David Ogden Stiers Once Did Something Gary Burghoff Never Forgot

Gary Burghoff hated fancy places.
Hated suits.
Hated feeling like he didn’t belong.

Even after MASH*.
Even after the awards.
He still felt like the small kid from Iowa — Radar.

David Ogden Stiers didn’t accept that.

One night, he dragged Gary to the opera.
Gary was miserable.
The whispers started immediately.

“Is that Radar?”
“What’s he doing here?”

Then a man sneered at Gary and called him “your little friend.”

David didn’t smile.
He didn’t joke.

He stood tall, put a hand on Gary’s shoulder, and said loudly:

“This is Gary Burghoff — a real musician, a true artist, and a man with more soul than this entire room combined.”

Then he added:

“If he doesn’t belong here — neither do I.”

They walked out.

Two men in tuxedos.
Eating burgers in a parking lot.
Laughing instead of listening to opera.

Years later, Gary said:

“The world knew him as Winchester.
I knew the man who refused to let anyone make me feel small.”

“He made me feel like a giant.”

And Gary never forgot it. 💙