Usual disclaimer, I got sick of writing it.
Once again, I claim no genius when it comes to names or certain aspects of politics, so just let it be.
------------
LOS ANGELES GENERAL, LOS ANGELES, CA.DECEMBER 13, 1977.
Erin Hunnicutt lay in her hospital bed. BJ and Peg sat beside her, after many hours in labor she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
She had decided to name the 6lb, 8oz green eyed bundle of joy Lisa Jane Hunnicutt, after no one in particular she concluded.
There was a knock at the door, in stepped Mike, Erin's boyfriend. (A/N: because this still the '70s and my current mindset is a bit too liberal, I feel that the following event would have transpired)
"Hi Mike, how ya' doin?" asked BJ.
Mike stepped in and gazed at his daughter, "I'm doing very well thanks Dr. Hunnicutt"
BJ smiled, "call me BJ" he said.
Peg looked at Erin and Lisa "so, Mike are you proud of your handiwork?" she asked.
A broad smile spread across Mike's face "yes Mrs. Hunnicutt, I sure am. I was thinking that after I get that promotion we should get married."
(A/N: see what I mean?)
This came as a surprise to Peggy and BJ, in one day they became both grandparents and in-laws.
------------
WALTER REED HOSPITAL, WASHINGTON, DC: DECEMBER 15, 1977
Charles sat in the patient lounge in his wheelchair, watching the TV. People aimlessly wandered round in bathrobes, clutching IV poles.
His doctor had been by earlier; Charles was the apparent victim of a mild stroke. The doctor told him that it was bought on by some kind of mild neurological hemorrhage.
Charles just sat there and listened as he was told he would have decreased use of his left side, he felt like the corporal he'd told in Korea that he couldn't play the piano anymore.
And just like him, he asked "how long?"
The doctor sighed "permanently probably, it's a good thing you don't make a living cutting people up anymore doctor Winchester"
With that, he was gone.
Sitting in the hospital, surrounded by veterans of foreign wars, government people and G-Men, Charles had to sigh. He was 60 years old, another few and e could retire.
Yeah, life was a bitch he concluded. But before long, he hoped, he'd be back on Capital Hill or at his family retreat on Cape Cod.
------------
PIERCE HOME, CRABAPPLE COVE, MAINE: CHRISTMAS, 1977
The 4077th had once again converged on the Pierce home. It had become something of a tradition since 1953. There was a change this year however: Frank sat at the table. This was a big surprise to everyone.
BJ and Peg, Erin and husband Mike, with new arrival Lisa, Patty, Radar and his family along with Fr. Mulchay and the Klingers and the McIntyre family had all come for Christmas.
Jim McIntyre was granted Christmas leave from the Marines and attended, sharing his stories of military medicine, '70s style. Although he hadn't gone overseas yet, he hoped to soon.
"So Beej, how does it feel to be a grandpa?" teased Hawkeye, who looked over at Jane and Ben, as if to say "where are my grandchildren??"
They both smiled, Daniel Pierce looked at Hawkeye, "Son, I had to wait, so do you".
Everyone laughed.
Charles made a fashionable late entrance, blaming his doctor at Walther Reed for holding up his discharge.
"I should have expected this from a Yale man' he grumbled.
"Why Charles, how nice of you to join us" joked Klinger.
The fire burned brightly and the Christmas tree shone in the den as everyone sat down to what was another delicious Christmas meal in Crabapple Cove.
After dinner, the doctor Pierce Jr. and his girlfriend Rachel stood up from the table and asked for everyone's attention.
"Well," said Ben "I'll keep this simple, dad I know that you've waited almost 24 years for grandkids, so here goes. We're getting married".
There was a round of applause and cheering from everyone, Margaret almost fell over with surprise, and Hawkeye couldn't believe what he heard.
"Married!?" he said with a big grin "wow Ben, that's amazing!"
------------
CHEZ KLINGER INC, TOLEDO, OHIO: FEBRUARY 7, 1978.
Klinger sat at his spacious desk in his top floor executive suite, he was still CEO of the fourth largest food chain on the planet, with over 200 locations worldwide, he figured that McDonalds and Burger King would be out of business within five years.
Although he was just over 50, he had no ambition of retiring, although he did own four houses, a beach house or two, a private jet and cruise liner along with three cars and a nice nest egg.
Yeah, life was absolutely perfect.
