June 21, 2000
Web posted at: 5:00 p.m. EDT

(CNN) - In their book, "We Will Not Be Strangers: Korean War Letters between a M*A*S*H Surgeon and His Wife," Dorothy and Melvin Horwitz share letters written between them during the Korean War. Married only one year when Mel was drafted to serve as a surgeon with a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H), the couple determined not to become strangers by writing each other every day.

Fifty years later, Dorothy Horwitz is a retired teacher and her husband, Mel, is a retired surgeon.

Chat Moderator: Welcome to Korea Chat Series, Dorothy and Melvin Horwitz.

Dorothy Horwitz: Hello, chat room audience. We are looking forward to speaking with all of you.

Melvin Horwitz: I have had an interesting time with the book and we are open to all and any questions!

Chat Moderator: Please tell us about your book, "We Will Not Be Strangers."

Dorothy Horwitz: When Mel left for Korea a year after we were married -- just one year after we were married -- I stayed in New York with my mother, who had been recently widowed. He and I wrote daily letters so that "we would not be strangers" when we would meet again. During that ten-month period, we wrote a million words, which I have whittled down to about 90,000 words.

He wrote of his daily activities at the M.A.S.H., Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and I wrote of my daily activities in New York City. Of course, we wrote about our feelings, our longings, our thoughts and everything that was on our minds during those months apart.

Chat Moderator: What did you both learn about yourselves, both strengths and weaknesses, while you were apart?

Melvin Horwitz: I learned to be somewhat humble in the face of the horrors of war and what I had to do as a young surgeon. And I learned of what it meant to be apart from someone I loved very much then, and now 50 years later, still love even more.

Dorothy Horwitz: I learned mostly how to cope with loneliness, doing things to make the time pass, passing time to make the months go faster. I taught school and I took advantage of the cultural life of New York City. But mostly, I wrote letters; I wrote my heart out.

Question from Frank: Was "M*A*S*H" true to life?

Melvin Horwitz: Geographically and visually, "M*A*S*H" was very true to life. But remember that "M*A*S*H" television was entertainment. While it showed some of the horrors and problems, it did not truly represent what went on when young soldiers came in seriously wounded.

Chat Moderator: Melvin, have you ever thought about publishing a photographic essay of your service in Korea with the photographs you took?

Dorothy Horwitz: The book contains about 30 photographs, most of which were taken in Korea -- mostly by Mel, with one or two other soldiers having taken photographs. Some of them represent life in New York in the �E0s, but most of the photographs were taken in Korea.

Melvin Horwitz: We have not considered a photographic essay.

Question from Chicago: In shows like "M*A*S*H," there were episodes about the conflicts surgeons faced in operating on, or helping, the enemy with medical help. Melvin, did you face any personal conflicts of this type during your service?

Melvin Horwitz: On many occasions, we had to treat enemy Korean or Chinese soldiers. There were never any occasions where we hesitated or considered not treating those soldiers. Most of them were fearful as to what kind of treatment they might receive and all were grateful at the treatment they did receive.

Question from Candyce-CNN: Did you take these letters out and read through them over the years, or were they tucked away until you decided to write this book?

Dorothy Horwitz: They were tucked away until about 10 years ago, when I became interested in American history and decided that Melvin and I were, indeed, a part of American history. I decided at that point to dig out these letters. I submitted them initially to the popular press. Someone, a publisher, told me that if I were Mamie Eisenhower, they might publish them but they did not do well with letters from unknowns.

So I decided to approach a university press. I sent out 20 queries and within a week, I had six offers for publication from university presses. This was the heyday, or the beginning of the heyday, for the "memoir." The University of Illinois was most interested, and we decided to go with them.

So once again I went back to the letters and I edited them, from a social history point of view. And in June of 1997, the University of Illinois published them.

Question from CharliGirl-CNN: How difficult was it to write the book, to relive it all and put it on paper to share with others?

Dorothy Horwitz: We had mixed feelings. We laughed and we cried, and we shared our pages with our children. They were very supportive and not only "not embarrassed" but "very proud" of their parents for bringing these memories to life once again.

We have been asked if we are embarrassed by some of our puerile pages, and we have responded that although we are still "those people," we are different people! It is 50 years later. It is like reading someone else�s life.

Question from Sunny1-CNN: Have you heard from other couples that shared your same situation?

Melvin Horwitz: At many of our interviews and book signings, people talk about having letters in their closets. One person said, "I was afraid to have my children read them, so I burned them." I am certain there are many, many couples that have their letters in a box in their closet. We would both urge them to share them with their children and with the public.

Question from Candyce-CNN: Do you think letter writing is becoming a lost art in this day of fast communication?

Dorothy Horwitz: Yes! Unequivocally. E-mail seems to have taken the place of letter writing and I am sad. I still prefer the snail mail, as my children accuse me of relying on. I prefer the slow process because I find it personally more satisfying. I still go to the post office with anticipation and excitement, wondering what letter will be coming to my house that day. E-mail has its place. Its immediacy is sometimes necessary. But I agree with the questioner that letter writing is becoming or will become a lost art.

Melvin Horwitz: Years ago, McLuhan I believe it was, said "the medium is the message" and that is true of e-mail.

Chat Moderator: Melvin, do you still keep in touch with anyone you spent time with in Korea?

Melvin Horwitz: By chance, 15 years ago I again met one of the surgeons who was senior to me, Jim Dickson. We met in Washington, D.C., where he was deputy surgeon general. We have been in contact with each other since then and renewed our friendship. I have not been in contact with any others, except for one meeting with Dr. Richard Hooker, who wrote the book "MASH" from which the movie came. He, Dixon and I were at the 8055 M.A.S.H. together in 1952 and '53.

Dorothy Horwitz: Dr. Hooker's real name is Hornberger.

Melvin Horwitz: Dr. Richard Hornberger. He died recently.

Chat Moderator: Do you have any final thoughts to share with us today?

Melvin Horwitz: I think looking back on one's life and important experiences makes one humble again, and makes one look upon his present life as being a very fortunate occurrence.

Dorothy Horwitz: We are now enjoying our families and our work, which goes on. Mel's is in the field of legal medicine, and I as a writer. We are fortunate.

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Melvin Horwitz: I would add one thing: In spite of the adventure of war movies, the horror of war remains, and one should never underestimate the extent of that horror.

Chat Moderator: Thank you for joining us today, Mel and Dorothy Horwitz.

Dorothy Horwitz: I wish we could see you face to face, talk to you voice to voice. It has been very rewarding reviewing our experiences with you.

Melvin Horwitz: We hope some of you will share our experience by reading our book, "We Will Not Be Strangers."