What Forrest Gump Said at the Vietnam Protest March

Over the course of its 142-minute running time, the titular character in Forrest Gump generated enough catchphrases (a.k.a. Gumpisms) to warrant an entire book dedicated to the The Wit and Wisdom of Forrest Gump. But in one of the film’s most pivotal scenes, what drives the narrative is what the audience doesn’t hear.

While in Washington, D.C., Forrest makes fast friends with activist Abbie Hoffman, who invites him to take the stage and share his experiences in Vietnam with thousands of onlookers in the midst of an anti-war protest. But just as Forrest begins speaking, his microphone is unplugged, leaving viewers to wonder what it was that Forrest said. Well, wonder no more ...

According to Tom Hanks, Forrest’s speech was as follows:

“Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don’t go home at all. That’s a bad thing. That’s all I have to say about that.”

See Also: 14 Things You Might Not Know About Forrest Gump.