------------
PIERCE HOME, CRABAPPLE COVE, MAINE: MARCH 8, 1978.
The Pierce house was once again decorated for matrimony, the same gazebo that Hawkeye and Margaret were married under in 1953 stood on the lawn, tables of food, chairs and decorations were all around.
Most of the 4077th had come along, Ben and Hawkeye stood in the foyer, contemplating the events that lay ahead.
"Well son" said Hawkeye "I know that your mother made me a very happy man, I just hope that you find the same happiness with Rachel"
Ben Pierce smiled "thanks Dad"
Hawkeye looked at his eldest child, "knock 'em dead Ben"
"Nah, it's bad for business"
The bridal party proceeded to the gazebo, where after the blessings of Father Mulchay, Ben and Rachel were married. Everyone looked on as they kissed and seemed to be very happy with each other.
Margaret sat in the front row beside Hawkeye and cried, her little boy had gotten married.
It was another step in the life of the 4077th, an old unit that bugged out long, long ago, never to be the same again.
------------
FORMER SITE OF MASH 4077, OJJOUNBU, KOREA.JULY 27, 1978.
"Good Evening, I'm Clete Roberts and this is Korea: 25 years on" the older, graying man stood in front of the camp, a shell of what used be.
In honor of 25 years of peace, old units and the members of the Panmujohn peace talks returned to Korea to reunite and share memories. The Army works in odd ways.
The OR building, an ambulance or two and some tent shells were all the remained of MASH, the buildings had been dismantled
A thin, grey man with glasses and very little hair stood in the compound and relived his former role within the army, "choppers!" Radar yelled, the camera followed the path of two helicopters that came over the mountains and towards the old chopper pad.
Just as it used to during the fighting, an ambulance churned up the path to the pad and waited for the helicopters to come in.
Instead of Bell 47-G Sioux carrying wounded, two UH-1 Iroquois ferrying the former MASH staff landed in a cloud of dust.
The ambulance collected the former surgeons, head nurse and company clerk before heading down the path to what remained of the camp.
"How has life treated you after the war?" Clete asked the former surgical staff.
"Well, I've seen a lot of things" said Margaret, her blonde hair sprinkled with grey "for one, I've gotten married and had children, along with a lot of experiences, I've seen Colonel Potter pass on, I saw President Kennedy get shot, on the same day I might add. Then there was the war in Vietnam………when I examine what I've seen since 1953, I can say that life has been good and bad to me"
Clete smiled and turned to Radar, "Walter, what do you think the biggest change has been since coming home?"
Radar smiled "well………I've got to say getting married and having children"
This took the old reporter by surprise "you got married and had kids?" he asked
"Oh yes sir, I met a nurse on my way back here just before I went home, when I got back to the States I looked her up. After a few years, we had children. Rebecca is now almost 20 and William is 22"
Clete smiled and turned to Hawkeye "Now, Dr. Pierce, you're still Doctor Pierce I take it?"
Hawkeye smiled "yes, yes, very much so. My dad who is now almost 80 still has his practice in town and I am still there. My wonderful wife Margaret is our head nurse".
Clete looked at Margaret, "you mean Major Houlihan?"
"Yes, well, the former Major and I got married about two months after we returned, I tell you, it sure was a match made in Heaven"
Trapper smiled "yeah, it's sure different from when you first met her. She bit your head off and you replied that she was some 'regular army clown', well, I guess I was dead wrong"
"So, back to my question" asked Clete "what will you remember in the 25 years since the war ended?"
Hawkeye was silent for a moment, a tiny tear formed in the corner of his eye, "well, I've got to say one really bad day. It was November 22, 1963. In Crabapple Cove at least, it was bright sunshine. However, that day we lost both Sherman and John Kennedy, it was a real blow"
Everyone nodded in unison, even Charles..
The old grey newsman turned towards BJ, sitting quietly on a log "now, Dr. Hunnicutt, what do you think you'll remember most about the war?"
BJ looked at everyone and sighed "well, I remember when I first got here; we stole the jeep belonging to a Major General to get back here, got a flat and were ambushed by a bunch of guerillas. I eventually arrived half drunk and remembered insulting our CO at the time, Major Buns. It was a lot of fun"
Clete smiled "what happened to Frank Burns?" he asked
"He lost it when he heard about Hawkeye and Ho…....Margaret getting married" said Trapper "Frank made brief appearances at both the wedding and one of our reunions, always surrounded by goons from the nut house"
"You mean he was put into an institution?" asked Clete
"Yes, his cheese fell off his cracker" said Klinger.
