Post by brenth on May 24, 2017 11:04:54 GMT -5
Colonel Sherman T. Potter
"I think the world of Colonel Potter. He's a good Christian yet hardly dull at all." (1)
"Don't mind him ... it's his shorts." (2)
Colonel Sherman T. Potter arrives at the 4077th on 19 September 1952 at 16:00 hours (3) and becomes the camp's second commander. The Colonel really seems to be two totally different people during the series. The fourth and fifth seasons portray the Colonel as being a man in his early fifties. He has been married 27 years (4), and says that he served in the World War I cavalry at age fifteen (5). All point to his age as being 50 to 53 years. But, starting the sixth season, the colonel ages ten years. He met his wife in 1913 (6), and has been married 38 years (7), 35 years (8), or 40 years (9) and admits he is 62 years old (10).
Colonel Potter is from Hannibal, Missouri -- although in one episode he mentions Nebraska (11) -- where he lives with his wife, Mildred. These are the only things that remain constant about the colonel's immediate family. In fact, Colonel Potter's family has the most changes of all the 4077th staff. Early in his stay at the 4077th, the colonel’s only child is a son (12), who was born in 1926 at City General in Cleveland, Ohio when Valentino died (13). His son is married to Jeanine (14), who gives birth to a daughter, Sherry Pershing Potter (15). But suddenly, the colonel's only granddaughter is five years old (16) and then eight years old (17). Later he mentions he has more than one grandchild (18). In one episode, he mentions his son was divorced (19). Then, just as the Colonel ages 10 years, his immediate family completely changes with it. He has only one child as before, but it is a daughter (20) named Evy (21). Her husband is Bob Wilson (22), who visits the 4077th in one episode (23), and they have only one child, a son named either Corey (24), Skip (25), or Stuart (26). Corey turns five on March 7 (27).
The colonel's distant family includes his mother, Emma (28), little sister, Madge (29), Grandpa Roy (30), Grandpa Wilmer (31), and Grandma Mavis (32). There is his Uncle Ben who has two extra toes (33), Uncle Claude (34), Aunt Grace (35), Uncle Roy -- who was his inspiration for wanting to be a surgeon (36), a sister who went bald (37), a nephew (38) and a niece (39). Mildred has five sisters (40) (three are named Rose, Louise (41) and Bertha (42)), a brother, Calvin (43), who died of a heart attack, and cousins, Natalie (44) and Portia Nelson, with whom she spends time with when she is depressed (45). The colonel's anniversary is either in April (46) or on Groundhog Day (47). Mildred turns 50 come Valentine's day (48) and plays classical banjo (49).
Colonel Potter has been a doctor for 30 years (50). He has been in the Army for 30 (51) or 35 years (52). He has served in three wars. During the First World War, he was lost in the Argonne Forest where he was captured by the enemy (53). The younger Colonel Potter says he served in World War I at age 15 -- "lied about his age, had big thighs" (54). He got his medical training at Fort Sam Houston (55), and became a surgeon in 1932 (56). He did his basic training with General Haggarty (57). He served with General Torgeson in the cavalry (58). He served at Ft. Dix in 1925 (59), at Ft. Leavenworth with General Hardcastle (60), and at Camp Grant with Colonel Becket (61) and Colonel Drake, the 8063rd commander (62) while still a bachelor (63). He also served in Europe with Colonel Wheatly, also an 8063rd commander (64). When he was stationed at Fort Dix (65) 12 years ago, he saw Doris Day and fell in love with her (66). He grew a moustache during World War II (67). During the Second World War, he served in Guam (68). At the time he comes to the 4077th, he hasn't been in an operating room for 2 years (69). He is counting the days until his retirement: 18 months (70); 17 months, 2 weeks 6 days (71); 14 months 11 days (72); 16 months, 3 weeks, 4 days (73); one year left (74).
