M*A*S*H è una tragicommedia incentrata sulle vicissitudini del 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (Ospedale Chirurgico da Campo dell'Esercito) statunitense in Uijeongbu, Corea, durante la Guerra di Corea (1950-1953).
Molte delle situazioni raccontate, anche le più assurde, sono realmente accadute, come testimoniano molti dei veterani del conflitto.
Sick and tired of having liver and fish for an 11-day stretch, Hawkeye, driven near to insanity, starts a riot in the mess tent. He and Trapper then orders spare ribs and sauce from the best place he ever had them, in Chicago. Trapper calls a woman he spent a weekend with to pick up the ribs, and then they get choppered in. Unfortunately, right as they're sitting down to eat, wounded arrive, and Hawkeye is forced to postpone sinking his teeth into his beloved ribs.