After several more questions, everyone stood up and took a wander around what remained of their previous home.
The large OR building still stood, except for a few "Give Blood" signs and some old knick-knacks it was essentially gutted.
"Wow" said Klinger as they took a tour of the OR, its concrete floor still in place with initials and the date of "March 1953" scratched into it.
"I remember when you guys would work for hours and hours on end in here patching people up, it was amazing"
Margaret laughed "yeah, and remember that we were the ones patching those people up"
A shell of the Swamp still stood a few items such as a sock or a toothbrush remained on the dirt. The bunks, still and other items were long gone.
Both Margaret's and the CO's tent remained as a few pieces of wood, the trash dump was still there, minus the tank. The generator shed was still there as was a section of wall from the mess tent.
Everyone talked as they walked around what remained of the camp. After several hours and many shared memories, the crew that was the 4077th forever departed and waved goodbye, just as they had done a quarter of a century before.
------------
MCINTYRE HOME, BOSTON, MASS: MARCH 2, 1982
Trapper and Louise had invited Hawk, Margaret and family for the weekend. At age 58, John was taking an early retirement package from Boston General, where he wound up Deputy Administrator.
Becky and Cathy along with their families had also come along. Jim was unable to attend; he was with a Marine Corps medical team in Saudi Arabia.
Margaret and Louise sat on the deck sipping lemonade. Hawk and Trapper stood at the barbeque, cooking lunch and shooting flames high into the air, they loved it.
Ben and Rachel Pierce along with their kids; Lucy, Benjamin Franklin Pierce III and Aaron had come to celebrate 'Uncle Trap' retiring. Hawkeye and Margaret finally had the grandchildren they were looking for!
"So Trapper, what do you perceive retirement bringing?" asked Hawkeye
"Not sure" said Trap 'I can see lots of fishing, golf and TV"
------------
OFFICE OF SEN. WINCHESTER (R—MA.), WASHINGTON, DC: SEPTEMBER 4, 1983.
An older, larger version of the Charles that we last saw in 1978 sat behind a large desk in his inner office. His remaining hair had turned a grey/white, as he wrote notes, he remembered Ted Kennedy's memo.
Charles' new bill to promote employment and better health care (which would ultimately benefit the rich he concluded) was to be voted on today.
After twenty three years in the senate, a minor stroke and a nice stash of riches, Charles Emmerson Winchester concluded that life was good; he was 66 years old and would not stand for re-election, having passed the Federal age limit of 65.
Although, he pondered, Lyndon Johnson extended the limit for J. Edgar Hoover, so why not him?
"Senator Winchester?" buzzed his secretary, "Your eleven o'clock is here"
In walked, of all people, newly appointed SgtMajMC (Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps) Jim McIntyre, proudly clad in his blue and white USMC outfit.
He stopped three paces from the Senators desk and his left arm shot up to salute him "Good morning Senator, Sgt. Maj. James H. McIntyre reporting as requesting"
Charles smiled "Good morning Sergeant McIntyre, what can I do for you?"
Jim remained at attention, standing in front of his desk, eyes front and center. Charles looked him, then the guest seats, then back at him.
"A Marine never sits until authorized to sir" Jim said.
This made the old grey ex-surgeon laugh "you may sit Sergeant"
Jim sat down, "Sir, this Marine is attempting to enter Officer Candidate School, he would be very grateful if the Senator could supply him with a letter of recommendation, if you don't mind. Sir"
Charles looked at him, he either a) loved the Marine Corps or b) had it firmly wedged up his butt
He leaned forward "sure, sure son. I'll give you a letter of recommendation; let me see what else I can drum up, where are you stationed?"
"Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Washington DC" Jim said, it seems he was now peddling door-to-door enlistment contracts.
Charles looked at Jim "OK, great, now Jim. Take off that hat of yours and tell me, do you like it in the Marines?"
Jim looked at the Senator "I do. However, when on duty, I'm loyal to the Corps, if you want to talk off-the-record about it, call me after 6" He handed Charles one of his business cards.
"Do you have a case of 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir' McIntyre?"
The young Marine looked at him, "after six sir. Good day"
He saluted, grabbed his hat and walked out.