Born on the Fourth of July1989

Ron Kovic:
Washington?! Washington! [Washington arrives]I've been laying in my own sh*t for the last three hours. I've been pushing my call button and nobody comes. Why can't I have a bath? Why can't the sheets be changed in this goddamn place? Why can't the vomit be wiped off the goddamn floor once in a while?

Nurse Washington:
Don't you raise your voice to me Mr. Kovic, you watch your mouth.

Ron Kovic:
Look at my leg. It's twice as big as it ever was. When are you people gonna help me? Where's the doctor? I need to see the doctor- I need to see him now!

Nurse Washington:
He's not available now. He's too busy.

Ron Kovic:
He's always too busy.

Marvin:
What's eating you now, Kovic? You going off the deep end?

Ron Kovic:
[grabbing Marvin] F***ing sh*t! What do I have to do to make you people listen to me? I wanna be treated like a f***ing human being! [slaps the valium hypodermic out of the nurse's hand] I don't want this f***ing sh*t! You wanna keep me drugged all the time so I don't know what's going on. This place is a f***in' slum!

Marvin:
You want out of here, man? Fine. We take that leg of yours, and we can get you out of here in two weeks!

Ron Kovic:
I want my leg.

Marvin:
Why?

Ron Kovic:
I want my leg!

Marvin:
Why? You can't feel it no how!

Ron Kovic:
[incredulous and angry] It's my leg! I want my leg, you understand? Can't you understand that? All's I'm sayin' is that I want to be treated like a human being! I fought for my country! I am a Vietnam veteran! I fought for my country!

Patient:
[off-camera] Shut the f*** up!

Ron Kovic:
And I think that I deserve to be treated...d- decent!

Marvin:
Vietnam? Vietnam don't mean nothing to me man, or any of these other people. You can take your Vietnam and shove it up your ass.