Significance of Vietnam

Forrest Gump is shipped to Vietnam in Feb. 1969, landing at Qui Nhon on the South China Sea coast, and trucked to the Brigade Headquarters and Firebase at Pleiku in the highlands. He enjoys the scenery and finds the people ("gooks") friendly. They live in shanties sadder than anything he has seen in Alabama. Everything is covered with red dust. Everything is peaceful for the "good new years—'Tet.'" The soldiers are taking their first bath in a week when shells start falling and Forrest first sees the horror of mangled bodies. Sgt. Kranz leads the 150 naked survivors to safety in swampy foxholes, where they spend their first night. The second day, shelling destroys the officers' latrines, covering everyone.