October 1979. On the set of MASH*, Gary Burghoff delivered news no one expected. He was leaving. Not because of money. Not because of conflict. But because playing Radar O’Reilly—the most beloved character on television—was slowly erasing him. Radar was America’s sweetheart: wide-eyed, gentle, clutching a teddy bear, somehow knowing what his commanding officer needed before a word was spoken. He was innocence personified. And Burghoff was walking away—four years before the show would end, at the