Like most American young men during the sixties, Forrest served in the Vietnam war. A large rumor during the war was that the sons of influential people (polticians, big buisness leaders etc) were being excluded from the war draft. People found it fairly difficult to find factual evidence to prove likewise, but it was a big controversy amongst American citizens. The song "Fortunate Son" explains the frustrations of these people very accurately. The song says "It ain't me/ It ain't me/ I ain't no Senator's son/...I ain't no fortunate one". Creedence Clearwater Revival was making bold statements in this song in order to prove a point that unfair treatment to others will not go unnoticed.
Songs like this were not uncommon during the war and Many other musicians wrote about their frustrations as well. In Major Problems of American History, a band called Country Joe and the Fish also slandered the Vietnam war. They wrote, " Come on fathers, don't hesitate/ Send 'em off before it's too late/ Be the first ones on your block/ To have your boy come home in a box..." (436) With the American public being very torn about the necessity to engage in war, it led to many controversial statements as seen by Country Joe and the Fish. Hist states, "Although one poll in 1967 showed that 46 percent of the public thought the war was a 'mistake'". (467) Bands like this and Creedence Clearwater Revival were simply the voice of the citizens of the US, and these songs were influential enough to be played in Forrest Gump.
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