The Iowa Heartland History Connection and Meet Ottumwa partner in a new pair of exhibits featuring the history of the Korean War and the community’s ties to the M*A*S*H television show.
The iconic M*A*S*H novel by Richard Hooker opens with Walter “Radar” O’Reilly and the character’s hometown, Ottumwa. When the novel was adapted into a movie and then a television show, Ottumwa’s fictitious native son went along for the ride.
The exhibit at Iowa Heartland History Connection, Wapello County’s historical museum, will feature Korean War history, photographs from real M*A*S*H units, as well as trivia and souvenirs from the tv show. Look for M*A*S*H items available to purchase in the gift shop, and to top it all off, you can get your picture taken in Radar’s bunk.
“M*A*S*H is a real passion for a lot of people, and we wanted to be a part of that,” said Erin Naylor, Director of IHHC. “The book and tv show have a significant historical context that we hope to communicate with our exhibit.”
Meet Ottumwa’s portion of the exhibit gives visitors their own connection to Radar and the TV show. In addition to an Army-themed selfie station and one-of-a-kind memorabilia for purchase, read through all the Ottumwa mentions on the show, learn the background of real-life “Radar” Don Shaffer, and pick up a copy of the M*A*S*H Characters’ Hometown Tour. This map is an itinerary to visit 11 of the characters’ birthplaces, from coast to coast and across to Hawaii.
“We saw the need for a M*A*S*H exhibit that would fill a tourism gap,” said Laura Carrell, Executive Director of Meet Ottumwa. “Travelers are always asking what they can do or see related to Radar while they’re here. Now we can point them in two directions – our office and the museum. And if you want to see everything, you’ll need to go to both places.”
The Iowa Heartland History Connection is located at 1 Museum Drive, on Business 63 North, and is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meet Ottumwa’s office is in the Main Lobby of Bridge View Center, and it is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, call IHHC at 641.682.8676 and Meet Ottumwa at 641.684.4303.
