Now can you believe it?
After only five years of playing football, I got a college degree.
Congratulations, son.
Mama was so proud.
Forrest, I'm so proud of you. Here, I'll hold this for you.
Congratulations, son.
Have you given any thought to your future?
Thought?
Hello, I'm Forrest. Forrest Gump.
Nobody gives a hunk of shit who you are, fuzzball!
You're not even a low-life, scum-sucking maggot!
Get your faggotty ass on the bus. You're in the Army now!
This seat's taken.
Taken.
At first, it seemed like I made a mistake,
seeing how it was only my induction day
and I was already getting yelled at.
You can sit down if you want to.
I didn't know who I might meet, or what they might ask.
You ever been on a real shrimp boat?
No, but I been on a real big boat.
I'm talking about a shrimp-catching boat.
I've been working on shrimp boats all my life.
I started out on my uncle's boat, that's my mama's brother,
when I was about maybe nine.
I was just looking into buying a boat of my own and got drafted.
My given name is Benjamin Buford Blue. People call me Bubba.
Just like one of them old redneck boys. Can you believe that?
My name's Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump.
So, Bubba was from Bayou La Batre, Alabama,
and his mama cooked shrimp,
and her mama before her cooked shrimp,
and her mama before her mama cooked shrimp, too.
Bubba's family knew everything
there was to know about the shrimping business.
I know everything there is to know about the shrimping business.
Matter of fact, I'm going into the shrimping business for myself
after I get out the Army.
Okey.
Gump! What's your sole purpose in this Army'?
To do whatever you tell me, Drill Sergeant!
God damn it, Gump! You're a goddamn genius!
That's the most outstanding answer I've ever heard.
You must have a goddamn IQ of 160!
You are goddamn gifted, Private Gump!
Listen up, people!
Now, for some reason, I fit in the Army like one of them round pegs.
It's not really hard.
You just make your bed real neat and remember to stand up straight,
and always answer every question with, "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"
Is that clear?
- Yes, Drill Sergeant! - Yes, Drill Sergeant!
What you do is, you just drag your nets along the bottom.
On a good day, you can catch over 100 pounds of shrimp.
If everything goes all right, two men shrimping 10 hours,
less what you spend on gas, you can...
- Done, Drill Sergeant! - Gump!
Why did you put that weapon together so quickly, Gump'?
You told me to, Drill Sergeant.
Jesus H. Christ, this is a new company record.
If it wouldn't be a waste of such a damn fine enlisted man,
I'd recommend you for OCS, Private Gump.
You are gonna be a general some day, Gump.
Now, disassemble your weapon and continue!
Anyway, like I was saying, shrimp is the fruit of the sea.
You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it.
There's shrimp kebabs, shrimp Creole...
...shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried.
There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp,
coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp...
...shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes,
shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich...
That's... That's about it.
Night time in the Army is a lonely time.
We'd lay there in our bunks and I'd miss my mama.
And I'd miss Jenny.