June 25, 1953

Captain Pierce,

Attached, you'll find the Stars and Stripes article about Major Leon Floyd and what had happened there at the 4077th the year before, information that was released to them. I must say, I did the best I could in getting the truth to where it needed to be, but there were some factors in there that kept the truth from being told, especially seeing as how the Army felt no responsibility towards harboring a man bent on revenge. I felt that I should write to you, before your read the article, and explain why before your outrage gets you (as well as the rest of the 4077th) in trouble.

My uncle, General Pyle, has known that Major Floyd had been tracking down Major Houlihan's career since she entered the Army in 1939, when she was eighteen, as we all know. He also deliberately planned it so that each move would incriminate her into this crime he himself committed, genuine as her actions were, fueled on by her father. After watching Winifred Curtis and making a deal with General Hannibal (who we are now focusing on with Colonel Flagg and his goons), he went on to murder Curtis, planting evidence that would point out that she had gathered all of you at the 4077th in a plan to uproot the American Dream deliberately. After the events that had conspired afterward, when the investigation had pinpointed to Floyd and you had disappeared to Tokyo with your orderly and some others who escaped, the official report was complied. And let me tell you, Captain, I am not happy about it, as you will be too.

The bureaucratic story is much different than what reality was. Major Floyd was sent to a unit to investigation Nurse Curtis' untimely death, but they did not mention which unit and how it happened, with few pictures that Floyd had taken at the scene and afterward. There was some information about her being a spy and such, which was "just discovered" (apparently released by those higher than my uncle), but nothing about her being a pretend nurse or anything about kept at the 4077th for the time being, before she was assigned someplace else. However, there was nothing in there about how he murdered her, his plans with General Hannibal and his schemes to get back at what injustice his family was dealt.

Floyd, in essence, was painted in Stars and Stripes as a war hero, murdered by his own men (when one had done the deed and his men had followed along with him) while investigating a murder. There was nothing about him accusing Major Houlihan and the 4077th. There was no mention about him controlling the camp, almost killing a priest with Russian Roulette, starving any prisoners or anything like that. My uncle the general also fumed (as well as I did) that there was nothing written about his brutality, carelessness and even his dishonor of this Army. He was sent home to his wife and children as a hero and was given more metals than I count on my own fingers and this was after he died. And all because he shot the enemy and worked against Communism.

Captain Pierce, in this time in which we look for heroes and try to denounce a war that does not make sense, people like Major Floyd always justify this war in which there is no sense. Like MacArthur before him, he was sent home with a parade, a hero's funeral and a burial that rivaled even the smallest and youngest soldiers in the trenches. His wife and children are unaware of what had happened, but we are sure to be talking with Mrs. Floyd soon. Sergeant Gaines and I are taking a trip to his hometown in a month or so, to let her know what had happened, letting her decide if she wanted to tell their children or not. This is happening because the war is almost over, as you probably know already, and that time for heroes will soon be over when we are all discharged to our civilian duties. The illusion will be shattered.

I wish you all the best, Captain Pierce. If you need me, contact me at Seoul. I'll be there until July fourth, before I go to the States.

Sergeant Pyle

Hawkeye, sitting on his cot in the Swamp as the early July afternoon sun heated the tent, reread the letter over and over again, the words dancing before his eyes. He could not believe what he was reading. Everything that he and the others were promised, all that was said and done, was moot. Now, this monstrosity of lies had taken its place, shoving down everything he had been raised to believe. He shouldn't have been surprised, since he knew that the Army could easily have covered up anything that was their mistake, but to see the official truth run its black and white mumble-jumble into the pages of the media was a tragedy.

Turning the letter over to the bottom, Hawkeye picked up the paper and read the front-page article about Floyd, titled by some reporter, "Investigator Murdered in the Search for Justice". Snorting sarcastically, he read through the article, keeping his outraged opinions to himself for the moment. Sergeant Pyle had been right. Floyd was painted as a war hero, one that served in the Army since before the last war, before Korea was even thought of. Then, he distinguished himself by leading his men into action before being assigned to a crimes' investigation department in 1951, after being wounded twice. After that, he was most famous ("notorious" being Hawkeye's word) for trying to solve the murder of Nurse Winifred Curtis the year afterward. During that time, it was found out that his own men, both Wellington and Wright, murdered the nurse and, in turn, went after him, shooting him in the compound of a M*A*S*H unit close to the front lines, not naming the 4077th as the location.

"All men have been apprehended and subject to an investigation," Hawkeye continued to read, saying it out loud dramatically as BJ read his own letters from Peg and Erin. "Reports have filtered out throughout the year, but have been recently released to the public. Other than the murder of the nurse and Major Floyd, nobody was hurt or killed during the time."

Then, reading silently again, Hawkeye saw the conclusion of the atrocious story.

The Army has reported that the inquiry into this will continue. In the meantime, the men in question are being held. No comments have further been made by them or their lawyers.

Funeral arrangements have been made for Major Floyd, when his body was released to his family a month before, in which the Army has stated that some of his body was willed to science and was sent accordingly. The remains of his body were buried with honors in his home of Corpus Christi, Texas.