When the war ends, the Colonel's plans are to retire from the Army to civilian practice. His desire is to be "Mrs. Potter's Mr. Potter" (75). Colonel Potter is often looked upon by the personnel of the 4077th as a father figure, and the colonel often calls the 4077th his family. Hawkeye and BJ weren't sure what to expect when they find out he is a regular Army commander, but, the colonel turns out to be quite forgiving of the antics of his non-Army personnel and usually sticks up for his men when they are in trouble. He has his non-military habits as well. At the 4077th Colonel Potter acquires a horse, later named Sophie (76), which he receives as an anniversary present from Radar (77). He ends up giving it to the orphanage before he leaves Korea (78).
Colonel Potter's religion is Methodist (79) or Presbyterian (80) and he claims to be one quarter Cherokee (81). He always keeps a picture of his wife on the right side of his desk and salutes it every morning (82). The picture of Mildred on his desk is purportedly of Spring Byington who was Harry Morgan's co-star in Pete 'N Gladys. He also brought with him the saddle from his early days in the cavalry (83). On the wall behind his desk, he has pictures of many horses including Lillie Bell, Royal King, Opel's Pride, and Sylvia Bee (84). The colonel's favorites include the author, Zane Gray (85), the movie, My Darlin' Clementine (86), and the song, "Along the Santa Fe Trail". A Charles Boyer movie shown is his and Mildred's favorite (87). He always liked to go fishing on the White River in Arkansas and knows how to tie his own flies (88). His favorite pastimes are riding horses and painting. At the 4077th, the colonel sleeps on a Sears Super Slumber mattress (89). He says he smoked his first cigar when he was 9 and says he has smoked five cigars a day for 45 years and never got in the habit (90). He can't eat nuts because he wears a partial (91) and is allergic to tomato juice (92). The colonel is an expert at horseshoes, winning the Ft. Dix tournament (93). He likes honey in his tea (94). He misses pistachio ice cream, bananas, pancakes and the smell of bacon frying in the morning (95).
Paintings by Colonel Potter
Radar doing a turtle impression - The More I See You (S4)
Klinger as a Greek discus thrower - The More I See You (S4)
Hawkeye - Hawkeye, Get Your Gun (S5)
Major Winchester yelling at him - The Winchester Tapes (S6)
His thumb - They Call the Wind Korea (S7)
Himself riding Sophie - Dear Uncle Abdul (S8)
A horse - Heal Thyself (S8)
Hawkeye's memorial tower - Depressing News (S9)
Teddy Roosevelt - Bottoms Up (S9)
Father Mulcahy - Rumor at the Top (S10)
The entire medical staff - Picture This (S10)
Trivia: How did Colonel Potter get his Purple Heart (96)?
1) The Price of Tomato Juice (S4)
2) Old Soldiers (S8)
3) Welcome To Korea (S4)
4) Dear Mildred (S4)
5) Change of Command (S4)
6) Images (S6)
7) Ibid
8) Point of View (S7)
9) Too Many Cooks (S8)
10) Pressure Points (S10)
11) Ping Pong (S5)
12) The Interview (S4), What’s Up Doc? (S6)
13) Mail Call Again (S4)
14) Ibid
15) Ibid
16) Lieutenant Radar O’Reilly (S5)
17) Dear Sigmund (S5)
18) No Sweat (S9)
19) Patent 4077 (S6)
20) Private Finance (S8), Promotion Commotion (S10)
21) Identity Crisis (S10)
22) Ibid
23) Strange Bedfellows (S11)
24) What’s Up Doc (S6), Mail Call Three (S6), Hot Lips is Back in Town (S7), The Party (S7)
25) Identity Crisis (S10)
26) Strange Bedfellows (S11)
27) The Party (S7)
28) Wheelers and Dealers (S10)
29) Dr. Winchester and Mr. Hyde (S6)
30) Some 38th Parallels (S4)
31) Wheelers and Dealers (S10)
32) Ibid
33) Dear Ma (S4)
34) The Gun (S4)
35) Major Topper (S6)
36) Pressure Points (S10)
37) Dear Ma (S4)
38) Souvenirs (S5)
39) Death Takes a Holiday (S9)
40) Change of Command (S4)
41) Trick or Treatment (S11)
42) 38 Across (S5)
43) Trick or Treatment (S11)
44) Dear Mildred (S4)
45) Too Many Cooks (S8)
46) Images (S6)
47) Bottle Fatigue (S8), Settling Debts (S11)
48) Dr. Winchester and Mr. Hyde (S6)
49) The Party (S7)
50) Images (S6)
51) Preventative Medicine (S7)
52) Peace On Us (S7)
53) The Bus (S4)
54) Change of Command (S4)
55) Point of View (S7)
56) Hawkeye, Get Your Gun (S5)
57) Too Many Cooks (S8)
58) Rumor at the Top (S10)
59) Some 38th Parallels (S4)
60) Der Tag (S4)
61) Ping Pong (S5)
62) Souvenirs (S5)
63) Post-Op (S5)
64) Temporary Duty (S6)
65) The Price of Tomato Juice (S4)
66) Your Hit Parade (S6)
67) ?
