Loretta Swit: The Battle for Margaret Houlihan’s Strength

Some legends you chase down flights of stairs at the National Arts Club.

Loretta Swit, at 87, chose the stairs over the elevator after the Elysian Magazine launch, and I, in turn, chose to follow. What resulted was a brief but unforgettable interview with a woman whose legacy is as fierce as the character she played.

When I asked her about Major Margaret Houlihan’s place in a male-dominated military setting, her answer was direct:

"She was a nurse."

That distinction mattered. Houlihan wasn’t just an officer—she was a healer, a leader, a soldier in her own right. Loretta shared how the transition to making her character formidable wasn’t immediate. The producers came from Hogan’s Heroes, a show centered on men, and it took time—painful time—to push for the space that women deserved on screen.

"Women are great soldiers," she told me, meeting my gaze, as if willing the point to be absorbed.

I asked if Alan Alda resisted that narrative, but she clarified—this wasn’t about Alda. It was about shifting the focus of an entire production team that had historically centered men.

"It took a long time, and it was painful. But the results were glorious."

And just like that, the conversation was interrupted by a waiter with a tray of appetizers.

"What do you have there?" she asked.

"They’re vegetarian," he replied.

"Oh, they’re vegetarian—I love you!" she said, selecting a delicate bite, a touch of warmth and humor breaking through the weight of our exchange.

Before parting, she shared an unexpected bit of trivia—despite embodying one of TV’s most iconic characters, she had only recently watched the MASH* movie for the first time. Sally Kellerman, her film counterpart, had done a wonderful job, she said.

Meeting Loretta Swit was a reminder that true power is steady, insistent, and undeniable. Just like Houlihan. Just like Loretta.

See the interview on my YouTube post: "Women Make Good Soldiers"