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somethin。 i ain'；t never seen nobody dead； an it is the most horrible and scary thing ever happen to
me； afore or since！
sergeant kranz motion for us to crawl after him； which we do。 if you could of looked down
on it from above； we must of made a sight！ a hundrit fifty or so fellers all butt neckid squirmin
along the groun in a long line。
they was a bunch of foxholes dug in a row an sergeant kranz put three or four of us in each
hole。 but soon as we get in em； i realize i'；d of almost rather stayed back in the pit。 them foxholes
was filled waist stinkin deep with slimy ole water from the rain； an they was all sorts of frawgs an
snakes and bugs crawlin an leapin an squirmin aroun in them。
it went on the entire night； an we had to stay in them foxholes an didn'；t get no supper。 jus
afore dawn； the shellin eased up； an we was tole to haul our asses outta the foxholes an get our
clothes an weapons an prepare for the attack。
since we was relatively new； they was really not much we could do— they didn'；t even know
where to put us； so they tole us to go guard the south perimeter； which is where the officers'；
latrine was located。 but it were nearly worse than the foxholes； account of one of the bombs has
hit the latrine an blowed up about five hundrit pounds of officer shit all over the area。
we had to stay there all that day； no breakfast； no lunch； an then at sundown they
menced shellin us again so we had to lie there in all that shit。 my； my； it were repulsive。
finally somebody remember we might be gettin hungry； an had a bunch of c…ration cases
brought over。 i got the cold ham an eggs that was dated 1951 on the can。 they was all kinds of
rumors goin on。 somebody said the gooks was runnin over the town of pleiku。 somebody else
says the gooks got a atomic bomb an is just shellin us with mortars to soften us up。 somebody
else says it ain'；t the gooks shellin us at all； but austrailians； or maybe the dutch or the
norwegians。 i figger it don'；t matter who it is。 shit on rumors。
anyhow； after the first day； we begun tryin to make ourselfs a livable place on the south
perimeter。 we dug us foxholes an used the boards an tin from the officers'； latrine to make us little
hooches。 the attack never e tho； an we never saw no gooks to shoot at。 i figger maybe they
smart enough not to attack a shithouse anyway。 ever night for about three or four days they
shellin us tho； an finally one mornin when the shellin stops； major balls； the battalion executive
officer； e crawlin up to our pany mander an say we has got to go up north to help out
another brigade that is catchin hell in the jungle。
after a wile； lieutenant hooper say for us to 〃saddle up；〃 an everbody stuffin as many c…
rations an han grenades in his pockets as he can— which actually present sort of a dilemma； since
you can'；t eat a han grenade but you might nevertheless e to need it。 anyway； they load us on
the heliocopters an off we flew。
you could see the shit third brigade had stepped into even fore the heliocopters landed。
they was all sorts of smoke an stuff risin up outta the jungle an huge chunks had been blown
outta the groun。 we had not even got to earth afore they menced shootin at us。 they blowed
up one of our heliocopters in the air； an it was a dreadful sight； people set on fire an all； an nothin
we could do。
i am the machine gun ammo bearer； cause they figger i can carry a lot of shit on account of
my size。 before we lef； a couple of other fellers axed if i would mind carryin some of their han
grenades so'；s they could carry more orations； an i agreed。 it didn'；t hurt me none。 also； sergeant
kranz made me carry a ten…gallon water can that weighed about fifty pounds。 then jus fore we
lef； daniels； who carries the tri…pod for the machine gun； he gets the runs an he can'；t go； so'；s i got
to tote the tri…pod too。 when it all added up； i might as well of been toting aroun one a them
nebraska corn shucker jackoffs as well。 but this ain'；t no football game。
it is gettin to be dusk an we is tole to go up to a ridge an relieve charlie pany which is
either pinned down by the gooks or has got the gooks pinned down； dependin on whether you get
your news from the stars an stripes or by just lookin aroun at what the hell is goin on。
in any event； when we get up there； all sorts of crap is flyin aroun an they is about a dozen
fellers badly hurt an moanin and cryin an they is so much noise from all quarters that nobody can
hardly hear nothin。 i be crouchin down real low an tryin to get all that ammo an the water can an
the tri…pod plus all my own shit up to where charlie pany is； an i'；m strugglin past a slit
trench when this guy down in it pipe up an say to the other； 〃lookit that big bozo— he look like
the frankenstein monster or somethin；〃 and i'；m bout to say somethin back； cause things seem bad
enough already without nobody pokin fun at you— but then； i'；ll be damned！ the other guy in the
slit trench suddenly jump up an cry out； 〃forrest— forrest gump！〃
lo an behole； it were bubba。
briefly； what had happen was that even if bubba'；s foot was hurt too bad to play football； it
were not bad enough to keep from gettin him sent halfway roun the earth on behalf of the united
states army。 anyhow； i drag my sorry butt an everthin else up to where i sposed to be； an after a
wile bubba e up there an in between the shellin （which stop ever time our airplanes appear）
bubba an me caught up with each other。
he tells me he hear jenny curran done quit school an gone off with a bunch of war
protesters or somethin。 he also say that curtis done beat up a campus policeman one day for
givin him a parkin ticket； an was in the process of drop…kickin his official ass aroun the campus
when the authorities show up an thowed a big net over curtis an drug him off。 bubba say coach
bryant make curtis run fifty extra laps after practice as punishment。
good ole curtis。