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put down doyle on the groun an the medics e an start fixin him up； an pretty soon the charlie
pany mander e up to me an start pumpin my han an tellin me what a good fellow i
am。 then he say； 〃how in hell did you do that； gump？〃 he be waitin for a answer； but i don'；t
know how i done it mysef； so i says； 〃i got to pee〃— which i did。 the pany mander look
at me real strange； an then look at sergeant kranz； who had also e up； an sergeant kranz say；
〃oh； for chrissakes gump； e with me；〃 an he take me behin a tree。
that night bubba an me meet up an share a foxhole an eat our c…rations for supper。
afterward； i get out my harmonica bubba had gave me an we play a few tunes。 it sound real
eerie； there in the jungle； playin 〃oh suzanna〃 an 〃home on the range。〃 bubba got a little box of
candy his mama have sent him— pralines an divinity— an we both ate some。 an let me tell you
this— that divinity sure brung back some memories。
later on； sergeant kranz e over an axe me where is the ten…gallon can of drinkin water。
i tole him i done lef it out in the jungle when i was tryin to carry in doyle an the machine gun。
for a minute i think he gonna make me go back out there an get it； but he don'；t。 he jus nod； an
say that since doyle is hurt an bones is kilt； now i got to be the machine gunner。 i axe him who
gonna carry the tri…pod an the ammo an all； an he say i got to do that too； cause nobody else lef to
do it。 then bubba say he'；ll do it； if he can get transferred to our pany。 sergeant kranz think
bout that for a minute； an then he say it can probly be arranged； since there is not enough lef of
charlie pany to clean a latrine anyway。 an so it was； bubba an me is together again。
the weeks go by so slow i almost think time passin backwards。 up one hill； down the other。
sometimes they be gooks on the hills； sometimes not。 sergeant kranz say everthing okay tho；
cause actually we be marchin back to the united states。 he say we gonna march outta vietnam；
thru laos an then up across china an russia； up to the north pole an across the ice to alaska
where our mamas can e pick us up。 bubba says don'；t pay no attention to him cause he'；s a
idiot。
things is very primative in the jungle— no place to shit； sleep on the groun like a animal； eat
outta cans； no place to take a bath or nothin； clothes is all rottin off too。 i get a letter once a week
from my mama。 she say everthing fine at home； but that the highschool ain'；t won no more
championships since i done lef。 i write her back too； when i can； but what i'；m gonna tell her that
won'；t start her to bawlin again？ so i jus say we is havin a nice time an everbody treatin us fine。
one thing i done tho； was i wrote a letter to jenny curran in care of my mama an axe if she can
get jenny'；s folks to send it to her— wherever she is。 but i ain'；t heard nothin back。
meantime； bubba an me； we has got us a plan for when we get outta the army。 we gonna go
back home an get us a srimp boat an get in the srimpin bidness。 bubba e from bayou la
batre； an work on srimp boats all his life。 he say maybe we can get us a loan an we can take turns
bein captain an all； an we can live on the boat an will have somethin to do。 bubba'；s got it all
figgered out。 so many pounds of srimp to pay off the loan on the boat； so much to pay for gas； so
much for what we eat an such； an all the rest is left for us to ass aroun with。 i be picherin it in my
head； standin at the wheel of the srimp boat— or even better； settin there on the back of the boat
eatin srimp！ but when i tell bubba bout that； he say； 〃goddamn； forrest； your big ass'；ll eat us
outta house an home。 we don'；t be eatin none of the srimp afore we start makin a profit。〃 okay；
that make sense— it all right with me。
it menced rainin one day an did not stop for two months。 we went thru ever different
kind of rain they is； cep'；n maybe sleet or hail。 it was little tiny stingin rain sometimes； an big ole
fat rain at others。 it came sidewise an straight down an sometimes even seem to e up from the
groun。 nevertheless； we was expected to do our shit； which was mainly walkin up an down the
hills an stuff lookin for gooks。
one day we foun them。 they must of been holdin a gook convention or somethin； cause it
seem like the same sort of deal as when you step on a anthill and they all e swarmin aroun。
we cannot fly our planes in this kind of stuff either； so in about two minutes or so； we is back in
trouble again。
this time they has caught us with our pants down。 we is crossin this rice paddy an all of a
sudden from everwhere they start thowin shit at us。 people is shoutin and screamin an gettin shot
an somebody says； 〃fall back！〃 well； i pick up my machine gun an start running alongside
everbody else for some palm trees which at least look like they might keep the rain offen us。 we
has formed a perimeter of sorts an is gettin ready to start preparin for another long night when i
lookaroun for bubba an he ain'；t there。
somebody say bubba was out in the rice paddy an he is hurt； an i say； 〃goddamn；〃 an
sergeant kranz； he hear me； an say； 〃gump； you can'；t go out there。〃 but shit on that— i leave the
machine gun behind cause it jus be extra weight； an start pumpin hard for where i last seen
bubba。 but halfway out i nearly step on a feller from 2nd platoon who is mighty hurt； an he look
up at me with his han out； an so i think； shit； what can i do？ so i grap him up an run back with
him fast as i can。 bullets an stuff be flyin all over。 it is somethin i simply cannot understand—
why in hell is we doin all this； anyway？ playin football is one thing。 but this； i do not know why。
goddamn。
i brung that boy back an run out again an damn if i don'；t e across somebody else。 so i
reach down to pick him up an bring him back； too； but when i do； his brains fall out on the paddy
groun； cause the back of his head blowed off。 shit。
so i drop his ass an kep on goin an sure enough； there is