By the early 1980s, M*A*S*H was a mainstay in American popular culture. The series had remained in the top ten in ratings since the second season, and it would end with the best ratings ever for a scripted television series. M*A*S*H had some famous fans including King Charles III of England (then Prince Charles) and the president of the United States. In 1981, the president of the United States, Ronald Regan, was a former actor himself. So when the American Red Cross celebrated its 100th anniversary in May 1981, Jamie Farr presented Vice President George H. W. Bush and President Reagan (who was not present at the event) with personalized M*A*S*H jackets that included the iconic red cross that not only symbolized the organization but M*A*S*H itself. This week, we will look a press photo featuring Jamie Farr and a M*A*S*H jacket that was gifted to a U.S. president!
Over the eleven years M*A*S*H was on the air, the cast and crew received a series of gifts each year. I’ve written about several including a belt buckle and a “Greatest Hits” record. In addition to these gifts, the cast and crew regularly received additional items including jackets, hats, shirts, and mugs with the M*A*S*H logo. In May 1981, at the 100th anniversary celebration of the Red Cross, Jamie Farr presented Vice President Bush with one of the jackets. He also gave Vice President Bush a jacket for President Reagan that was personalized with “Mr. Prez” written on the front. The back of the jackets featured the M*A*S*H logo with a large red cross. It’s a unique gift that was covered in this press photo from 20th Century Fox Television. Sadly, from the black and white photo, I cannot tell what color the jacket is. I have two similar cast and crew jackets from M*A*S*H with one being blue and the other being green.
The gift a M*A*S*H jacket to a U.S. president is not unusual. We still see sports teams gift the president a jersey when they visit with White House after winning a championship. The tie-in with M*A*S*H, the Red Cross, and a former actor as president made this gift unique, and it is no surprise that 20th Century Fox Television wanted to publicize the moment. It was good publicity for all involved, and it really benefited the Red Cross, which relies on volunteers and donations to assist communities after disasters and provide life saving blood transfusions. The Korean War is often called “the forgotten war,” and M*A*S*H has helped shed light on the events from that conflict for the past 53 years, and there have been countless stories of men and women who have gone in to the medical profession because of their love of M*A*S*H. So while this post may be about a jacket given to a president, it is part of a bigger story of how M*A*S*H helped shed a light on a war, on stories of doctors and nurses, and helped organizations, like the Red Cross, complete their missions.
The M*A*S*H Historian 