Korean War
The war in which Dick Whitman became Don Draper.
In Mad Men the Korean War is where Don Draper's double life begins. Dick Whitman served there briefly and was hurt in a gasoline explosion that killed his commanding officer, Lieutenant Donald Draper.
Quick Facts
- Key figure
- Don Draper (Dick Whitman)
Reader's Guide
Dick switched dog tags with the lieutenant's unrecognisable body and took his identity. As the new Don Draper he moved to New York City, sold furs, studied at City College at night and wrote copy that led him to Sterling Cooper.
The secret drives much of the series. Pete Campbell tries to use it to blackmail Don, and in "The Gypsy and the Hobo" Betty confronts Don, who tells her how he took the real Don Draper's identity during the war. Betty files for divorce in 1964 after discovering his true identity.
More in Themes & Cultural Context
Elsewhere in Mad Men
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