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i nod my head again； an the president turn on a tv set behin his desk an we watch 〃the
beverly hillbillies。〃 the president is most amused an say he watches it ever day an that i sort of
remin him of jethro。 after breakfast； the president axe me if i want him to show me aroun the
house； an i say； 〃yeah；〃 an off we go。 when we get outside； all them photographer fellers are
followin us aroun an then the president decide to set down on a little bench an he say to me；
〃boy； you was wounded； wasn'；t you？〃 an i nod； an then he say； 〃well； look at this；〃 an he pull up
his shirt an show me a big ole scar on his stomach where he has had an operation of some kind；
an he axe； 〃where was you wounded？〃 an so i pull down my pants an show him。 well； all them
photographer fellers rush up an start to take pichers； an several folks e runnin over an i am
hustled away to where colonel gooch is waitin。
that afternoon back at our hotel； colonel gooch suddenly e bustin into my room with a
hanful of newspapers an boy is he mad。 he begun hollerin an cussin at me an flung the papers
down on my bed an there i am； on the front page； showin my big ass an the president is showin
his scar。 one of the papers has drawn a little black mask over my eyes so they can'；t recognize me；
like they do with dirty pitchers。
the caption say； 〃president johnson and war hero relaxing in the rose garden。〃
〃gump； you idiot！〃 colonel gooch say。 〃how could you do this to me？ i am ruint。 my
career is probly finished！〃
〃i dunno；〃 i says； 〃but i am tryin to do the right thing。〃
anyhow； after that i be in the doghouse again； but they has not give up on me yet。 the army
have decided that i will go on the recruitment tour to try to get fellers to sign up for the war； an
colonel gooch has gotten somebody to write up a speech that they expect me to make。 it is a long
speech； an filled with such things as 〃in time of crisis； nothin is more honorable an patriotic than
to serve your country in the armed forces；〃 an a whole bunch of shit like that。 trouble was； i
could not never get the speech learnt。 oh； i could see all the words in my head okay； but when it
e time to say it； everthin get all muddled up。
colonel gooch is beside hissef。 he make me stay up till almost midnight ever day； tryin to
get the speech right； but finally he thowed up his hans an say； 〃i can see this is not gonna work。〃
then he e up with a idea。 〃gump；〃 he say； 〃here'；s what we is gonna do。 i am gonna cut
this speech shorter； an so all you will have to do is say a few things。 let us try that。〃 well； he cut
it shorter an shorter an shorter； till he is finally satisfied that i can remember the speech an not
look like a idiot。 in the end； all i have got to say is 〃join the army an fight for your freedom。〃
our first stop on the tour is a little college an they have got some reporters an photographers
there； an we is in a big auditorium up on the stage。 colonel gooch get up an he begin givin the
speech i done sposed to have made。 when he is thru； he say； 〃an now； we will have a few
remarks from the latest congressional medal of honor winner； p。f。c。 forrest gump；〃 an he
motion for me to e forward。 some people are clappin； an when they stop； i lean forward an
say； 〃join the army an fight for your freedom。〃
i reckon they be expectin somethin more； but that'；s all i been tole to say； so i jus stand there；
everbody lookin at me； me lookin back at them。 then all of a sudden somebody in the front shout
out； 〃what do you think of the war？〃 an i say the first thing that e into my mind； which is； 〃it
is a bunch of shit。〃
colonel gooch e an grapped the microphone away from me an set me back down； but
all the reporters be scribblin in they notebooks an the photographers be takin pichers； an everbody
in the audience goin wild； jumpin up an down an cheerin。 colonel gooch get me out of there
pronto； an we be in the car drivin fast out of town； an the colonel ain'；t sayin nothin to me； but he
is talkin to hissef an laughin this weird； nutty little laugh。
next mornin we is in a hotel ready to give our second speech on the tour when the phone
ring。 it is for colonel gooch。 whoever on the other end of the line seem to be doin all the talkin；
an the colonel is doin the listenin an sayin 〃yessir〃 a whole lot； an ever so often he is glarin over
at me。 when he finally put the phone down； he be starin at his shoes an he say； 〃well； gump；
now you has done it。 the tour is canceled； i have been reassigned to a weather station in iceland；
an i do not know or care what is to bee of your sorry ass。〃 i axed colonel gooch if we could
get ourselfs a co'；cola now； an he jus look at me for a minute； then start that talkin to hissef again
an laughin that weird； nutty laugh。
they sent me to fort dix after that； an assign me to the steam heat pany。 all day an haf
the night i be shovelin coal into the boilers that keep the barracks warm。 the pany
mander is a kind of ole guy who don'；t seem to give much of a damn bout nothin； an he say
when i get there i has just got two more years left in the army before i am discharged； an to keep
my nose clean an everthin will be okay。 an that is what i am tryin to do。 i be thinkin a lot about
my mama an bout bubba an the little srimp bidness an jenny curran up at harvard； an i am
playin a little ping…pong on the side。
one day next spring there is a notice that they is gonna have a post ping…pong tournament an
the winner will get to go to washington to play for the all army championship。 i signed mysef
up an it was pretty easy to win on account of the only other guy that was any good had got his
fingers blowed off in the war an kep droppin his paddle。
next week i am sent to washington an the tournament is bein helt at walter reed hospital；
where all the wounded fellers can set an watch us play。 i won pretty easy the first roun； an the
secont too； but in the third； i have drawn a little bitty feller who puts all sorts of spin on the ball
an i am havin a terrible time with him； an gettin my ass whipped。 he is leadin me four games to
two an it look like i am gonna lose； when all of a sudden i look over in the crowd an who should
be settin there in a wheelchair but lieutenant dan from the hospital back at danang！
we have a little break between games an i go over to dan an look down at him an he ain'；t
got no legs no more。
〃they had to take them off； forrest；〃 he say； 〃but other than that； i am jus fine。〃
they have also taken off the bandages from his face； an he is terrible scarred an burnt from
where his tank caught fire。 also； he still have a tube runnin into him from a bottle hooked onto a
pole on his wheelchair。
〃they say they gonna leave that like it is；〃 dan say。 〃they think it looks good on me。〃
anyhow； he lean forward an look me in the eye； an say； 〃forrest； i believe that you can do
any damn thing you want to。 i have been watchin you play； an you can beat this little guy because
you play a hell of a game of ping…pong an it is your destiny to be the best。〃
i nod an it is time to go on back out there； an after that； i did not lose a single point； an i go
on to the finals an win the whole tournament。
i was there for about three days； an dan an me got to spend some time together。 i would roll
him aroun in his wheelchair； sometimes out in the garden where he could get some sun； an at
night i would play my harmonica for him like i did for bubba。 mostly； he liked to talk bout
things— all sorts of things— such as history and philosophy； an one day he is talkin bout einstein'；s
theory of relativity； an what it mean in terms of the universe。 well； i got me a piece of paper an i
drawed it out for him； the whole formula； cause it was somethin we had to do in the intermediate
light class back at the university。 he look at what i have done； an he say； 〃forrest； you never
cease to amaze me。〃
one day when i was back at fort dihove