68) Change of Command (S4)
69) Ibid
70) Ibid
71) Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler (S4)
72) The General’s Practitioner (S5)
73) Ping Pong (S5)
74) Potter’s Retirement (S6)
75) Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (S11)
76) Dear Sigmund (S5)
77) Dear Mildred (S4)
78) Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (S11)
79) Change of Command (S4)
80) Period of Adjustment (S8)
81) Of Moose and Men (S4)
82) Change of Command (S4)
83) Ibid
84) Ibid
85) The Grim Reaper (S6)
86) Movie Tonight (S5)
87) Morale Victory (S8)
88) Where There’s a Will, There’s a War (S10), Promotion Commotion (S10)
89) Heal Thyself (S8)
90) Fade Out, Fade In (S6)
91) Fade Out, Fade In (S6), A Night at Rosie’s (S7)
92) The Price of Tomato Juice (S4)
93) Some 38th Parallels (S4)
94) BJ Papa San (S7)
95) The Interview (S4)
96) Change of Command (S4)
"I think the world of Colonel Potter. He's a good Christian yet hardly dull at all." (1)
"Don't mind him ... it's his shorts." (2)
Colonel Sherman T. Potter arrives at the 4077th on 19 September 1952 at 16:00 hours (3) and becomes the camp's second commander. The Colonel really seems to be two totally different people during the series. The fourth and fifth seasons portray the Colonel as being a man in his early fifties. He has been married 27 years (4), and says that he served in the World War I cavalry at age fifteen (5). All point to his age as being 50 to 53 years. But, starting the sixth season, the colonel ages ten years. He met his wife in 1913 (6), and has been married 38 years (7), 35 years (8), or 40 years (9) and admits he is 62 years old (10).
Colonel Potter is from Hannibal, Missouri -- although in one episode he mentions Nebraska (11) -- where he lives with his wife, Mildred. These are the only things that remain constant about the colonel's immediate family. In fact, Colonel Potter's family has the most changes of all the 4077th staff. Early in his stay at the 4077th, the colonel’s only child is a son (12), who was born in 1926 at City General in Cleveland, Ohio when Valentino died (13). His son is married to Jeanine (14), who gives birth to a daughter, Sherry Pershing Potter (15). But suddenly, the colonel's only granddaughter is five years old (16) and then eight years old (17). Later he mentions he has more than one grandchild (18). In one episode, he mentions his son was divorced (19). Then, just as the Colonel ages 10 years, his immediate family completely changes with it. He has only one child as before, but it is a daughter (20) named Evy (21). Her husband is Bob Wilson (22), who visits the 4077th in one episode (23), and they have only one child, a son named either Corey (24), Skip (25), or Stuart (26). Corey turns five on March 7 (27).
