Athena Project [ M*A*S*H ]

A M*A*S*H FANFIC | Korean War Historical Fiction

"The women of the medical profession were not called to the colors, but they decided to go anyway."

- Esther Pohl Lovejoy, MD [ American Women's Hospitals Service ]

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When Major Nellie O'Hara landed in the Republic of Korea, she didn't know exactly what to expect. Being one of five surgeons in a classified military experiment called the Athena Project, she only knew she'd face the discrimination of her gender. After all, in the States a woman surgeon was extremely rare; in the military it was unheard of.

But with the war in its second full year and surgeons hard to come by, the military secretly allowed five women to enlist and serve in Tokyo, Seoul, and for Nellie, a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital near Uijeongbu. She used her time in Tokyo to read up on the 4077th. They were well known for their incredible 97.8% survival rate. But all the reports in the world couldn't prepare her for the antics, the personalities, the acceptance, and the tragedies of the 4077th.

Friday March 21, 1952
Uijeongbu, Republic of Korea
M*A*S*H* 4077th
Best Care Anywhere

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Warnings: Depictions to follow of: gun violence, death, severe panic, post-traumatic stress syndrome, graphic injuries, and mild alcoholism. Also mild use of strong language.

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Awards: First place in The Robin's Awards, Second Place in the Ultimate Awards, Third Place in the Creativity Awards, Third Place in the Rainbow Awards

Rankings: #1 in Dark Comedy, #1 in MASH

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Author's Notes:

The Athena Project is fictional. Women were only allowed to serve in Korea at MASH units as nurses.

Fic begins in M*A*S*H Season 8, after episode Private Finance. As with all things M*A*S*H, the canon timeline is flexible. Hawkeye/OC slowburn.

Features references to the Band of Brothers HBO series. Band of Brothers is based on a real company of paratrooper soldiers from WWII.