Ho-Jon
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| M*A*S*H character | |
| Ho-Jon | |
|---|---|
| Rank | None (civilian) |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Dark brown |
| Home city | Seoul |
| Film portrayer | Kim Atwood |
| Television portrayer | Patrick Adiarte |
| First appearance | M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors |
| Last appearance | "Ceasefire" |
Ho-Jon is a fictional character in M*A*S*H. He works as a houseboy in "The Swamp" at MASH 4077th and sometimes as a medical assistant. He first appeared in the novel and in the film played by Kim Atwood, as well as the television series played by Patrick Adiarte.
Contents |
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Novels
In the original novel, Ho-Jon is described as a 17-year-old Korean, tall, thin, bright, Christian, and living in Seoul. He is drafted into the South Korean army, subsequently wounded and sent back to the 4077th for treatment. After rehabilitation, he resumes his position as "Swampboy". The Swampmen, who are very fond of Ho-Jon, arrange to have him sent to Hawkeye's old college. To raise funds, Trapper grows a beard, poses as Jesus Christ (complete with a cross mounted on a jeep or hanging from a helicopter), and autographs thousands of photos which the Swampmen sell for a buck apiece.
In M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, Ho-Jon is briefly seen again, having pursued a successful career in university administration.
[edit] Film
In the film, Ho-Jon is drafted, and Hawkeye drives him to the induction center. The Korean doctor who examines Ho-Jon discovers that Hawkeye has given him drugs to induce hypertension and tachycardia (so that he would fail the induction physical). Ho-Jon is last seen in the film being led away by South Korean soldiers while the doctor tells Hawkeye that he sees through the trick.
In the screenplay, Ho-Jon is wounded and sent to the 4077th; however, his surgery is unsuccessful, and he dies. The final film omits this storyline, although a scene showing Ho-Jon in the operating room remains with overdubbed dialogue (Houlihan: "That man's a prisoner of war, Doctor." Trapper: "So are you, Sweetheart, but you don't know it.") and a scene showing a jeep driving off with the deceased Ho-Jon, causing a brief pause in the poker game.[1]
[edit] Television series
In the pilot episode Ho-Jon is accepted at Hawkeye's old college, just as in the novel. In the TV version, the doctors raise funds for him by raffling off a weekend pass to Tokyo.
In I Hate a Mystery, Ho-Jon steals many valuable items and Hawkeye's poker winnings in order to bribe the border guards to bring his family down from the North. However, in the pilot, after receiving the acceptance letter, he leaves the scene to tell his parents, who presumably live nearby.
The character was dropped at the end of the show's first season, most likely as the character left for America as a medical student, as was implied in the pilot. However, it was mentioned (possibly jokingly) by Hawkeye in the fifth season episode Ping Pong that "our houseboy was drafted two years ago" when explaining the mess in the Swamp.
[edit] Name
According to Kyung Moon Hwang, Professor of Korean History at USC, "Ho-Jon" is not actually a Korean name.
[edit] References
- ^ Ring Lardner, Jr. "MASH" Screenplay; February 26, 1969 O.S.P. Publishing, Inc. ISBN 1-56693-308-0 pp. 103-104, 135-136
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