The colonel's distant family includes his mother, Emma (28), little sister, Madge (29), Grandpa Roy (30), Grandpa Wilmer (31), and Grandma Mavis (32). There is his Uncle Ben who has two extra toes (33), Uncle Claude (34), Aunt Grace (35), Uncle Roy -- who was his inspiration for wanting to be a surgeon (36), a sister who went bald (37), a nephew (38) and a niece (39). Mildred has five sisters (40) (three are named Rose, Louise (41) and Bertha (42)), a brother, Calvin (43), who died of a heart attack, and cousins, Natalie (44) and Portia Nelson, with whom she spends time with when she is depressed (45). The colonel's anniversary is either in April (46) or on Groundhog Day (47). Mildred turns 50 come Valentine's day (48) and plays classical banjo (49).
Colonel Potter has been a doctor for 30 years (50). He has been in the Army for 30 (51) or 35 years (52). He has served in three wars. During the First World War, he was lost in the Argonne Forest where he was captured by the enemy (53). The younger Colonel Potter says he served in World War I at age 15 -- "lied about his age, had big thighs" (54). He got his medical training at Fort Sam Houston (55), and became a surgeon in 1932 (56). He did his basic training with General Haggarty (57). He served with General Torgeson in the cavalry (58). He served at Ft. Dix in 1925 (59), at Ft. Leavenworth with General Hardcastle (60), and at Camp Grant with Colonel Becket (61) and Colonel Drake, the 8063rd commander (62) while still a bachelor (63). He also served in Europe with Colonel Wheatly, also an 8063rd commander (64). When he was stationed at Fort Dix (65) 12 years ago, he saw Doris Day and fell in love with her (66). He grew a moustache during World War II (67). During the Second World War, he served in Guam (68). At the time he comes to the 4077th, he hasn't been in an operating room for 2 years (69). He is counting the days until his retirement: 18 months (70); 17 months, 2 weeks 6 days (71); 14 months 11 days (72); 16 months, 3 weeks, 4 days (73); one year left (74).
When the war ends, the Colonel's plans are to retire from the Army to civilian practice. His desire is to be "Mrs. Potter's Mr. Potter" (75). Colonel Potter is often looked upon by the personnel of the 4077th as a father figure, and the colonel often calls the 4077th his family. Hawkeye and BJ weren't sure what to expect when they find out he is a regular Army commander, but, the colonel turns out to be quite forgiving of the antics of his non-Army personnel and usually sticks up for his men when they are in trouble. He has his non-military habits as well. At the 4077th Colonel Potter acquires a horse, later named Sophie (76), which he receives as an anniversary present from Radar (77). He ends up giving it to the orphanage before he leaves Korea (78).
Colonel Potter's religion is Methodist (79) or Presbyterian (80) and he claims to be one quarter Cherokee (81). He always keeps a picture of his wife on the right side of his desk and salutes it every morning (82). The picture of Mildred on his desk is purportedly of Spring Byington who was Harry Morgan's co-star in Pete 'N Gladys. He also brought with him the saddle from his early days in the cavalry (83). On the wall behind his desk, he has pictures of many horses including Lillie Bell, Royal King, Opel's Pride, and Sylvia Bee (84). The colonel's favorites include the author, Zane Gray (85), the movie, My Darlin' Clementine (86), and the song, "Along the Santa Fe Trail". A Charles Boyer movie shown is his and Mildred's favorite (87). He always liked to go fishing on the White River in Arkansas and knows how to tie his own flies (88). His favorite pastimes are riding horses and painting. At the 4077th, the colonel sleeps on a Sears Super Slumber mattress (89). He says he smoked his first cigar when he was 9 and says he has smoked five cigars a day for 45 years and never got in the habit (90). He can't eat nuts because he wears a partial (91) and is allergic to tomato juice (92). The colonel is an expert at horseshoes, winning the Ft. Dix tournament (93). He likes honey in his tea (94). He misses pistachio ice cream, bananas, pancakes and the smell of bacon frying in the morning (95).