"Please stay tuned for more news as developments are sent," Hawkeye ended in his best radio voice, annoying BJ as he was disturbed from his letter once more. "This is so-and-so, reporter from Stars and Stripes, signing off finally."

"Hawk, can you calm it down some?" BJ asked, waving his letter. "I'm trying to imagine some things in which you can't possibly understand, just by the way my wife wrote her letter. At least, I think I can read in-between the lines and know what she means anyway."

"How can you sit there and read an innocent letter from your wife when this trash has been published?" Hawkeye asked, outraged still as he tossed the letter and newspaper to BJ. As his tentmate read the material, he saw that his face went from pleasurable to angry.

"Are you serious?" BJ asked, all he could ask as he handed back the newspaper and letter to Hawkeye.

"How could I not be? The Army, in its infinite wisdom once more, did not condemn the right people."

"Well, at least Sergeant Pyle and his uncle tried, you know?"

"It's not good enough." Hawkeye was more than fuming. He was in a rage. "We all try to clear our names and get to stay here, all in a hell called Korea, and continue with the work we started with. Major Leon Floyd over there gets killed because he murdered some fake nurse and he gets to go home a war hero, even though he conspired against his country. Tell me that he did not do the best they could!"

"Well, people higher up than General Pyle got the upper hand," BJ explained, pointing out what his nephew's letter said, trying to not gauge his best friend in a battle they could not win. "Look, Hawkeye, there isn't much we can do about it right now. As far as we know, the rumors are true and we're going home soon, hopefully before the end of this month. It's almost a major holiday, people want to get the last shot in before leaving, and we'd go home. What would happen if we caused some trouble before we went home and tried to reverse some Army rewards? How would they look to them, the widow and the kids?"

"Sergeants Pyle and Gaines are trying to sort out the truth," Hawkeye retorted.

"Yes, to the widow and perhaps the kids," BJ replied tartly. "Hawk, don't blow it. We're almost home. I can just taste my wife's lips. Don't get me locked up again. I want to see her and Erin when I leave this place."

Hawkeye gave up on the fight, quietly sitting back on his cot, thinking about the situation. During the past year, so much had happened that he and the rest of the camp forgot what transpired the summer before, even going as far as not talking about it. Margaret had kept her distance from him, the two teasing each other as usual. Colonel Potter had a firmer hand on the camp and growled at any interference, especially when it came from Seoul. Charles was as snobbish as ever, reminding both him and BJ how much he helped during those troubled times…and asked for a drink only in return (which was strange, when Hawkeye and BJ thought about it). Kellye had gone on with her duties, indulging in an affair with an UN delegate and corresponding with him after he left the camp. Klinger had taken Radar's place as company clerk some months before when he was discharged and sent him. Father Mulcahy spent more time ministering to those in need, trying to forget that day in which he nearly died, but with the Lord's grace and protection, he was spared.

Submitting to BJ's logic, Hawkeye finally said from his side of the tent, "Maybe you're right. It's isn't worth the argument."

"See? What did I tell you?" Charles had come into the tent, seeing the newspaper as having some clue as to what happened. "Pierce, don't you know well enough that you don't always know how to play politics?"

"Oh, come on, Charles, don't start," BJ moaned from his side of the tent. "I just got off by telling Hawkeye that it's time to let this one go."

"And as well he should," Charles replied smoothly, changing tactics. "Pierce, you should just ignore what was said. You're going home to whatever town it is that you came from, right?"

"Right," Hawkeye replied mechanically, almost dreaming about Margaret coming to his door, but soon forgetting it when remembering the injustice done to her as well. "Crabapple Cove."

"Yes, well…go back to Crabapple Cove and forget about whatever was printed."

"You always showed me how beautiful it is from the pictures," BJ added.

"I get it, I get it!" Hawkeye yelled, turning away from both Charles and BJ. "Forget about the unfairness done. But it was done to us. How does this turn the wheel of fortune in our favor?"

BJ shrugged his shoulders. "Umm…we're going home soon?"

"Hey, guys!" Klinger suddenly ran into the Swamp, almost knocking Charles over. When the Bostonian sighed and moved to his own cot, the Lebanese clerk continued in an excited tone. "Colonel Potter said that the road to Inchon was clear. We're going to have a Fourth of July party over at the beach!"

While BJ and Hawkeye cheered, the letters and newspaper temporarily forgotten, Charles sneered. "Oh, goodie. Something boorish that we all now have to participate in."

"Oh, come off it, Charles," Hawkeye exclaimed, dancing and then joining hands with Klinger. "It's a trip to the beach! Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Oh, boy!"

Charles only sighed, turning to one side to pour himself a cup of tea, albeit a cold one, as the weather was hot. "And let this be a lesson to all of you," he tried saying, but the yelling was too much, drowning out his words. "Whatever once was so innocent, will never be again. Whatever once was so dear to you, will never be again. A beach trip? Whatever can be as innocent and dear as a beach trip?"