According to THR’s interview with the cast and crew of “M*A*S*H”, it was Farrell who came up with the idea to create a time capsule beneath the CBS lot, instead of the one left in Korea, as per the events in the show. Farrell also explained how this came about: “Rather than leaving a time capsule in Korea, we should leave one on the lot … We found a great place near the commissary. One of our crewmembers, Jay King, went out late at night and dug a huge hole for it.”
The cast placed personal items of significance concerning their respective characters inside a water-proof Red Cross medical box. While the time capsule still remains buried in the spot, the contents inside the box still evoke a range of emotions from the show’s audience to this day. As a personal souvenir, King handed all the cast members an army shovel with personal messages, along with the inscription “I really dug it. Thanks, Jay King 1-12-83.”
The ceremony was photographed by Alan Alda’s wife, Arlene, a professional photographer. Arlene Alda had been tasked by Life magazine with documenting the final days of production on “M*A*S*H” through photos, and she later published these in a book, “The Last Days of M*A*S*H,” alongside commentary by Alan Alda. The Aldas donated the royalties from the sale of the book to the Pearl S. Buck Foundation for the benefit of Amerasian children.
While the time capsule might eventually, and ironically, be forgotten to time, “M*A*S*H” will always have a special place in the hearts of those who experienced the episodes in real-time, along with new audiences who will discover the gem in times to come.