
Members of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital care for the injured during the Korean War and use humor to escape from the horror and depression of the situation. Among the 4077's people are Capts. Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Trapper John" McIntire, Majs. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan and Frank Burns, and Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly.
A careless colonel increases the number of seriously wounded soldiers arriving at the compound.
Hawkeye, B.J. and their medical cohorts find a new way to escape the depressive atmosphere of the war.
Both Charles and Klinger develop romantic liaisons while forgetting their troubles at Rosie's Bar.
Mildred writes a letter to Hawkeye; and a sergeant tries to kill the captive sniper responsible for his lieutenant's injuries.