Jamie Farr has been a professional actor since 1955, when he was known as "Jameel Farah." He played the mentally challenged student, Santini, in "Blackboard Jungle." His latest picture, "Angels on Tap," is in post production.

Probably his most famous role was as Corporal (later Sergeant) Maxwell Q. Klinger, a cross dressing reluctant draftee who worked within the system to try to get out of a difficult situation the only legitimate way he knew how. If memory serves, Klinger never let his fellow soldiers down, he was never court-martialed or received Article 15 punishment. He never had sex with anybody's spouse, betrayed anyone's trust, or expressed more than annoyance toward anyone. Klinger always did his job, often going above and beyond the call of duty to help a colleague or care for a patient, regardless of his dislike of the Army and Korea. When beloved Radar O'Reilly was reassigned stateside, Colonel Potter had such faith in Klinger's ability and dedication that he made him company clerk, a position in which he continued to serve his unit with honor and distinction.

The final episode of M*A*S*H involved unique experiences that began each major character's new life. Klinger got married, and elected to stay in Korea to help his new Korean wife Soon Lee find her parents. Klinger was trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. He was always square, and obeyed the laws of the pack. He traveled light, stayed only where he was welcome, and ate what was set before him. Klinger was Everyman, honorably struggling to be himself and do his duty in an often hostile and difficult world.

Jamie Farr himself was much like Maxwell Klinger. He has been married to Joy Ann Richards since February 16, 1963. They have two children, Jonas and Yvonne, and a grandson named Dorian. His personal life reflects the same personality as Max Klinger. He has never been in trouble with the law. He has been a faithful and loving husband and father, and a talented and resourceful actor. He's never been known to mess with anybody else's marriage, steal anything, or lie to take advantage of anyone else. Like me, he served in Korea after hostilities ended. His Klinger character wore Farr's actual Army-issued dog tags.

According to Wikipedia, in his acting career, Jamie Farr has been a staunch proponent of his home town, Toledo, Ohio, mentioned frequently in M*A*S*H. The park where he used to hang out when he was younger was renamed "Jamie Farr Park" in his honor on July 5, 1998. About the park, he said, "I wanted to be an actor, a famous actor, and I wanted my hometown of Toledo, Ohio, to be proud of me." His love of Toledo inspired his frequent mention of Tony Packo's hot dogs, a Toledo staple, on M*A*S*H. He also was shown in many episodes as a Toledo Mud Hens fan. In 2003, Farr and his wife wrote a children's story called "Hababy's Christmas Eve," which retells the First Christmas from the point of view of the animals. Since 2000, Farr has frequently donated to the Republican National Committee. His autobiography is titled "Just Farr Fun" (ISBN-13: 978-0964077508).

Klinger began as a offhanded visual joke, and ended up a complex, sensitive, honorable, praiseworthy character that mirrored the man who portrayed him. That man has spent his life entertaining people with self-deprecating humor while maintaining and promoting the positive moral values that are so sorely lacking in his profession today.

Our world is a much better place because Maxwell Klinger and Jamie Farr were both in it, and it will be poorer, I think, when either of them is gone.

John Lindorfer