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MASH serial numbers and enlistment status

posted 8 years ago by indy_go_blue44
11 replies | jump to latest

I ran across this info while researching some questions about the show. These are the serial numbers of the MASH regulars:

Trapper ER603044734
Hawkeye US12836413
Klinger RA19576782
BJ US94539204
Burns ER61109398
Mulcahy RA11295403
Radar US56319216
Potter RA4102629
Charles US21020980
Margaret RA31619185

I'm not sure what the "ER" means, but "US" is a draftee and "RA" is an enlistee. Interestingly, the man who dresses in dresses and hates the army so bad he's willing to do anything to get out, is an enlistee (one would expect Potter and Margaret to have "RA" numbers; Mulcahy? Possibly. Klinger? WTF??

"ER" might have something to do with the reserves. I was in the Navy Reserve and my serial number starts with the first initial of my last name while regular enlistees had the usual navy number (they started using the SS# sometime in the '80s I think.) I can see that with Burns, but (unless the Army paid for his school) Trapper?

[–] revolver95 8 years ago

My guess is Klinger got into some trouble in Toledo and made the choice to join the Army to avoid jail. Although I think he had mentioned hiding from the draft board once or twice.

[–] randbanks 8 years ago

I believe that ER stands or Enlistee Reserve. Which means that they were in the Reserves when they were called up to Korea

Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat

[–] chai_hawkeye-1 8 years ago

It could be that Klinger's serial number is Jamie's own serial number assigned to him when he was in the army.

It's nice to be nice to the nice.

[–] randbanks 8 years ago

It could be that Klinger's serial number is Jamie's own serial number assigned to him when he was in the army.

I believe that it is. In fact the dog tags he wore on the show were Jamie Farr's real tags frm his time in the Army.

Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat

[–] indy_go_blue44 8 years ago

That makes sense.

[–] wordsatplaytoday 8 years ago

It does and it doesn't.

It explains why Farr was in the Army but as you pointed out, why in the world would Klinger have joined?

Damn I'm good.

[–] randbanks 8 years ago

I suspect he thought it could be for a way out of Toledo. He loved it, but he also seemed to be stuck there with little chance out.

"Half my mail comes from Death Row." Tea and Empathy
"he also talked about how people didn't use cue sticks on balls"

and more. He also talked about how he didn't suspect that they'd "stick me here", I think it was to Sydney, just not sure.

He was enlisted, but I think he figured he's be in a safe place earning money to send home.

Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat

[–] crockett_john 8 years ago

I could be wrong, but I thought Klinger had two serial numbers (in two separate episodes) and two blood types.

Somewhat OT: If I was an actor, I wouldn't have wanted my serial number to be broadcast on a show. Most of the time I was in the military, your SSN was your serial number. That made things easy to remember and pretty simple. Mail always seemed to find me no matter where I was, but at the same time, you had your SSN on everything, even on your sea bag/duffel bag.

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I blame autocorrect.

You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

[–] indy_go_blue44 8 years ago

I mentioned that. My nephew was in the navy in the late '80s and his SSN was also his service number. I enlisted in the reserves in '68 and my number was (FIRST INITIAL OF LAST NAME xx-xx-xx. My cousin enlisted later that summer in the regular navy and his was xx-xx-xxxx. Interestingly, I have my original SS card from 1964 and printed in bold letters is "NOT TO BE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES." 10 years later I was living in Georgia and my DL# and SS# were the same.

I think they started using the SS# as your service number in '83 or '84.

[–] crockett_john 8 years ago

I think they meant that the card itself was not to be used for identification purposes, but to this day, I still use it along with something else to identify myself any time I get a new job.

Lately, the military has gotten a lot more concerned with personally-identifiable information. I still have the SSNs of dozens and probably hundreds of fellow service members on all kinds of things, like a copy of orders, flight manifests, fitness reports, counseling statements, awards orders, and on and on. Some of the people have gone on to be somewhat significant in the news or elsewhere, and there I (and many others) have enough information to apply for credit. I personally wouldn't commit any kind of identity theft, but it sure would be easy in these cases. I probably even have one or more seabags in my garage or in storage that has someone's full name, address, and SSN on it.

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I blame autocorrect.

You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.

[–] alevin-07812 8 years ago

Er is enlisted reserve
Radar states his serial number over the phone to a general and it begins ra or regular army
Us stands for unwilling signee