Was he a coward, a conscientious objector, or something else?

I think Max Klinger missed being at the ballpark to see his beloved Toledo Mud Hens play and also those great Toledo hot dogs at the stadium.

Two thoughts
1. It might be overly easy for us watching the show from the comfort of our living rooms, to filter out the perils of warfare that actual members of such a staff were forced to coexist with. Even an errant shell from a friendly cannon could end one's life. So, getting away fro that constant stress would seem worthwhile.

2. I think shows like this exploit stereotypes for humor. The reality of expelling ghays from military service was well known, so there might have been humorous appeal in the idea that someone would fake it to get a plane ticket home..

Don't forget, back in this period gheys were scorned, so the idea of "what depth must I sink to to get OUT of this dilemma?" had comedic appeal

3. (bonus) He was drafted. SO the strategy of beating the system has an appeal all it's own.


I remember urban legends back in the Viet Nam era of guys with a high likelihood of being drafted, puncturing their eardrum with a coat hanger, just to get a medical deferral. So, cross dressing is mild in comparison.

I believe too, there is humor in the notion that people in general will go to extremes far worse in nature just to avoid a pet problem.

Someone driving 5 miles out of their way, just to avoid one bad intersection they have problems with,...as an example.

Lead singer Howard Kaylan of The Turtles and The Mothers of Invention, in his autobiography, “Shell Shocked,” wrote that he resorted to cross-dressing to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War.

I think that Beach Boys guitarist Carl Wilson faced prison for refusing to report for the draft (he later was granted community service) as did actor Richard Dreyfus, who was granted community service instead of serving in the military.

Merely comedic relief for the show.

I assume MASH played it up to be super funny. He was excellent, wasn't he?

I assume MASH played it up to be super funny. He was excellent, wasn't he?

Hilarious. The time he was in a robe with red fuzzy slippers flying still makes me chuckle.

His letters to Colonel Blake: Sister pregnant, mother dying, mother pregnant sister dying. LOL