MASH Units in the Korean War
MASH Units in the Korean War
First established in 1945 by Dr. Michael Debakey, these mobile units were fully self-contained, working medical hospitals. The first deployment of a MASH unit occurred during the Korean War. The use of the MASH units allowed experienced medical personnel to remain closer to the front, which would minimize transport time of the wounded. Soldiers were trained to administer on site whatever first aid they could and then they soldier(s) would be sent to a battalion aid station to assist with stabilizing the soldier before transporting to the MASH Medical Unit for more extensive treatment. This greatly increased the wounded soldiers chances for survival – some estimates say as high as 97% – once treatment was received at a MASH unit.
MASH units continued to operate into the Vietnam War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. By 1997 though, the final MASH unit in South Korea was disbanded and worldwide, the last deactivation of a MASH unit occurred in Febraury, 2006. Just prior to the deactivation, the unit was sent to Pakistan to assist with the relief operations after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. While here, the US State Department purchased all the tents and medical supplies of this MASH unit and donated the entire unit to the Pakistani military. The donation was estimated at a value over $4.5 million.
Operation Iraqi Freedom was perhaps the last military campaign that will ever utilize the services of a mobile Army surgical hospital (MASH). The Army has now essentially replaced the MASH with combat surgical hospitals (CSH) and forward surgical teams (FST). MASH units were designed as mobile, flexible, forward-deployed military hospitals, providing care for the wounded near the frontlines of the battlefield. These hospitals not only saved thousands of lives during war but also greatly influenced the delivery of trauma and critical care in civilian hospitals. The MASH was made popular by the television series of the 1970s, depicting the 4077th during the Korean War. Although a comical series, these television episodes provided viewers with a glimpse of life in a MASH during time of war. This article chronicles the history of the MASH from its inception during World War II to recent experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom.