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« on: September 17, 2015, 05:14:19 PM »
The Word doc is kind of a mess right now, so here's a look at some of the introductory material I've been working on this week. It's slow going, because the research and reading takes much longer than the actual writing does!
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Racial Content
“I have some vivid memories of Korea and many of them I wish I could forget. There is the memory of the old Korean who stumbled unloading a crate from a C-54 in Pusan, and the little pipsqueak of a GI private who seized him by the faded coat lapels and shouted in his face: “You sonofabitch – if you do that again I’ll punch you in the nose!” There is the memory of the wretched young man with his feet half eaten away, dying of gangrene and refused medical assistance by a succession of MOs because he was a Korean and didn’t count.”
- Pierre Burton, war correspondent for Maclean’s
Whether they were widespread or not, racial incidents against Asians (friendly South Koreans or the enemy North Korean and Chinese troops) certainly did happen. Even Asian American soldiers and medics might be unfairly viewed with suspicion. Players should be prepared to encounter a variety of low- and high-ranking NPCs with racist views. How your characters react – and the consequences of those reactions – will surely become an important part of the conversation.
If you want to play as an Asian-American, history records that substantial numbers served the Army in both combat and medical roles during the Korean War. There appear to be no records for any South Korean medics being seconded to a MASH unit, but there’s nothing stopping you from creating one. The most likely scenario may be that it was a temporary assignment - as a medic and translator for wounded Koreans - that turned into something long-term.
"When people were getting killed and shot up and everything, we all got to stick together.” . . . "The (South) Koreans would look at my face and . . . look at a white guy's face and say ‘Y'all no same-ah same-ah.' And I'd say yeah we are, we're all 3rd Division, 58th Artillery.”
- Mr. Nathaniel Brunson
In 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, officially abolishing racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces. In truth, a complete integration of the military didn’t occur until 1954 – one year after the war had ended. Thus, some of the African American soldiers and medics you encounter may still come from segregated all-black units. Even the Chinese Army singles out captured African Americans for special propaganda, reminding them that they are fighting for a segregated nation back home.
If you want to take on the role of an African American medic, you’ll be serving in an integrated MASH unit, free from the constraints of a segregated environment. Of course, you may still encounter an occasional NPC who prefers segregation or who disrespects your position in some other way. Treat these backwards persons as appropriate for your character’s role in the conversation, but don’t worry about your place in history.
It is historical fact that many African American WAC officers and enlisted reservists returned voluntarily to active duty as nurses, serving with great merit. Furthermore, despite the long-held view that no black surgeons served during the Korean War – a view disproven by Dr. Alvin V. Blount Jr. of the 8225th MASH, at least. Black doctors did serve in the Army, albeit in small numbers.
Queer Content
“I had a ton of fun during the Korean War. There were 10-15 gay soldiers on the base. As long as we weren’t seen doing anything, they couldn’t discharge us. So we all rented a hotel room once a month, plastered the wall with Playbills from A Streetcar Named Desire, and had lots of sex.”
- Anonymous veteran
The 1951 Uniform Code of Military Justice defined homosexuality as “unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex”, classifying both oral and anal sex as ‘sodomy.’ It was deemed an offense punishable by court-martial. In reality, how strongly the code was enforced – and whether cases were even prosecuted - depended on the situation and the persons involved. Under combat conditions, a feeling of male camaraderie and shared intimacy develops that is not present in civilian life, and even the actions of blatantly queer personnel might be shrugged off with a “live and let live” attitude.
This is not to say that witch-hunts didn’t happen. If the offender was not well regarded in other respects, or ran afoul of an intolerant officer, he or she might be subject to continuous surveillance, humiliation, threats, and interrogation (often by Section Eight discharge boards or intelligence officers), followed by a court-martial and a dishonorable discharge.
Whether you decide to start play as a queer character or not, these are persons and incidents you might encounter as you play the game. At times, you might even find your character the target of a seduction roll. If this occurs, you don’t get to block that move by claiming that your character is exclusively heterosexual. The roll of the dice determines whether someone incites a potentially arousing response, but you are in charge of your character’s reaction. You decide how you want to follow through.
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