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Therewasalittlevalleybetweentwohills.Wewereononehillandtheenemywasontheother.Thenwegotorderstomovethemachinegunaboutfiftymetrestotheleftofthebigtreethatwasinthemiddleofthevalley,andtofindasafeplacetoputitbeforetheenemyblewusallup.
Wefoundaplacetoputthegunandstayedthereallnight.Wecouldhearshootingallroundus,buttheydidn’thitus.Whenitwasdayagain,ourplanescame,andtheyblewuptheenemysoldiers.Thenwewatchedwhileourmenmovedoffthehillandcamedownintothevalley.
Suddenly,somebodystartedshootingatthem!Wecouldn’tseetheenemysoldiersbecausethejunglewastoothick,butsomebodywasshootingatourmen.
Theshootingwasinfrontofus,whichmeantthattheenemysoldierswereinbetweenusandourmen.Andthismeantthattheenemywasabletocomebackandfindus,sowehadtogetoutfast.
Webegantomovebacktothehill,butDoylesuddenlysawmoreenemysoldierswhoweregoingtowardsourmen!Wewaiteduntiltheygottothetop,thenBonesbeganshootingwiththemachinegun.Heprobablykilledtenorfifteenenemysoldiers.DoyleandIandtheothertwomenthrewgrenades,butthenanenemysoldiershotBonesinthehead.Ipulledthemachinegunfromhishands,andshoutedtoDoyle.
Therewasnoanswer.
Twoofthemweredead,andDoylewasonlyjustalive.
IpickedupDoyleandputhimacrossmyshoulders,thenIrantowardsthehill.Therewerebulletsflyingallroundmefrombehind–andthenIsawmoreenemysoldiersinthelowgrassinfrontofme!Theywereshootingatourmenonthehill.
Iranfast,shoutingandscreamingasloudlyasIcould.AndsuddenlyIwasinthemiddleofoursoldiers,andeverybodywaspleasedandhittingmeontheback!Myshoutingandscreamingfrightenedtheenemysoldiersaway.Theyjustran!
Theweekswentpastslowly.IgotaletterfrommyMom,andIwrotebacktoherthateverythingwasOK.IalsowrotealettertoJennyCurranandaskedMomtoaskherparentstosenditontoher.ButIdidn’tgetareply.
BubbaandIdecidedthatwewouldgetashrimpboatwhenwegothomeagain,andcatchshrimps,andmakealotofmoney.Bubbaplanneditall.
Itstartedtorainoneday,anditdidn’tstopfortwomonths!Butwestillhadtolookforenemysoldiers–andonedaywefoundthem.Wewerecrossingaricefieldwhensuddenlytheystartedshootingatus.Somebodyshouted,‘Back!’Ipickedupmymachinegunandrantowardssometrees.
IlookedroundforBubba,buthewasn’tthere.ThenIheardthathewasoutinthericefield,andhewashurt,soIleftmygunbythetreesandranbackintothefield.‘Gump!Youcan’tgooutthere!’somebodyshouted.ButIjustran.
Halfwayout,Isawanothermanwhowashurt.Hewasholdingahanduptome–soIpickedhimupandranbacktothetreeswithhim.ThenIranoutagainandfoundBubba.Therewasbloodalloverhimandhehadtwobulletsinhisstomach.
Helookedupatme,andsaid,‘Forrest,whydidthishappen?’WhatcouldIsay?Thenhesaid,‘Playmeasongontheharmonica,willyou?’
Therewasstillalotofshootinggoingon,butIplayedasong.ThenallthecolourwentoutofBubba’sfaceandhesaidsomethingverysoftly:‘Home.’
Andthenhedied.
Andthat’sallI’vegottosayaboutthat.
Therestofthenightwasterrible.TheworstnightthatI’veeverknown.Nobodycouldgetanyhelptous,andtheenemysoldiersweresonearthatwecouldhearthemtalking.Then,whenitgotlight,anAmericanplanecameandusedfire-throwersontheenemy–andalmostonus!Suddenlythetreeswereonfire,andmenwererunningoutofthejunglewithburnedskinandclothes.
Duringallofthis,somebodyshotmeinthebackoftheleg,butIcan’trememberwhenithappened.Itdidn’tmatter.Nothingmattered.Bubbawasdead,theshrimpbusinessideawasdeadwithhim.Ijustwantedtodie,too.
Thenourhelicopterscame,andtheenemysoldierswhowereleftranaway.
Anhourlater,IwasoutofthereandonmywaytothehospitalinDanang.
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