Paintings by Colonel Potter
Radar doing a turtle impression - The More I See You (S4)
Klinger as a Greek discus thrower - The More I See You (S4)
Hawkeye - Hawkeye, Get Your Gun (S5)
Major Winchester yelling at him - The Winchester Tapes (S6)
His thumb - They Call the Wind Korea (S7)
Himself riding Sophie - Dear Uncle Abdul (S8)
A horse - Heal Thyself (S8)
Hawkeye's memorial tower - Depressing News (S9)
Teddy Roosevelt - Bottoms Up (S9)
Father Mulcahy - Rumor at the Top (S10)
The entire medical staff - Picture This (S10)
Trivia: How did Colonel Potter get his Purple Heart (96)?
1) The Price of Tomato Juice (S4)
2) Old Soldiers (S8)
3) Welcome To Korea (S4)
4) Dear Mildred (S4)
5) Change of Command (S4)
6) Images (S6)
7) Ibid
8) Point of View (S7)
9) Too Many Cooks (S8)
10) Pressure Points (S10)
11) Ping Pong (S5)
12) The Interview (S4), What’s Up Doc? (S6)
13) Mail Call Again (S4)
14) Ibid
15) Ibid
16) Lieutenant Radar O’Reilly (S5)
17) Dear Sigmund (S5)
18) No Sweat (S9)
19) Patent 4077 (S6)
20) Private Finance (S8), Promotion Commotion (S10)
21) Identity Crisis (S10)
22) Ibid
23) Strange Bedfellows (S11)
24) What’s Up Doc (S6), Mail Call Three (S6), Hot Lips is Back in Town (S7), The Party (S7)
25) Identity Crisis (S10)
26) Strange Bedfellows (S11)
27) The Party (S7)
28) Wheelers and Dealers (S10)
29) Dr. Winchester and Mr. Hyde (S6)
30) Some 38th Parallels (S4)
31) Wheelers and Dealers (S10)
32) Ibid
33) Dear Ma (S4)
34) The Gun (S4)
35) Major Topper (S6)
36) Pressure Points (S10)
37) Dear Ma (S4)
38) Souvenirs (S5)
39) Death Takes a Holiday (S9)
40) Change of Command (S4)
41) Trick or Treatment (S11)
42) 38 Across (S5)
43) Trick or Treatment (S11)
44) Dear Mildred (S4)
45) Too Many Cooks (S8)
46) Images (S6)
47) Bottle Fatigue (S8), Settling Debts (S11)
48) Dr. Winchester and Mr. Hyde (S6)
49) The Party (S7)
50) Images (S6)
51) Preventative Medicine (S7)
52) Peace On Us (S7)
53) The Bus (S4)
54) Change of Command (S4)
55) Point of View (S7)
56) Hawkeye, Get Your Gun (S5)
57) Too Many Cooks (S8)
58) Rumor at the Top (S10)
59) Some 38th Parallels (S4)
60) Der Tag (S4)
61) Ping Pong (S5)
62) Souvenirs (S5)
63) Post-Op (S5)
64) Temporary Duty (S6)
65) The Price of Tomato Juice (S4)
66) Your Hit Parade (S6)
67) ?
68) Change of Command (S4)
69) Ibid
70) Ibid
71) Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler (S4)
72) The General’s Practitioner (S5)
73) Ping Pong (S5)
74) Potter’s Retirement (S6)
75) Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (S11)
76) Dear Sigmund (S5)
77) Dear Mildred (S4)
78) Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (S11)
79) Change of Command (S4)
80) Period of Adjustment (S8)
81) Of Moose and Men (S4)
82) Change of Command (S4)
83) Ibid
84) Ibid
85) The Grim Reaper (S6)
86) Movie Tonight (S5)
87) Morale Victory (S8)
88) Where There’s a Will, There’s a War (S10), Promotion Commotion (S10)
89) Heal Thyself (S8)
90) Fade Out, Fade In (S6)
91) Fade Out, Fade In (S6), A Night at Rosie’s (S7)
92) The Price of Tomato Juice (S4)
93) Some 38th Parallels (S4)
94) BJ Papa San (S7)
95) The Interview (S4)
96) Change of Command (S4)