Forrest Gump Page #15

Lt. Dan looks at Bubba.

LT. DAN

What's wrong with your lips?

BUBBA:

I was born with big gums, sir.

LT. DAN

Yeah, well, you better tuck that in.

Gonna get that caught on a trip wire.

Where you boys from in the world?

BUBBA & FORREST

Alabama, sir!

LT. DAN

You twins?

Forrest and Bubba look at each other oddly, they don't get

the joke.

FORREST:

No, we are not relations, sir.

LT. DAN

Look, it's pretty basic here.

Lt. Dan starts to walk. Bubba and Forrest grab their gear

and follow him.

LT. DAN

You stick with me, you learn from

the guys who been in country awhile,

you'll be right. There is one item

of G.I. gear that can be the

difference between a live grunt and

a dead grunt.

Lt. Dan stops and looks at the boys.

LT. DAN

Socks, cushion, sole, O.D. green.

Try and keep your feet dry when we're

out humpin'. I want you boys to

remember to change your socks wherever

we stop. The Mekong will eat a grunt's

feet right off his legs.

Lt. Dan steps over to a large black soldier named SERGEANT

SIMS.

LT. DAN

Sergeant Sims! Goddamnit, where is

that sling-rope I told you to order.

SGT. SIMS

I put in requisitions at Battalion.

LT. DAN

Yeah, yeah, yeah, well you call those

sonabitches again, call them again

and again and again. I don't care

how much it takes...

FORREST (V.O.)

Lt. Dan sure knew his stuff. I felt

real lucky he was my lieutenant. He

was from a long, great military

tradition. Somebody in his family

had fought and died in every single

American war.

EXT. VALLEY FORGE/THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR - DAY (1778)

A distant relative of Lt. Dan's, wearing a revolutionary war

uniform, falls dead in the snow.

EXT. GETTYSBURG/THE CIVIL WAR - DAY (1863)

Another relative, wearing a civil war uniform and bearing a

striking resemblance to Lt. Dan, falls down dead.

EXT. NORMANDY/WORLD WAR II - DAY (1944)

Another relative, wearing a World War II, falls down dead on

the beach at Normandy.

EXT. VETNAM/MEKONG DELTA/FIREBASE - DAY (1967)

LT. DAN

Goddamnit, kick some ass!

SGT. SIMS

I'm on it, Lieutenant.

LT. DAN

Get on it!

Lt. Dan steps back up to Bubba and Forrest.

FORREST (V.O.)

I guess you could say he had a lot

to live up to.

Lt. Dan walks along the walkway and Bubba and Forrest follow.

LT. DAN

So, you boys are from Arkansas, huh?

Well, I've been through there. Little

Rock's a fine town. Now, go shake

down your gear, see the platoon

sergeant, draw what you need for the

field.

Lt. Dan steps inside the latrine, still holding the roll of

toilet paper.

LT. DAN

If you boys are hungry, we got steaks

burnin' right here.

Lt. Dan sits down out of sight in the latrine, then stands

up, looking at the boys.

LT. DAN

Two standing orders in this platoon.

One, take good care of your feet.

Two, try not to do anything stupid,

like gettin' yourself killed.

Lt. Dan sits back down out of sight in the latrine. Bubba

and Forrest look at each other.

FORREST:

I sure hope I don't let him down.

EXT. RICE FIELD - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest, Bubba, and other soldiers in the Fourth Platoon

walk across the rice field. Some Vietnamese rice farmers are

working as the soldiers walk past.

FORREST (V.O.)

I got to see a lot of countryside.

We would take these real long walks.

EXT. JUNGLE/DIRT ROAD - ANOTHER DAY

Forrest's unit walks along a dirt road.

SONG:

And we were always lookin' for this

guy named Charlie. I can't get no

relief.

Suddenly Lt. Dan holds up his fist, a signal for the unit to

stop. He motions for them to get down.

LT. DAN

Hold it up!

SGT. SIMS

Hold up, boys!

Forrest gets down and looks around.

FORREST (V.O.)

It wasn't always fun. Lt. Dan always

gettin' these funny feelings about a

rock or a trail, or the road, so

he'd tell you to get down, shut up!

LT. DAN

Get down! Shut up!

Rate this script:3.2 / 14 votes