Mobile Army Surgical Hospital

A Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) is a self-contained United States Army military unit established to perform surgery and provide post-operative care immediately behind the front lines. The units were first established in August 1945, and were deployed during the Korean War and later conflicts.

Related Topics:
United States Army - Surgery - 1945 - Korean War

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The MASH unit was conceived by Michael E. DeBakey and other surgical consultants as the "mobile auxiliary surgical hospital". It was an alternative to the system of portable surgical hospitals, field hospitals, and general hospitals used during World War II. It was designed to get experienced personnel closer to the front, so that the wounded could be treated sooner and with greater success. This proved to be highly successful; it was noted that during the Korean War, a seriously wounded soldier that made it to a MASH unit alive had a 97% chance of survival once he received treatment.

Related Topics:
Michael E. DeBakey - World War II

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The MASH unit made its way into popular culture through the 1968 novel M*A*S*H by Richard Hooker, the 1970 feature film based on the novel, and the long-running television sitcom based on the movie. A 1953 film, Battle Circus, also took place at a MASH.

Related Topics:
Popular culture - M*A*S*H - Richard Hooker - Feature film - Television sitcom - Battle Circus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

MASH units continued to serve in various conflicts including the Vietnam War. In March, 1991, the 159th MASH of the Louisiana Army National Guard operated in Iraq in support of the 3rd Armor Division during Operation Desert Storm. This appears to have been the last time a MASH actually operated in combat.

Related Topics:
The Vietnam War - 159th MASH - Louisiana Army National Guard - 3rd Armor Division

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1997, the last MASH unit was decommissioned. A decommissioning ceremony was held in South Korea, which was attended by several members of the cast of the M*A*S*H television series. MASH units have since been replaced by the U.S. Army's combat support hospitals.

Related Topics:
1997 - M*A*S*H television series - Combat support hospital

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~