FORREST (V.O.). And just like that, she was gone out

And just like that, she was gone out

of my life again.

INT. VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL/REC ROOM - DAY

A footage of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon on

television.

NEIL ARMSTRONG

That's one small step for man, one

giant leap for mankind. The, uh, the

surface is fine and powdery. I can,

I can pick it up loosely.

Forrest demonstrates a ping-pong to some wounded vets.

FORREST (V.O.)

I thought I was going back to Vietnam,

but instead, they decided the best

way for me to fight communists was

to play ping-pong. So I was in the

Special Services, traveling around

the country cheering up all them

wounded veterans and showing them

how to play...

BUS STOP - PRESENT - DAY

Forrest looks at a man.

FORREST

...ping-pong. I was so good that

some years later...

EXT. CHINA/PING-PONG TOURNAMENT - FLASHBACK - DAY

Forrest plays ping-pong against a Chinese player. A large

mural of Mao Tse-tung hangs on the wall. A crowd of communist

leaders sit and watch.

FORREST (V.O.)

...the Army decided I should be on

the All-American Ping-Pong Team. We

were the first Americans to visit

the land of China in like a million

years or something like that, and

somebody said that world peace was

in our hands. But all I did was play

ping-pong. When I got home...

BUS STOP - PRESENT - DAY

FORREST

...I was national celebrity. Famouser

even than Captain Kangaroo.

Color footage of the DICK CAVETT Show. Dick Cavett stands up

as he introduces Forrest.

DICK CAVETT

Here he is, Forrest Gump, right here.

Forrest makes his way onto the stage, shakes hands with Dick

Cavett.

DICK CAVETT

Mr. Gump, have a seat.

Forrest sits down between JOHN LENNON and Dick Cavett.

DICK CAVETT

Forrest Gump, John Lennon.

JOHN LENNON

Welcome home.

DICK CAVETT

You had quite a trip. Can you, uh,

tell us, uh, what was China like?

John Lennon lights a cigarette.

FORREST

Well, in the land of China, people

hardly got nothing at all.

JOHN LENNON

No possessions?

FORREST

And in China, they never go to church.

JOHN LENNON

No religion, too?

DICK CAVETT

Oh. Hard to imagine.

JOHN LENNON

Well, it's easy if you try, Dick.

Forrest looks oddly at John Lennon.

FORREST (V.O.)

Some years later, that nice young

man from England was on his way home

to see his little boy and was signing

some autographs. For no particular

reason at all, somebody shot him.

EXT. STUDIO - LATER

A guard lets Forrest out a side entrance door. Forrest steps,

an then stops as he hears s man sitting in a wheelchair speak

to him.

LT. DAN

They gave you the Congressional Medal

of Honor.