Chapter 7-8 Summary

Chapter 7 describes Forrest's two months in the hospital at Danang. Not badly wounded, he finds it pleasant, but hears others crying all night for their mamas. The cot next to Forrest is occupied by Lt. Dan, whose philosophy about how natural laws govern the universe changes Forrest's outlook on life. Forrest takes up ping-pong and soon beats everyone. Afternoons he enjoys walking around the market. Eating shrimp reminds him of Bubba, and Mr. Chi explains how to breed shrimp in a swamp, giving Forrest an idea for what to do after the Army. He cannot operate a boat without Bubba, but he can work nets.

When the "muckity-mucks" tell Forrest that he has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extreme heroism and will fly to the U.S. to be decorated by the President, he refrains from saying that...