In the movie Forrest Gump , Forrest is asked at an anti-war rally to talk about his experience in Vietnam, but the sound is cut, so the audience in the film never actually hears what he says.

What he says on screen

  • Forrest walks to the microphone and begins: “There was only one thing I could say about the war in Vietnam…,” but at that moment an Army officer pulls the cables and the sound goes silent for the crowd and for the viewers.
  • The sound only cuts back in as he finishes with “…and that’s all I have to say about that,” a line that fits his simple, matter‑of‑fact way of speaking throughout the film.

The popular “full speech” quote

Many fans and commentators attribute this (unheard) speech to Forrest during that silent moment:

“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.”

  • This version has been widely circulated in articles and videos and is often said to be a line Tom Hanks supports as what Forrest would have said, though it is not audible in the actual movie.
  • Extras present at the filming have reportedly said they do not remember anything this dramatic being delivered, so it remains more of a fan‑accepted line than confirmed canonical dialogue.

Other things Forrest says about Vietnam

Outside the rally scene, Forrest talks about Vietnam in a very personal, non‑political way:

  • When Jenny asks if he was scared in Vietnam, he answers with a mix of “Yes. Well, I-I don't know,” then immediately shifts to describing how beautiful the sky and the water looked when the rain stopped, showing his childlike, gentle perspective rather than a political one.
  • He also says he promised Bubba in Vietnam that when the war was over, they would become shrimping partners, emphasizing friendship and loyalty over any commentary about the war itself.

Why this moment stands out

  • The film deliberately avoids making Forrest state a clear political position on Vietnam; the silent microphone gag lets every viewer imagine a version of the speech that fits their own view of the war.
  • The fan‑favorite quote about soldiers losing their legs or not coming home captures the emotional truth of Forrest’s experience—simple, sad, and focused on human cost—which is why it has become the go‑to answer when people ask “what did Forrest Gump say about Vietnam?”

TL;DR: In the movie, you only clearly hear Forrest say “…and that’s all I have to say about that” about the war in Vietnam; a widely shared fan version of his unheard speech describes soldiers coming home “without any legs” or not at all and calls that “a bad thing,” but that full line is not actually audible in the film.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.