(Associated Press)
Forty years ago, on September 17, 1972, "M*A*S*H" premiered. Here are some answers to a few nagging questions about this iconic TV series.
Where did Hawkeye get his nickname?
According to the book on which the movie and TV series were based, "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors," by Richard Hooker, Benjamin Franklin Pierce got his nickname from his dad. It came from the main character in the only piece of fiction his father ever read. In James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Last of the Mohicans," Natty Bumppo is nicknamed Hawkeye. In the film version of "Mohicans," the character of Hawkeye is played by Daniel Day-Lewis.
Was there a real 4077th?
Although there were seven Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals operating during the Korean War, the 4077th is fictional. Hooker, author of the novel "MASH," served in the 8055th MASH. The other actual MASH units were the 8054th, 8063rd, 8076th, 8209th, 8225th, and 8228th.
[ Related: 'M*A*S*H' cast: Where are they now? ]
What does MASH stand for?
MASH
