M*A*S*H Act II
The Night 106 Million Said Goodbye Together
Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen
February 28, 1983.
The M*A*S*H finale aired.
2½ hours.
106 million viewers.
For half my lifetime, we tuned in each week. The characters grew. So did we.
The chemistry fraternity held a watch party.
Couches filled.
Chairs dragged in.
Snacks piled.
Pop machine opened.
But I had Animal Bio lab that night.
The TA warned us: miss lab, get a zero.
I went.
The quiz: “Write your name.”
I wrote.
Started the lab.
Just before the show, I walked out.
Saw the helicopter carry Hawkeye away.
The TA tossed my quiz.
My A became an A-minus.
The goodbye mattered more.
Last Flight
the chopper lifts off
moisture fills every eye
a bittersweet wake
twenty of us breathe slowly
stones spelling goodbye below
Invitation to comment
Do you remember where you were when the final episode of M*A*S*H aired?