Lieutenant Gleason was a character who made a single appearance in the Season 6 episode "In Love and War" as a nurse newly transferred in from Tokyo whom Margaret comes to suspect might be having an affair with her husband Donald Penobscott. The part of Nurse Gleason was played by Susan Krebs.
About Nurse Gleason[]
Margaret brings Gleason into Pre Op and introduces her to the nurses there. Margaret suggests that she start work immediately with Bigelow which leads Gleason to tell Bigelow that things really move fast in the MASH: just that morning, she was still partying with a "dimwit" lieutenant-colonel in Tokyo who was "a cluck" with "all hands and no brains". Margaret wants the nurses to cut the chatter and focus on work but then hears that the lieutenant-colonel is named "Donald". Bigelow tries to reassure Margaret that it can't be her Donald, but Margaret presses Gleason for details. Unfortunately, Gleason never got down to a last name basis with him. "But he was a cluck?" Margaret asks. "Uh, well, in an amusing sort of way," Gleason replies cautiously.
Gleason suggests that she resume her work. Margaret agrees but says that she wants to hear more about this "Donald Cluck" later. Margaret then decides that Gleason should work at her table. "Watch out for the scalpels," Bigelow warns Gleason.
Margaret encounters Gleason in the shower and continues to probe for information. "Was he wearing a Masonic pinky ring," she demands. Gleason protests that she knows nothing more. Margaret has almost convinced herself that it can't be Penobscott when Gleason makes the mistake of remarking that her man kept licking her fingernails. Obviously this is one of Penobscott's trademark moves as Margaret flies into a rage, pulls the clothes off the hooks and almost tears down the shower tent.
In the O.R., Margaret continues to needle Gleason: "You probably like to hunt and fish, don't you? Well, what was the attraction? Are you athletic? Firm muscles, is that it?" Gleason replies that all she knows is she has firm fingernails. Potter decides that enough is enough and orders Margaret out of the O.R. to personally check on a shipment of hemostats. Everyone else is relieved and they all thank Potter for the smart move.
Much later, Margaret finds out that Potter has arranged to transfer Gleason out. She insists there is no need to as she can control her feelings but Potter disagrees. Margaret is more important to him than Gleason, so Gleason has to go. Potter says he has asked headquarters to send Gleason as far away from the MASH as possible. "Not Tokyo?" Margaret asks in consternation. "Gee, I never stopped to think about it," Potter says.