a time.

One day older doctor invited him for a drink.

-I know what it's like, Pierce. I was young doctor when they drafted me into first World War. I spent four years doing what you just did. Then I gave myself ten years, promising that if I wont l slow down, I would quit my practice.

-Did you slow down?

-Almost, by the time I finally got over meatball surgery, another war came to be.

-They drafted you?

-No, I asked to be sent myself. I guess, I couldn't stop./

-But now...

-After the war I stopped, I guess it was more that enough.

-So what you saying is that I need to enlist, serve, see more young kids dying and be over with it.

-No, what I meant is give yourself couple of years, if it's not working out, open a practice, just don't operate.

-Will see.

He gave himself several years, he did slow down, moved to Chicago and became one of the best surgeons in town.

It lasted for five years.

Five years later U.S. came to war with Vietnam, he woke up shaking. He thought about old doctor words. He laughed like crazy and by seven a.m was at the door to enlist. He told them about 4077, gave some names and two weeks later was shipped to Saigon.

Hawkeye Pierce still hated two things

War.

And realisation that Henry Blake was right, those many years ago. Same as the old doctor from Maine hospital. He needed meatball surgery. Needed to hear planes flying above his head, bombs falling around.

He laughed when he was assigned to MASH unit with the same letters from Korea. MASH 4077, this time however his CO was drafted doctor, it was his first war.

He laughed when he came to his tent and saw familiar sign "Swamp"on it, and a guy sitting by the new-made still.

-Hey, Hawk.

-Hey, Trapp.

-I see you couldn't stay away.

-Well, when I heard that my old buddy enlisted voluntary, I decided "what the hell?"

-You crazy!

-You should see our head nurse.

-No, you kidding?

-Nope, she's here, I don't know what you told that guy at the enlistment, but he got half of our old unit here, said it would be good to have some experience in unit.

-Crazy.

-Yep. So-Trapper raised his glass.-For Vietnam?

-For Vietnam!

Hawkeye loved two thing in his life.

Swamp

and Vietnam.