After reporter Robert Pierpoint, whose voice was heard announcing the end of the Korean War in “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” passed away last year at the age of 86, I wondered whether the audio heard in the episode was Pierpoint’s original radio report or a recreation. Two people left comments stating they had heard or read that it was in fact a recreation. I was flipping through Suzy Kalter’s The Complete Book of M*A*S*H the other day and came across the following in Burt Metcalfe’s essay about Season Eleven:
The voice of Robert Pierpoint, which is broadcast over the PA system to give the steps toward the signing of the peace treaty, was real. We had thirty-year-old tapes, but the quality was so bad that Pierpoint agreed to rerecord. Static was later added to make it sound authentic. Pierpoint basically repeated his announcement of the end of the war as it was then.
So there you have it, straight from the executive producer.
Source:
It just goes to show you the impact and the magnitude of MASH, and its finale. That a seasoned professional reporter like Rober Pierpoint would see the importance of re-recording his fateful words…. to end the war, and to end the show.
Where’s the “like” button? Good comment, Pink!